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Meet Spider: Cricket Magazine’s Younger Sibling

The year was 1994. A first-class stamp cost 29¢, the White House was just about to launch its first web page, and the Chunnel (the tunnel between France and the United Kingdom) was about to open. Oh, and one other important thing happened: Spider magazine, Cricket’s new offering for beginning readers ages 6 to 9, […]

The Olympics: A Look Back

When we—the editors of DIG, COBBLESTONE, FACES, and MUSE—met to discuss a theme for a 2016 issue that would work well across all four magazines, the Olympics came to mind almost immediately. Rio de Janeiro had already been chosen as the site, and the topic was one that could be approached from many angles. I […]

Discover Summer: Encourage Thinking, Creativity and Imagination

It’s the final week of our Discover Summer Reading program, but don’t fret! We will continue to share stories from our archives all year long to keep your kids’ reading. Our 11 children’s magazines encourage thinking, creativity and imagination. They are filled with beautiful illustrations, engaging stories, interesting facts and fun activities. For example, here’s […]

The Art of Letting Go

The creative process begins when the artist forgets himself and becomes the work. That is when the magic happens. It is an integral part of every artistic form of creation; theatre, music, dance, writing and art. My son, Chip Ghigna, is an artist. He paints pictures with paint. I am a writer. I paint […]

5 Award-Winning Illustrators First Seen in Cricket Magazine

Back in January, I wrote a blog called “5 Award-Winning Authors You Read First in Cricket Magazine.” That blog only touched the tip of the talented iceberg when it comes to the authors who have graced the pages of Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug, and it didn’t mention at all the wonderfully talented illustrators discovered […]

Discover Summer: Benefits of Getting Outside to Play

Did you know that there are a ton of science backed health benefits of kids playing outside? Here are a few you may not be aware of… Kids See Better: According to the Journal of Optometry and Vision Science, kids who spend more time outside during the day tend to have better distance vision […]

When A Best Friend Moves Away

This is the time of the year when people move. Families move near and far, to bigger towns for more opportunity or to smaller towns for a better place to raise the kids. They move for good reasons and not-such-good reasons. When a friend moves away it is stressful for both the kid moving and […]

Sleep-away Camp is No Reason to Get Tents

My kids have always been independent and were ready to take off for sleep-away camp and not look back from the first summer they were old enough. After many seasons of packing for these expeditions, I’ve learned a few valuable tips I’d like to pass along. Don’t bother packing tons of cute, coordinated outfits […]

Happy Blogaversary to Cricket Media!

Our blog is 1-year-old today. Happy birthday blog! When we started this blog last July we weren’t exactly sure where it would lead. We knew we wanted to share news, insights, and stories (lots of stories!) from our stable of award-winning children’s magazines with you, but the format, content, and value of the blog was […]

Discover Summer: National Summer Learning Day

Most families welcome summer break and enjoy the lack of routine and revel in the much needed downtime. While it’s nice to have the break, it’s also important to look for outside of the box learning opportunities throughout the summer months. According to the US Department of Education, “Over the summer months, some students experience […]