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Living in the country as I did, I saw plenty wild animals in my backyard (squirrels, raccoons, possums..), but armed with Ranger Rick, I was able to appreciate and see them up close with out being bit, scratched, mauled, or hauled off to the emergency room for rabies shots!

Besides the wonderful animal features, there were projects, games, and activities to keep me and my brother busy. The concepts put forth in each issue emphasized recycling, kindness to animals, and conservation -- values and beliefs I carry with me almost 30 years after the fact.

So whether you live on a farm, the suburbs, or the city, Ranger Rick would be a wonderful gift for your child. It will help foster a life long love and respect for animals, as well as reinforce key values (conservation, recycling, etc.). A few things have changed over the past 30 years, but Ranger Rick is still consistantly a good magazine.

This magazine is too old for kids like 6 year olds, and buy the time kids are old enough to understand it, the topics are too babyish for them. The pictures are okay, but they are all the same after awhile.

I used to get this magazine years ago when I was in the third grade. I loved the magazine then and I still do now. The pictures are great for little kids to look at. They are real photos and not animated ones. The stories with them them are also great for kids to understand. They are extremely informative. I kept all my magazines I used to get, and now my daughter likes to look at them. I would highly reccomend this magazine for all kids. It wouldn't be a waste of time.

Every year I choose one unisex, age-appropriate gift for the multitude of birthday parties that my sons will be invited to by their classmates and stick with it. This year my 7 year old is in second grade and at-home reading is a daily assignment. Instead of showing up at 24 birthday parties toting a plastic toy that I'm not even sure the child will have an interest in or with a few books that the child may read once or twice and stash away on a shelf, we give the gift that will be new and different each month AND will help them keep up with their nightly reading! Each one of his classmates will get a subscription to Ranger Rick for their birthday this year (unless the parents say the child already receives it, of course). It saves me time, gas and my sanity because I don't have to drag my son around a toy or book store guessing what each of these children *might* like. All kids love to get mail addressed to them even if it is something educational in nature. The parents of these children are also grateful to not add to the unwanted toy closet. This is way to make everyone happy without spending a fortune.

As a kid (20 years ago) I enjoyed getting Ranger Rick in the mail (what kid doesn't love mail addressed especially to them?), and loved the colorful photos and games inside the magazine. I would credit Ranger Rick also with helping to instill my sense of wonder and stewardship for nature, since I've only grown to love nature more as an adult. The sense of community of nature-loving kids is enhanced by childrens' letters to the editor, and the articles about kids exploring, doing biology and ecology projects, or just watching birds. The magazine manages to convey this sense of beauty and fun without getting too heavy about the political issues that often cloud pure enjoyment of animals and nature.