As a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, I received a couple of issues of Nature Friend Magazine for free in exchange for using and reviewing them. (Wow - those writing skills have come in handy!) This blog entry is my review, and before you skip it because you don't homeschool, let me assure you this review applies to anyone with children.
When we received our first completely beautiful issue of Nature Friend Magazine, I was enchanted! We sat down immediately and read through the first half of the magazine together. The photography was so amazing, it was dazzling to the eye! Imagine: having a gift that allows you to capture so beautifully God's creatures in their natural habitats - in action! My kids began carrying their own cameras around outside not long after our perusal of the magazine.Additionally, the stories were so engaging, the kids could actually read them to themselves! I cannot tell you how big a feat it is to have a nature magazine speak to children. We have seen lots of magazines for kids, some about nature, and none of them "talk" on a kid's level quite as well as Nature Friend does.
As if that is not enough reason to be sold on this magazine, let me add to the positive components: the overall magazine was free of advertising and other objectionable material! That's right, this is a conservative magazine, with ideals about gentle exploration of God's creation (no crazy-looking, frightening creatures that will give your child nightmares), child-friendly content, and interactive concepts (like a monthly drawing contest). I could actually leave it out on the coffee table, let the kids take off with it, and allow our kids' friends to look through it - all without fear of what they will be exposed to! (In fact, both of the issues that we received for free are MISSING at this moment! Probably in the kids' bedrooms!) That is a BIG deal for me.
On a side note, you can obtain a Study Guide for each issue for an additional fee ($2 per issue, and it comes in the magazine), and we did receive this Study Guide to try and review. The Study Guide is great for children who can read and write as it allows you to draw out what your children have learned from the magazine - and it actually uses information from each segment! Although the Nature Friend Magazine is a bit pricey by some magazine standards, it is chock full of incredible photography of God's creation, contains NO advertisements, and is free of any objectionable topics or images. You really do get what you pay for.
BONUS: You win, too! Until November 30, 2009, you can use the code BLOG93 to get $3 off a new subscription.
Okay, if you still aren't convinced, check out what my fellow TOS Homeschool Crew Members had to say about Nature Friend Magazine here.
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