Mad Science KNOW "Science Magazine for Curious Kids" Review

As a mom of a gifted child I struggle on a daily basis to find things that work for my son. From mathematics, to science, to sports and recreation, every thing that happens in our life I evaluate to see if I think it will pass my son's high standards.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may have noticed that we've had some problems with the public school system. Last year, academically speaking, he spent bored, reading the same material he had in previous years, completing monotonous work that really taught him nothing. Education wasn't fun, or engaging, and I felt that he needed a change. This year, he's attending a new school with higher standards of curriculum, and he's excited about experiencing new things. He hates being the "new kid", but we're working on that.

When he was younger, we purchased a magazine subscription for him to encourage creative thinking, and thinking outside the box. He enjoyed it for the most part, but craved something more. I had no idea that anything like that existed, until I was presented an opportunity to review the Canadian magazine, KNOW, from Mad Science Publications. Although at first skeptical about a science magazine for kids, I became more excited about reviewing this magazine the more I learned about it.

KNOW is a science magazine for children ages 6-9, which is perfect for my 7 year old. KNOW News brings kids up to date on the latest discoveries and newest inventions; Alex loves creating and inventing, and even has his own invention book.

The 'Science in Action' section covers real scientists working in a field related to the topic or theme of the issue. I love the fact that my son can see a real-life application of science in the world today. The articles are age-appropriate, colorful and fun, and packed with oodles of information for your budding scientist.


One of the best parts, one that sets this magazine apart from others, (aside from delighting in the way my son seems to absorb all of the information from the pages), is the fact that KNOW magazine is free from outside advertising. Yes, you read that right. No ads for noisy, cheap toys, designer shoes, or cartoons with the social skills of a rock. This magazine is full of intelligent, coherent, well-formed stories, articles, comics and illustrations, hands-on experiments, and fun for you and your child.

As your child matures and their love of science grows, Mad Science also offers YES MAG. YES MAG is geared for kids 10-15 and delivers information on technology, biology, archaeology/palaeontology, Earth science, and scientists.

I am excited and eager to see future publications, and as of right now, my only negative critique is that this magazine is only published 6 times per year, simply because my son craves more! While browsing their site, I learned that you can purchase previous issues, and they even have a clearance section loaded with educational books and past issues.. so who knows- maybe Santa will drop a few under the tree this year, as well!

I know that science is not every child's forte, but I truly believe that as the world grows and changes our children need to become more excited about science. Utilizing tools such as KNOW and YES MAG may just be the fire we need to ignite that passion for learning.


"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by  Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to  facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me  for taking the time to participate."