Frequently Asked Questions

About Cricket Magazines

What makes Cricket magazines different from other kids’ magazines?

Cricket magazines are created by child development experts and educators. They feature award-winning stories, illustrations, STEM articles, and activities from world-renowned children’s authors and artists. For over 50 years, Cricket Media’s children’s magazines have inspired curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of reading in kids of all ages.

Are Cricket magazines educational?

Yes! Each issue of Cricket’s educational children’s magazines is designed around a big, enduring question that encourages kids to think critically, explore science and culture, and build literacy skills. Our stories and articles are carefully crafted and reviewed by educators to align with children’s developmental stages and reading levels, making every page both enriching and fun.

Who creates the content in Cricket magazines?

Our stories, poems, and features come from award-winning children’s authors, illustrators, and educators. Each issue includes original characters that children know and love, stories, non-fiction articles and global perspectives that make the reading experience both familiar, educational, and exciting.

Why do educators and parents trust Cricket magazines?

Cricket has been trusted by teachers, librarians, and parents for decades as a high quality educational resource. Each issue of our children’s magazines delivers age-appropriate content helps build strong literacy skills while fostering curiosity, empathy, imagination, and a genuine love of reading, all in a safe, enriching way.

Do Cricket magazines help my child develop reading skills?

Yes! Cricket’s award-winning children’s magazines are designed by child development experts and educators to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary, and build strong literacy skills. Each issue features rich vocabulary, engaging stories across genres, and age-appropriate reading levels that help kids grow as confident, curious readers. Plus, receiving a new issue every other month makes reading a regular and exciting part of their lives.

Are there other Cricket Media products my child might enjoy?

Yes! In addition to our award-winning children’s magazines, Cricket Media offers a variety of educational products that inspire learning, curiosity, and creativity. These trusted resources make it easy to support learning — on and off the page.

  • Sensical — the safest streaming service for kids, carefully curated by child development experts to match your child’s age and interests. It’s smart, screen time parents can trust.
  • Reading Stars — a fun, interactive reading app that helps build vocabulary, reading confidence, and nurtures a lifelong love of reading.

Subscriptions & Delivery

How long does it take to receive the first issue of my magazine subscription?

Your young reader will receive the first issue 5-7 weeks after we have processed your order. If you subscribe by mail, please allow an extra week for delivery of your order to our office. or more immediate gift delivery, we recommend purchasing the immediate gift issue add-on with your subscription.

If you'd like to let the lucky recipient know what's coming ahead of time, you can send a gift announcement.

What if I’d like my child or gift recipient to get the magazine right away?

You can add a gift issue to arrive in advance of their first regular issue. You can also purchase a companion digital subscription for instant access to the magazine online

How do I renew my subscription?

For your convenience, your new subscription(s) will be automatically renewed at the end of each term at the preferred renewal rate then in effect, unless you have cancelled. Towards the end of the term of your subscription(s) you’ll receive a reminder with the upcoming rate(s) then in effect. We will automatically charge your credit/debit card or bill you at time of renewal at the rate stated on the reminder.

What if my child ages out of their current magazine — can I switch?

Absolutely! We have magazines for children of all ages (6 months – teens) and interests. If your young reader is ready for something new, you can easily switch your subscription to any of our 4 award-winning magazines at no extra cost. Please contact support@cricketmedia.com for further details.

How often do you publish your magazines and when will I receive them?

Each of our magazine titles is published six times per year:

  1. January/February
  2. March/April
  3. May/June
  4. July/August
  5. September/October
  6. November/December

If you have not received your issue by the 15th day of the first month of the issue, please send an email to cricketmedia@cdsfulfillment.com or call us at 1-800-821-0115 (8:00 am-9:00 pm EST, Monday-Friday).

When should my child start reading your magazines?

We offer four magazines designed for every stage of childhood, from infants to teenagers. As your child grows, you can change your subscriptions to keep pace with your child's reading level and interest.

Our online store is organized by age category to help you identify the appropriate magazines and books for your child's age. These are general guidelines, and we recommend that you find the best fit based on your child's development.

Do you ship outside of the United States?

At this time, we ship to addresses in the United States and Canada only. However, you can enjoy a digital subscription from almost anywhere in the world.

Subscription orders:

  • U.S.: Free shipping on all subscription issues
  • Canada: $15 USD shipping fee
  • Please allow 5–7 weeks for delivery of the first issue

Non-subscription orders:

  • U.S. (including U.S. Territories and APO/FPO): Shipping is calculated based on your order total
  • Canada: A $15 USD shipping fee is added in addition to standard domestic shipping

Can institutions, schools, or libraries order Cricket magazines in bulk?

Yes! We’re happy to work with schools, libraries, and other institutions that want to order Cricket magazines in bulk, including Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, and Cricket.

To place a bulk order or submit a purchase order (PO), please email hardcopyadmin@cdsfulfillment.com. Our team will assist with pricing, shipping, and documentation for institutional orders.

Advertising

What kinds of advertisements appear in your magazines?

