A Summer Journal is an excellent way to preserve summer memories. It’s also a fun way to keep up those school skills easily through the summer.
Journaling is great for any age and can be done with writing or drawing. Read on for why you should create a summer journal, when to journal, and 25 prompts to get you started.
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Our daughter just completed her last year of preschool and will be off to kindergarten next year. Our baaby!
She has such wonderful teachers and they did so many smart things that I totally want to steal!
One of our favorite things that they did throughout the year was journaling every day.
Not only did they have the kids color something in their journal each day… but they took the time to talk to each one of them about their picture and label each different part of their drawing.
Most days, they had specific prompts. However, my daughter tells me her favorite is “free journaling.”
These memories that they captured throughout the year are so precious!
So, we’re keeping it up and trying our hand at having a summer journal.
Why to do a Summer Journal?
The summer can be so busy! Many of us feel like we can’t fit everything into a day, or we have trouble sticking to a schedule and our summer goals.
The great thing about a summer journal is that it’s relatively easy. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it’s not something the kids will moan and groan about like worksheets.
A summer journal is fun! It’s a great way to practice school skills in a fun way.
It helps your kiddos who are writing to practice and not lose the skill built up through the school year. It helps your younger kids to focus on something and follow directions.
Best of all, a summer journal is a fantastic way to record all your summer memories.
I can’t stress enough how cute it is to look back on your kiddo’s journal!
What age to do a Summer Journal
Our Little Guy just completed first grade and he happened to come home with a summer journal already decorated. So, a big “Thank You” to his teacher for putting us one step ahead!
A journal is a great way to practice printing and spelling for older kids.
Whether your kiddos is writing or not, a summer journal can be done at any age.
For younger kids, you can use blank paper and encourage them to draw in their journal. If they are also starting to write, a draw and write journal is perfect.
If you’re a packrat like me, you can make a journal out of the backs of all the worksheets that came home during the school year.
Personally, I think the drawing is the best part. So, I’m encouraging the drawing even for our older one who will be writing in his journal.
When to fit in a Summer Journal
Making time to journal is a great way to force the kiddos into some downtime during the busy summer.
We’re not excellent about sticking to a schedule through the summer… However, it helps to have something that we can pull out when the kids need a break.
The trick is to not make it seem like punishment.
Make it something you do at a certain time each day. Depending on your kids, choose the time of day that works for you.
For us, we tend to get busier at the end of the day. So, we have better luck sticking to things like this in the morning.
In the coming weeks, the kids will have swimming lessons in the morning and Farm School in the afternoon. I know they’ll be so tired, but they haven’t taken naps in a long time and fight the suggestion of a rest time. So, we’ll be doing our journaling after lunch to fill that time and give them a little break.
Just before bedtime can also be a great way to wind down after a busy day.
Summer Journal Prompts
Some kids will just take off running with a journal. They will either write or draw about their day or get creative with it on their own.
If your kids need a little push, or if they tend to want to draw/write the same type of things, it can help to give them a prompt. You can even find journals with prompts already in them!
Summer
- What is your favorite part of summer?
- What do you miss most about school?
- This summer I want to visit…
- My days are different in the summer because…
- What do you love to do outside?
- What do you like to do on rainy days?
- What are you looking forward to next school year?
- How does summer look different from winter?
- What is the best thing to do on really hot days?
- What is your favorite summer treat?
- What do you wear in the summer?
- Name 3 things you want to do this summer.
- Who do you play with in the summer?
- If I could spend the summer anywhere, I would spend it…
- Draw/Write about your perfect summer day.
General
- Draw/Write about your family.
- What was your favorite vacation?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- What is your favorite animal?
- Name something you are good at.
- Who are your friends?
- If you could design a park or playground, what would it look like?
- Draw/Write about your house.
- If you had a superpower, what would it be?
- If you could do anything with your mom or day, what would it be?
An extra step for parents
A summer journal is a great tool for parents trying to keep the kiddos busy. It can be perfect for downtime, when mom or dad need to get some things done, or when the kids just need a minute or two a lone.
However, if you can find the time, it is important to talk to your child about their journal.
For the kids who are young and making drawings, it’s nice to ask them to explain their drawing. My favorite part about the prek journals that were sent home is that the teacher labeled different parts of the drawing. It definitely helps when you go back to look at them in the future.
This creates such a special moment with your kids and wonderful memories.
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Has your kiddo ever kept a journal?
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