A new magazine for people with children, from the team behind Kinfolk.
Kindling is a place to explore the new ideas and fresh perspectives that come with being a parent. It’s non-judgmental, unfussy and made to be enjoyed by anyone currently raising a child under the age of ten. We’re interested in exploring the big ideas around parenthood, not what your child should be having for dinner or wearing at the weekend. Compact and colorful, the magazine is designed to be kept and treasured—whether on a coffee table or a child’s bookshelf.
Kindling 01: The Emotions Issue
Inside The Emotions Issue, you’ll find an interview with the professor of psychology who advised on Pixar’s Inside Out, a workbook geared towards helping your child talk about their feelings, and a photo essay in which fruits and vegetables bring common idioms to life. Just ask yourself: What would it really look like to be “cool as a cucumber”?
Kindling is also packed with features and columns that answer questions including: What’s it like to spend four years traveling with your parents? What can the Gruffalo teach us about fatherhood? And how should you answer a child if they blindside you with a tough question like “Why do people die?”?
Designed to be read by adults but shared with children, Kindling is brought to life through the playful drawings of Norwegian illustrator Espen Friberg, and contains an activity section packed with suggestions for fun, free and (occasionally) educational games that parents and children can enjoy together.
Kindling 02: The Body Issue
For the Body Issue, we’ve teamed up with Wow in the World to answer children’s most curious questions about their bodies, from “What is a vaccine?” to “Why do my teeth fall out?” We also hear from the Swedish social worker who successfully campaigned for the “snippa”—a neutral word to replace the many euphemisms used for female genitals, and report on the important role of parents and caregivers in making children feel good about their bodies.
Kindling is made to be read by adults and shared with children. In our fashion shoots, we’re making DIY hi-vis outfits and customizing crutches, wheelchairs and casts.
Kindling 03: The Imagination Issue
Interviews, features and imaginary friends: Issue Three of Kindling is on sale now! In THE IMAGINATION ISSUE, we chart the joy, terror and philosophical quandaries that come with raising a child. There are features on digital play, childhood fears and the unwritten rules of children’s music, plus an interview with designer Cas Holman about why “good toys make good people.” Also inside the issue: Former California surgeon general Nadine Burke Harris on childhood traumas and what can be done to mitigate them, Christine Sun Kim on art and motherhood, and your questions answered: Is Mean Girls’ Mrs. George a cool mom, a regular mom, or actually a really good mom? Why do kids love garbage trucks? How can I get my child to realize I’m a person too?