Feeding Young Minds: Resources for Curious Kids

From the TI archives — a parent's resource roundup originally published in 2014. Pricing and details have changed since; the organizations themselves are still worth knowing.

Keeping young minds fed takes more than school. Here's a shortlist of resources — magazines, toys, kits, and free sites — that were keeping curious kids busy in 2014, and mostly still are:

Cricket Media magazines. Publishing children's magazines since 1973, Cricket offers titles spanning arts, science, and history for roughly ages 5–10. Print and digital subscriptions let kids explore at their own pace.

Fat Brain Toys. A one-stop shop for educational toys — snap circuits, puzzles, building sets, imaginative play — organized by age. Useful when you need inspiration for a birthday or a rainy weekend.

The Magic School Bus science kits. A monthly subscription that sends kids a different hands-on science kit in the mail, each themed around Ms. Frizzle's adventures. Best for ages 5–10, and a good way to make science a mailbox event.

CK-12. A nonprofit providing free textbooks and digital lessons for K–12, from kindergarten basics through SAT prep. A genuinely useful free resource for homework help and self-study.

ReadTheory. A free site focused on reading comprehension for grades 1–12, with adaptive passages that adjust to the student's level. Simple, effective, and free.

The common thread: curiosity is a muscle. Feed it regularly, in small doses, and it grows.