We only accept advertising that is responsible, age-appropriate, and relevant to our readers. Most of the ads feature products or services from our own company that we believe families will find useful and engaging. All advertisements are clearly marked to maintain transparency and trust with our audience.

Submissions

I am an author. How can I submit to your magazines?

During open submission windows, we accept online submissions at Submittable for our literary magazines (BABYBUG, LADYBUG, SPIDER, and CRICKET Magazines).

For more information, please visit our Submission Guidelines page.

My child is interested in submitting stories, poems, and/or pictures to your magazines. How can she/he do so?

Children of all ages can submit stories, poetry, essays, and art to our contests. Our
magazines do not accept general submissions from children under the age of 14.

For more information, please visit our Contest information at the bottom of the Cricket Community page.

Privacy

What do you do with the information I entered on your website?

We collect information that is voluntarily provided by users, such as survey information, site registrations and account information. This information is used to improve the content and functionality of our site and is not shared with other organizations for commercial purposes.

If you provide us with your postal address or e-mail address, you may receive occasional mailings or e-mails from us with information about new products, services, company news, or upcoming events. If you prefer not to receive these communications, you can opt out at any time by contacting us at support@cricketmedia.com. Please include your exact name, postal address, and/or e-mail address so we can process your request accurately.

If you provide your telephone number, we may use it to contact you regarding orders you have placed with us or to resolve any delivery or renewal issues with your magazine subscriptions. Your phone number will not be shared with their parties.

For full details on how we collect, use, and protect your personal information, please review our privacy policy.

Digital Access

Do you offer digital versions of your magazines?

Yes. Cricket Media offers digital editions of all our children’s magazines, so young readers can enjoy their favorite stories anytime, anywhere.

How can I get a digital subscription?

Digital editions are available as a separate subscription option or can be bundled with a print subscription for the best value. You can:

  • Purchase a digital subscription directly through our store
  • Choose a print + digital bundle through to get both formats at a special combined rate.

You can also sign up for our email newsletter to stay informed about special pricing and promotional offers.

Do I need a print subscription to access digital editions?

No. You can:

  • Purchase a digital-only subscription through the Apple App Store or Google Play
  • Get the best value by purchasing a bundled print + digital subscription directly from Cricket Media

Visit our web store for pricing on bundled print/digital editions and subscribe to our email newsletter for special pricing and offers.

Are digital subscriptions free?

Digital editions are available as a separate subscription option or can be bundled with a print subscription for the best value.

You can:

  • Purchase a digital-only subscription directly through the Apple App Store or Google Play
  • Choose a print + digital bundle to get both formats at a special combined rate

You can also sign up for our email newsletter to stay informed about special pricing and promotional offers.

Are digital subscriptions available outside of the United States?

Yes. Cricket Media offers digital editions of all our children’s magazines, so young readers can enjoy their favorite stories from almost anywhere in the world.

What platforms are the digital editions available on?

Our apps are available on both iOS (Apple) and Android (Google Play) devices, including smartphones and tablets. This gives families the flexibility to read across multiple devices.

What features do the digital editions offer?

Our digital apps are designed to give kids a seamless and engaging reading experience, including:

  • Immediate access to issues as they’re released
  • A kid-friendly, intuitive interface
  • Easy navigation with direct links from the table of contents to each article
  • Compatibility across multiple devices

Where can I download the apps?

You can search for each magazine in the Apple App Store or Google Play by name, or use the links below to download directly:

Apple App Store:

Google Play:

Web Browser:
You can access your digital editions directly through any web browser. No app required. Simply click the links below to start reading:

Can I use my subscription on multiple devices?

Yes. If you sign in with the same account, you can access your digital edition across multiple compatible devices.

How do I sign into my digital subscription?

If you (or someone you know) purchased your subscription directly from Cricket Media, you can sign in using your Recipient Account Number.

From the mobile apps or a web browser, enter your Recipient Account Number as both your Login and Password on the Sign In screen.

Once signed in, you’ll be able to read your digital editions immediately.

How do I locate my Account Number?

Order Confirmation Email — If you still have a copy of your Order Confirmation Email, your Recipient Account Number is listed within that message. If your subscription is a gift, you will need to ask the person who gave you the subscription for the confirmation email.

Magazine Label — If you also receive the print edition of your magazine, you can find your Account Number directly on your label, as shown below.

Sample label showing the placement of the customer account number

What should I do if I have trouble accessing my digital subscription?

Double-check that you’re entering your Recipient Account Number correctly.

  • Ensure you’re using the same email/account associated with your subscription
  • If the issue persists, contact digital@cricketmedia.com with your name, magazine title, and subscription email so we can assist quickly. We are here to help!

Support

How do I make adjustments to my subscription?

To change your payment information or shipping address, you can log into your account and click "Manage subscriptions." For more details, please see this guide.

For questions regarding your subscription or purchase, please email support@cricketmedia.com.

To report a missing or damaged issue, please send an email to cricketmedia@cdsfulfillment.com or call us at 1-800-821-0115 (8:00 am-9:00 pm EST, Monday-Friday).