Bao & Bun's Bilingual Journey

Not much new going on with our Chinese learning at home lately. The ongoing challenge is always finding new things to watch or read. Having a magazine subscription makes it easier to add fresh content to our bookshelf every month.

We’ve tried 巧虎 (Ciaohu) and 小行星 (Little Planet) in the past. Ciaohu is now out of print, and Little Planet feels a bit too young for my second grader. Last year, I subscribed to 《未來兒童》 (Future Children). I’d say it’s similar to Little Planet, but the content is a bit more mature and better suited for school-age kids. They also publish 《未來少年》 (Future Youth) for older kids( 4th to 7th grade).

These magazines aren’t exactly cheap—they range from about $230–$465 per year. What I do like is that each issue focuses on a common knowledge theme. For example, they’ve covered AI in a way kids can understand, and they also introduce different countries, cultures, and holidays. It kind of feels like a mini newspaper that helps kids learn about the world (through Chinese).

One reason I chose Future Children was because it was the most affordable option I found. You can subscribe through their website or go through their U.S. distributor—it costs a bit more that way, but you do get U.S.-based customer service.