I learned to love journaling from my own mom. She started writing in a journal on my behalf while I was a baby and then gave it to me to continue once I was old enough to draw. Even before I could write, I journaled. Maybe that’s why journaling for kids is so important to me.
Today I cherish journals from my childhood and teen years, as well as young adulthood. Journaling has only become more important to me as I’ve grown older.
Benefits of Journaling for Kids
There is so much to love about journaling for kids! Here are a few of my favorite benefits.
1. Journaling Teaches Writing
The private pages of a journal offer the ideal environment for children to experiment with writing. Writing gets better with practice, and journaling often offers a low-stress way of practicing writing.
2. Children Develop Self-Expression By Journaling
Writing about daily experiences teaches children to reflect on their days. This builds self-awareness and self-expression.
3. Journaling Builds Memories
Every day journaling creates important memories. In our family, we also use travel journals when we are on the road. Travel record-keeping keeps the kids learning, and they love looking back on travel memories!
I even have a free printable travel journal to get you started as you give roadschooling a try.
4. Journaling is Family Time
Schedule a time when the entire family can sit down and journal together. We love Sunday afternoons for this activity.
5. Journals are Fun
Whether you write freestyle in a traditional journal, use a question-a-day prompt, or try art journaling or bullet journaling, this is a fun journey! And you’ll love looking back on the memories you create.
How to Encourage Children to Journal
1. Set a Time
Set a time for your child to journal every day. It can be part of their homeschool schedule or something that your family does together.
2. Be Consistent
Once you’ve picked a time to journal, make sure it happens!
3. Model Journaling
The best way to get your children journaling is to journal yourself! There are so many fun ways to journal these days, and so many different types of journals to try. You can even journal in a planner. If you use a design-it-yourself planner like Agendio (affiliate link – I love mine!), you can even create your own journaling space for every day of the year.
4. Offer Journaling Prompts
Some children have plenty to say while others struggle to know what to write. My Question a Day Journal for kids has a prompt for every day of the year. Of course, you can also let children pick and choose their favorite prompts! Gratitude journaling is another great way to start a daily journal habit.
5. Journaling Isn’t Only Writing
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I started journaling before I could read or write. Allow children to draw, create collages, and paste photos into their journals. Everything comes together to create a magical memory of their childhood.
