The Lollipop Road

Posts Tagged ‘magazines’

It was with trepidation that I first ordered Disney’s Family Fun magazine. After all, the last thing my family needed was another magazine on the ins and outs of how to have the perfect family. But a friend’s son was having a school fundraiser (you know the ones I’m talking about) and we needed to order something, so off to the computer I went to check reviews of potential picks. “This time was going to be different”, I said. This time I was actually going to get a magazine that was helpful and informative rather than the usual coffee table clutter.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Family Fun really catered to the notion that families should play together. No parental advice “experts” need apply. The idea is that families who make crafts together, cook meals together and simply enjoy spending their time together will have more fun. “How refreshing”, I thought.

So, I placed my order for a 1-year subscription of Family Fun and anxiously awaited my first issue. When it finally arrived in the mail, I took a quick look at the cover and was instantly intrigued by what I saw. With a remaining amount of skepticism, I opened it and read the table of contents. Hmmm, an article entitled “Low Cost Summer Camp Adventures at Home” – that looks promising. But then again, “How to Make a Dancing Balloon” and “Taking an RV Vacation With Your Family” soon had me delving straight into the pages. In what seemed to be just a few minutes time, I heard “mommy!” “mommy!”. I guess I was taking too much time reading because the kids were standing at my feet, waiting to go outside and play. Reading would have to wait until the kids went to bed!

That evening I began devouring every article until I had finished reading the entire magazine. I actually found it quick to read due to all the project idea pages. This magazine looked and read differently from all of the other family and children’s magazines that I’ve read in the past and I felt like I had hit a home run in choosing it!

Family Fun has 5 feature articles in each issue, covering topics such as Holiday crafts, fun neighborhoods, homemade gifts, kitchen science projects and more. Inside, there are 11 additional departments such as “Creative Solutions”, “My Great Idea”, “Everyday Fun”, “Let’s Cook”, “Our Favorite Things” and my husband’s favorite – “Family Getaways”. Each and every article is focused on quality family time. For example, in a recent “Everyday Fun” article, some of the craft project ideas were making butterflies from plastic egg cartons, turning bottle caps into bejeweled magnets, making a Jacob’s Ladder toy and fashioning an Easter Egg display stand. If you go to their website at www.familyfun.go.com you will find an amazing array of additional articles, stories and ideas, as well as how-to-videos and parent’s groups.

While this magazine is filled with lots of great things, I feel it is just as important to mention what it is not filled with. You will not find articles on how to stop your child from whining while at the supermarket, why you should get the latest vaccine or how mom’s should not feel guilty because they can’t do it all. Rather than focusing on what we aren’t doing right, Family Fun celebrates family togetherness and how to make the best out of the limited time that we do have together. Family Fun is published 10 times per year at a current yearly subscription price of $10.00. It’s a feel good magazine at a feel good price. Now that’s fun!

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