# Are there any childrens' magazines like 3-2-1 Contact today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918 "2017-11-28T01:53:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/1 "2017-11-28T01:53:06Z")
I loved that magazine as a kid. The science, the puzzles, the articles. I loved the whole thing. Is there any magazine like that for kids today? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/2 "2017-11-28T05:42:56Z")
My goodness, I’ve just been wondering the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/3 "2017-11-28T10:04:58Z")
Was it anything like _[National Geographic Kids](https://www.natgeokids.com/za/)_? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/4 "2017-11-28T11:57:37Z")
I think magazines are slowly being replaced by subscription boxes. Though they often include a magazine, so… I don’t know what that means, really. We should make our own. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/5 "2017-11-28T17:39:48Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Was it anything like _[National Geographic Kids](https://www.natgeokids.com/za/)_? This is the only one I was looking at and am now wondering how good it is. 321 Contact had science, but also puzzles, riddles, and lots of neat stuff to work on. I enjoyed it as mental exercise as much as the stories. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/6 "2017-11-28T19:14:10Z")
ASK magazine is like that: [https://shop.cricketmedia.com/ASK-Magazine-for-Kids.html](https://shop.cricketmedia.com/ASK-Magazine-for-Kids.html) ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/7 "2017-11-28T19:19:59Z")
It was a magazine?!? I only remember the TV show, with the great up-tempo theme song: _3, 2, 1! Contact is the secret; is the moment when everything happens! Contact is the answer; is the reason that everything happens! Contact! Let’s make contact!_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/8 "2017-11-28T19:34:55Z")
Highlights? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/9 "2017-11-28T20:21:42Z")
Has anybody read ChickaDee? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/10 "2017-11-28T21:10:45Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Highlights? Too young for that audience. You’re looking at around 6-10 (so most of elementary school) for something like 3-2-1 Contact. Highlights is really more like kindergarten and preschool. It seems like there were several science-related magazines for kids 25-30 years ago and practically none today. Okay, checking Wikipedia it looks like I may have been too hard on the age for Highlights. That’s what I get for going by my own history of not reading it past about eight. ---
**Author:** ![biometricks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@biometricks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biometricks)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/11 "2017-11-29T18:15:15Z")
Ranger Rick is a magazine that has puzzles and riddles, as well as, stories. There’s a Jr. version (ages 4-7) and a Cub version (ages 0-3) to go along with the Regular version for kids 7+. [Ranger Rick at Home - NWF | Ranger Rick](http://kids.nwf.org/kids.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/12 "2017-12-03T01:37:56Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > ASK magazine is like that: [ASK Magazine | Science Magazine for Kids](https://shop.cricketmedia.com/ASK-Magazine-for-Kids.html) Seconded. My kids have gotten gift subscriptions to many magazines, including Ranger Rick, Ranger Rick Jr., Nat Geo Kids and Highlights. Their favorites BY FAR have been the Cricket magazines. We used to get BabyBug and Click, and now we get Ask and Muse. Cricket has magazines with both art and science themes, for ages from toddlers up through high school. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/13 "2017-12-03T02:26:06Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > It was a magazine?!? I only remember the TV show, with the great up-tempo theme song: > > _3, 2, 1! > Contact is the secret; is the moment when everything happens! > Contact is the answer; is the reason that everything happens! > Contact! Let’s make contact!_ > > 🙂 A former co-worker of mine was on that show. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/14 "2017-12-03T15:06:31Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > It was a magazine?!? I only remember the TV show, with the great up-tempo theme song: > > _3, 2, 1! > Contact is the secret; is the moment when everything happens! > Contact is the answer; is the reason that everything happens! > Contact! Let’s make contact!_ > > 🙂 Man I was so stoked when I first saw Levar Burton on Star Trek, I was all “HEY! I know who that actor is!” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-childrens-magazines-like-3-2-1-contact-today/802918/15 "2017-12-03T15:10:50Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Too young for that audience. You’re looking at around 6-10 (so most of elementary school) for something like 3-2-1 Contact. Highlights is really more like kindergarten and preschool. > > It seems like there were several science-related magazines for kids 25-30 years ago and practically none today. > > Okay, checking Wikipedia it looks like I may have been too hard on the age for Highlights. That’s what I get for going by my own history of not reading it past about eight. OK, I was just about to say… I don’t remember reading _Highlights_ until well into grade school. I think the sweet spot for me was around 4th-5th grade for that magazine. I certainly don’t even remember being able to read much until, I don’t know, first grade or so, around when I was 6 or more likely 7. (No preschool here, and in kindergarten, when I was 5, we were all just learning our letters at the time.)