I know there is a stigma against comic books for kids being a bad influence, but that’s not always the case. If you can pick some decent options for your child, these books will add to your child’s development. A report from the Journal of Educational Psychology recently highlighted that kids who read comics fluently have better vocabulary and comprehension skills.
So, you’ll only be hindering your child’s development by keeping them away from comic books. The following article will further build upon whether or not comic books are good for kids and what options you should recommend to your child.
Are comic books good for kids reading?
The traditional text-only books can quickly become bland and bore any child. It is very rare for kids to just sit down and cram new information without any visual input. In such situations, comic books can help a lot to improve your kid’s literacy and creativity. The National Literacy Trust emphasizes the significance of visual books in improving imagination.
These books introduce new cognitive skills and teach sequential arts to kids. They learn how to follow images and text to understand a complete story. On top of that, the quirky colors and story-building within these books keep kids engaged in learning. They don’t get bored or grumpy after reading comic books for a few hours.
Still, that doesn’t mean that all comic books are good for kids. You’ll have to carefully pick options that contain life lessons like “Tiny Titans” and “The Adventures of Tintin.” These comic books for kids have a great storyline that offers valuable lessons and educates your kids about history. Moreover, these comics were designed to improve morals in children while entertaining them at the same time.
Best kids’ comic books for beginners
Just like movies and TV shows, comic books also come for all age groups. For this reason, you will have to filter out every option with a mature theme or a bizarre concept. Like, you can start with “The Adventures of Tintin” for 5-year-olds and 8-year-olds. Similarly, options like Owly and Bone are also suitable for children in a similar age group. Your whole focus should be on finding comic books with decent characters. These characters will then serve as role models that your child can follow.
Moreover, there should be enough life lessons and moral lessons within the book. It will also help if you can look up parent’s reviews for the options you choose. That way, you won’t have to worry about any unwanted surprises when your kid gets engaged in a comic book you chose.
Best physical comic books for kids
There is no deficiency in child-friendly comic books and visual novels. Here are some of our top options that you can recommend to your kid.
Tiny Titans
All kids are fans of superheroes and humor. This comic book introduces children to the DC universe with fun characters and a quirky storyline.
Amulet
This comic book features a beautiful adventure by Emily and her brother as they shift into their grandpa’s house. Both siblings have to overcome various challenges and persevere in the face of adversity.
The Magic School Bus
These comic books are primarily targeted to educate children. Each chapter and each series under this name offers insights into scientific concepts and human anatomy.
Dog Man
This hero-based comic features a character who is half dog and half man. It blends action and humor to keep kids engaged in reading.
Hilda
This comic book features a world filled with unique creators and beautiful scenery. It highlights Hilda’s bravery and how her curiosity leads to the adventure of her lifetime.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
This comic book might be more complex than the options listed above. Nevertheless, it is filled with moral lessons and difficult choices. Your kid will get a new narrative on life after going through the intricate situations portrayed in this comic.
The Witch Boy
This comic explores the theme of magic. Here, a boy named Aster has to face the world to remain true to himself. It is an inspiring story filled with unique challenges and adventures.
Bone
This comic features a mystical land where the Bone cousins have to overcome several tricky situations. It is primarily known for its amazing artwork and detailed character development.
Best online comic book apps for kids
Getting your hands on physical comic books for kids is pretty challenging on its own. However, even if you do manage to get one, chances are that it will be in rough shape. So, you’ll have to rely more on comic book apps for kids. Here are some popular options to help you along the way.
This app is known for letting kids create and share their own comics. It helps teach kids storytelling and character development. Moreover, kids can bring their imagination to life with this application. It has an extensive library of reading material, and your child will not get bored on this app.
Marvel Unlimited
Even though there is nothing wrong with the application itself, the library is limited to Marvel comics only. Still, if your kid likes superheroes, he will have a sweet time reading all the options on this app.
ComiXology
This application offers a blend of indie creators and major publishers. Your child can find a ton of great reading material here and get inspired to create their own comic. The best part? It offers a guided view feature along with offline reading options.
Epic!
This application has a ton of comics and visual books for kids. The majority of the library within this application is targeted towards kids and age-appropriate material. So, if you have some pre-teens, letting them stay on Epic! for a couple of hours isn’t that bad an idea.
Strategies for integrating comic books and safe screen time
Including physical comic books or comic book apps for kids can be a great way to reduce your child’s screen addiction. Even though your child will still be watching the content on their phone, you can use any parental control software to monitor the content they consume. On top of that, these parental control programs will help you limit and restrict screen time for each application.
I’d recommend that you let your kid read comic books for about three hours a day. That way, your child will not get addicted to comic books. Moreover, they will learn a lot when it comes to literature and vocabulary.
On top of that, some comic book apps also offer social features. A parental control app can help you keep your kid away from strangers online who are lurking on such apps. So, don’t slack off when it comes to creating a safe reading environment for your child.
Pair fun with safe screen time by using the right parental control app
It can be difficult to choose the right parental control app for your kids. I mean, there are just too many features to consider, from content filtering quality to keyword detection. Here are a few pointers that we consider a must-have in the right parental control software.
- Content filtering to blur all mature media.
- Screen time limits to keep the kid disciplined.
- Keyword alerts to inform parents when kids are searching for inappropriate stuff.
- Screen mirroring to help parents monitor their child’s reading habits.
Luckily, FlashGet Kids meets all of these criteria and offers a one-stop parental control solution. You can use this app to keep your child safe on all apps with social features.
Here is how you can install and set up FlashGet Kids on your child’s device.
- Download and install FlashGet Kids on your phone.
- Create an account on this app after launching it.
- Download and install FlashGet Kids on your child’s device through the browser.
- Link both apps by following the in-app instructions.
- Go to live monitoring > screen mirroring to see everything on your child’s mobile screen. This feature will help you ensure that your child is only browsing kid-friendly comic books.
- Access screen time controls to limit daily usage. This feature will help you ensure that your child doesn’t get addicted to comic book apps or spend too much time on their phone.
It will barely take a couple of minutes to set up FlashGet Kids completely on your child’s phone. Once you’re done, you won’t have to worry about your child getting cyberbullied or targeted by online predators. Hopefully, your child will be able to enjoy a peaceful reading experience after you’ve integrated this parental control app.
Final verdict
You can never understate the educational benefits of comic books for kids. These books can help your child get ahead in life while enjoying their time learning about new things. You just have to do your part in helping your kid select the right book. Moreover, you need to also direct them by balancing their screen time and physical reading material.
Having a parental control app as a backup (like FlashGet Kids) can work wonders in such situations. You’ll be able to set up weekly routines on how much time your child can spend on comic book apps. That way, your child will not get addicted to their mobile screen. Similarly, they will be more keen on reading the traditional textbooks after they are done with the visual session.
