The Week Junior

"When you are young, you’re naturally curious about the world and everything in it. But the world seems made for grown-ups; complex and unknowable. That’s why we’ve created The Week Junior. It explains the news and events in ways that children understand; immediate, colourful, exciting. From news to nature, science to geography, and sport to books, The Week Junior explores an extraordinary array of topics from around the globe. Written to engage a young person’s point of view, without spoon-feeding or patronising, it explains events in a safe, accessible and inspiring way."

WORD OF THE YEAR

A note from the editorial team

The Week Junior

A brave skier

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Palmerston the cat

MARCH

Good causes

Chocolate lovers

APRIL

MAY

Taylor Swift

JUNE

A living museum

JULY

Girl Guides

AUGUST

Cinnamon the capybara

SEPTEMBER

UK spies

Heilbronn

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Thai cats

DECEMBER

Nnena Kalu

Puzzles

Sporting heroes of 2025 • There were many wonderful winners and celebrations.

THE TEENAGER: Luke Littler

THE SPRINTER: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden

THE RECORD BREAKERS: London Marathon runners

THE TEAM: England women’s rugby union team

THE LEGEND: Rory McIlroy

Embrace nature in winter • Get ready to explore the outdoors.

Hunt out ancient trees

Viewing points

Local landmarks

Great endings

Look for clues and try wildlife spotting

Have a go at geocaching

Make a nature mandala

Boost for struggling species • This year’s natural wonders, from clever trees to planet-saving sea creatures.

Birds that glow

Tiny planet protectors

Ash trees learn to survive disease

The stars of 2025 • These six heroes inspired people to speak up, help others and believe in themselves.

Niamdh Braid • Standing up for deaf pupils.

Shane Grant • Asking young people to share ideas.

Hamza Yassin • Championing wildlife and dyslexic people.

Sarah Mullally • The new Archbishop of Canterbury.

John McFall • An astronaut aiming to make history.

Photos of the year

Science at its smartest • 2025 was a sensational year for stunning new breakthroughs and mind-boggling inventions.

Lab creates woolly mice

Research builds a portrait of the past

Parents delighted by miracle baby

Take our kindness challenge • Kindness makes the world a better place, and you can help make 2026 the kindest year yet. Make spreading kindness your mission by sticking this poster on a wall or fridge then ticking off the action for each month as you do it.

A year of fantastic films • Look back at some of 2025’s most popular movies.

BEST REMAKE Superman

BEST SEQUEL The Bad Guys 2

BEST FILM OF A BOOK How to Train Your Dragon

BEST MUSICAL Wicked: For Good

BEST VIDEO GAME FILM A Minecraft Movie

BEST HERO Dog Man

BEST ANIMATED FILM KPop Demon Hunters

The Week Junior Show

A fabulous year for books • The Week Junior Book Awards celebrated its third year in 2025.

Draw your own family portrait • When everyone gets together over the festive break, use the opportunity to sketch them.

A top year for gaming • Here are some of 2025’s best video games.

BEST COSY GAME Tiny Bookshop

BEST PUZZLE Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping

BEST ROLE-PLAY GAME Two Point Museum

BEST RACING GAME Mario Kart World

BEST COLLABORATION Sonic Racing: Crossworlds

How to… Make a paper...