Creative Journaling | 6 Tips for Kids and Parents

I love to write about journaling tips, journal writing ideas, creative journaling, journal keeping techniques, journaling topics and prompts.

I think that creative journal keeping is the absolute best way to engage a child in consistent journaling.  There are infinite ways for you and your child to dress up a journal and integrate creative expression into your journal keeping experiences.

To help you and your special child in your journal adventures, I invite you to try out these creative journaling tips for kids! These journal keeping tips are just a small sampling of what is possible with creative journaling.

Six Amazingly Fun and Simple Creative Journaling Tips

1. Journal Share - Make the journal experience interactive rather than secretive and solitary. Take a new approach to journal writing and declare that diaries are for secrets and journals are now for celebrating and sharing. This will allow you to play an active part in helping your child to complete their journal.

2. Brighten Journals with Color – Toss those pens and pencils aside and use markers, crayons and colored pencils instead. You will be amazed at how beautiful and joyful a journal becomes simply by adding color!

3. Summarize. Summarize. Summarize! – There is no need to write page after page in a journal. A few words that summarize a day, or how you feel, or a few bulleted points that highlight the day’s events is sufficient. Keep it short and simple and to the point by writing less than 10, 20 or 30 words, depending on your time constraints.

4. Write One Word - If you and your child have had a long day and do not have much time or energy left over for journal writing, simply choose one word that encapsulates the day and write that word across the entire page in big bold letters. Upon review at a later date you will be surprised how much can be recalled from this single word!

5. Make It Sparkle and Shine – Use stickers, spangles, glue, magazine cutouts, craft supplies, and other miscellaneous arts and crafts supplies that are stashed in your drawers and closets! Get creative but keep it simple; this need not be a major production.

6. No Such Thing as Right or Wrong – Lastly, and most importantly, emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers while journaling. Journal writing should be freeing, not limiting, so give your child permission to break the rules they are required to follow in school (spelling, grammar…) so that they may fully and creatively express themselves.

Remember that journal keeping is the most fun for kids when you keep the activity light, simple and full of fun and laughter.

Happy journaling….

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Journal Buddies builds creative writing skills in boys and girls.

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