Journaling might just seem like something kids do at school, but it's a great activity for kids to do at home too. From creating a daily journal to starting a nature journal, get several fun and exciting journal topics to try with your kids.
Daily Journal Prompts for Kids
Start a daily journal with your kiddos. Set out a few minutes a day to have your littles write in their journal. This is a great way for them to reflect on their day and their feelings.
- Why was today a good day?
- How can you make tomorrow a good day?
- What do you like best about yourself?
- Did you make a mistake today? What did you learn from making a mistake?
- What is your favorite memory of today? How does it make you feel?
- What is one thing about today that surprised you?
- Why was today special?
- What did you learn today?
- What feelings do you remember having today?
Related: 30 Exciting Story Ideas for Kids to Make Writing Fun
Fun Journal Topics to Keep Kids Interested
Keep journal prompts engaging for your kids by thinking of ideas that interest them. Try topics around themes like princesses, superheroes, and cartoons to spark their creative side.
- If you could be a superhero for a day, who would you be? Why?
- What cartoon character would you be for a day?
- What would you do if you were a princess or prince for a day?
- If you had a superpower, what would it be? How would you use it?
- What would you do if you woke up and you could read minds?
- If you could be your favorite celebrity for a day, who would you be? What would you do?
- Imagine you fell into your favorite cartoon or movie? What movie/cartoon would it be? What would you do?
- What would you do if an owl delivered a letter to tell you to go to a magic school?
- Describe where you would go and what you would do if you had a time machine.
- Imagine you suddenly became an adult for one day. What would you do?
Feeling Focused Journal Topics
Journaling about feelings is a great way for kids to understand their emotions and learn better ways to express themselves. Give these topics a try in their feelings journal. You can also use these as a starting point to create some of your own writing prompts for kids.
- What is a secret you are keeping that makes you feel worried or anxious?
- What makes you feel happy?
- What things have you done that make you feel proud? How can you do more of them?
- Describe what makes you feel loved.
- Write about something kind you did for someone else, or about something kind someone did for you.
- Write things that make you angry. What are ways you can calm down when you're angry?
- What was an exciting adventure you had with your family? What made it so exciting?
- What is your saddest memory? How does it make you feel when you remember that time? How do you help yourself feel better?
- What scares you? Why are you scared?
- Describe what makes you feel embarrassed. How can you avoid feeling embarrassed?
Journal Prompts to Show Gratitude
Being thankful is a skill that most children need to learn over time. You can help them foster kindness and gratitude by using a few gratitude journal prompts for kids.
- What makes someone special? How do you tell them how special they are?
- What is your favorite holiday? What do you like most about it?
- Who is your favorite person? Why?
- Write about your happiest day ever. What made it so great?
- What's your favorite thing about school?
- What is something you love about each of your family members?
- Describe your favorite place in your home.
- What makes your pet or pets so amazing?
- Describe something awesome about your best friend.
- Describe five people you are thankful for.
Exciting Nature Journal Prompts for Kids
The key to getting your kids amped about journaling is to make it exciting. Science can be an enlightening topic when it comes to journaling. Try out a few of these prompts for their nature journal.
- Why do animals have fur?
- Why do humans have hair?
- Why is the grass green?
- Why are polar bears so special?
- Does clear water have things in it that you can't see?
- Why does the sun burn you?
- How do worms move?
- Why can't you touch a rainbow?
- How do bridges stay up in the air?
- Do plants breathe?
Question Journal Prompts for Kids to Think Deeper
As kids get older, you want their prompts to become a little more complex to really make them think. Journal prompts are also a great way for them to explore their friendships and relationships.
- Describe what makes someone a good person.
- What does it mean to be a good friend?
- Why is it important to be your best self?
- Who do you look up to? What makes them so special to you?
- Is it more important to use your brain or your heart to make a decision?
- Why is it important to always be nice to people?
- What would you do if you saw a stranger being bullied?
- Why is it important to help someone in need?
- What is one thing you can do to make the world better?
- How would you help a friend who is sad?
Picture Topics for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Journaling is easier for kids who know how to write, but you can create a preschool or toddler journal with pictures. Try these simple prompts to get their picture journal started.
- Draw something fun you did today.
- Draw your favorite person.
- Draw something that made you mad or sad.
- Draw your favorite place.
- Draw your favorite toy.
Journaling for Kids
Journaling is a great way to help kids express themselves. This is especially true for kids who might not be verbal or who are reluctant to write. As they start their journaling journey, kids start to express themselves and their emotions. They can begin to see how they are feeling and why they might feel that way. You can also tailor your child's journaling to any area you think may interest them. Journaling can quickly become something that helps them improve their writing skills, or provides them with an outlet for their emotions.
How to Get Started
Start by setting aside five or so minutes of journaling time a day before bed. It can help them to wind down and really think about how their day went. Once the habit is formed, kids will start journaling on their own. You never know, you might have the next great author on your hands.
When to Start Journaling With Kids
It's never too early to start kids journaling. Before they are able to write, you can have them create a picture journal. However, if you want them to create a writing journal, they should be able to write and spell fluently. Having to stop to sound out words will make journaling a frustrating process rather than a fun experience. So, you might want to create a mixed journal for a kindergartener. They can write simple sentences, but it's mostly done with pictures. More fluent elementary students can start writing full sentences and even paragraphs. Once they get the hang of it, kids can create any number of journals like:
- Daily journal
- Feelings journal
- Gratitude journal
- Nature/science journal
- Vacation journal
Just remember grammar and punctuation aren't important, it's about getting their thoughts on the page.
Interesting Journal Topics for Kids
Writing down your thoughts in a journal can be very therapeutic and rewarding. Grab a notebook or start a digital journal and take a few minutes out of your day to help your kiddos start journaling. They will learn a lot about themselves and their feelings. It also helps them explore the bigger questions in life. You can also journal as a family! For teenagers, get some high school journal prompts to keep them writing.
