We’ve all heard of journaling before and we know that as adults, daily journaling has a wide range of benefits that help not only our mental health but our overall wellbeing as well.
But, did you know that the benefits of journaling extend to kids as well?
Rather than kids staring at a blank page trying to come up with something to journal about, you can use journal prompts for kids that are specifically designed to allow them to be creative and encourage expression.
What Ages Can Kids Start Journaling?
There’s really no right or wrong age for kids to start journaling, so as a parent it’s up to you as to whether you believe your child is ready.
Journaling is a great way to help kids develop their writing skills and it’s an excellent way to encourage creative expression. Journaling has so many benefits for kids, including:
– Self-expression
– Stress relief
– Helps with problem-solving and creativity
– Boosts confidence and self-esteem
As they grow, journaling on a regular basis will help them learn to express their feelings and it will provide them with the opportunity to reflect on what is going well for them and what isn’t.
Journaling can also help kids learn problem-solving skills as they turn inward, writing about their struggles and looking for ways to overcome them.
Can My Kids Start Journaling If They Can’t Write?
In short, YES!
When we think of journaling we often think of simply sitting down to write, but what if your child is too young to write? Journaling for younger children can actually be done by anyone who is able to draw or use stickers.
Journaling in ways that are visual in nature often help kids express themselves more freely since they don’t have to worry about writing the words out (which is often much harder for them).
There are a number of different ways you can incorporate journaling for kids who either can’t write for themselves, don’t want to write, or who want to explore different mediums to express themselves.
Alternative Journal Ideas For Kids
Journaling for kids (and adults) doesn’t have to be limited to the written word. Kids are creative creatures and they should be encouraged to explore their creativity in journaling too.
Other options for creative journaling include:
- Recording a video of their thoughts on the journal prompt
- Enacting a scene of the journal prompt
- Telling a story about the journal prompt
- Drawing a picture of the journal prompt
- Writing a poem about the journal prompt
- Writing lyrics for a song about the journal prompt
- Take photos to represent each part of the journal prompt
- Painting a picture of the journal prompt
Or any other creative expression they can think of.
How Journaling Prompts Can Help Kids
One of the most wonderful things about kids is that their imagination is amazingly vivid and creative. That’s one of the things that makes kids so much fun and entertaining.
However, this can mean that they need a little help staying on track or even getting started.
This is where journaling prompts can help.
It can be a little overwhelming asking a child to come up with a concept or to write something from scratch. However, giving them a prompt, such as the ones outlined below, can be the key that opens the door to their imagination and creativity.
Rather than offer up the huge list below (which could also be quite overwhelming) pick 3 – 4 different prompts and offer them up as options for a starting point.
Letting your child choose their journal prompt is a great way to empower them and allow them to really get in touch with their creative side.
127 Journal Prompts For Kids Of All Ages
So now that we know that journaling is beneficial, and you know the different ways kids can ‘journal’, you might be wondering what sorts of prompts kids can write or create about.
We’ve come up with 127 Journal Prompts for Kids to use as fun writing exercises and creative ideas.
While these are creative writing prompts, there is no best way for kids to use them, and it’s entirely up to them to decide what fun way or what their favorite ways of using these prompts are.
Most of these prompts are open-ended questions that will encourage your kids to think about how they’re feeling and what is happening in their lives. Journaling can help them learn about themselves and express their emotions and feelings, which we all know is a very important part of healthy emotional development
The open-ended style of the prompts also means they don’t have a right or wrong answer, they are just meant to spark your child’s imagination. They don’t have to take up much time, but it’s a good idea to allow enough time for their own creative expression.
Use the following prompts to help your kids start their creative journaling. Some of these prompts may be more suited for older kids, but it’s also incredibly interesting to see what answers some younger kids come up with for them too:
1 – What is my favorite way to spend a day at home?
3 – What is the best present I ever got for my birthday/Christmas?
4 – If I had $1,000, what would I spend it on?
5 – If I could be an animal for one day, which one would I be and why?
6 – If I could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would I go and why?
7 – What do I love to do for my birthday?
8 – How old am I, and what is the best thing about being that age?
9 – What do you think I want to be when I get older?
10 – How do I get ready for bed every night, and does it take a long time or not?
11 – What is my favorite food?
12 – What are my 3 favorite things in my bedroom?
13 – Who is my best friend right now and why are we friends?
14 – What video games do I like and why?
15 – What do I do first thing in the morning?
16 – Where is my favorite place to go with my parents?
17 – If I had a time machine, would I go forward in time or backward in mine?
18 – What is my favorite thing about the whole school year?
19 – What is one of the most important things about family to me?
20 – What is my favorite activity to do by myself?
21 – What is my favorite season of the year?
22 – Describe the earliest memory I can think of.
23 – What are 3 of my favorite songs right now?
25 – Describe 5 things that would be in my dream house.
26 – If I had to live my life in a TV show which one would it be and why?
27 – What would happen on my most perfect day?
28 – Who is my favorite character in a book?
29 – Who is my most favorite person in the world?
30 – Would I rather be in elementary school, middle school, or high school?
31 – If I had to design our school uniform, what would it look like?
32 – If I went to outer space, the one thing I hope I would see is…?
33 – If I found a new planet, what would I call it?
34 – What is my most favorite hobby?
35 – What is one of my most favorite toys?
36 – What is my favorite color?
37 – If I could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
38 – If I could meet one famous person, who would it be and why?
39 – If I could change any one thing in the world, what would it be?
40 – What is my favorite animal and why?
41 – If I could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
42 – If I were a character from a movie or book, which character would I want to be and why?
43 – If I could see a live show, what kind would I go to and why?
44 – What is my favorite sport or activity to play outside?
45 – If I were an ice cream flavor, which one would I be and why?
46 – If I could have any pet in the world, what would it be and why?
47 – What is my favorite thing to do in the summertime?
48 – If I could see any band/singer, who would I go to a show for and why?
49 – What has been my most favorite vacation ever?
50 – If I could have any job for one day, what would it be and why?
51 – Where do my grandparents live, and how often do I visit them on average?
52 – What is something that makes me laugh or smile every time I think about it?
53 – If I were a superhero, what crime would I stop and why would that crime be important to me?
54 – What is my favorite holiday of the year and why?
55 – If I could have a dream vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and what activities would I do there?
56 – If I could bring anything to a deserted island where no one else was allowed, what would it be and why?
57 – What is the best part about living in this house/apartment or where we live now?
58 – What makes me feel safe when I’m home alone at night?
59 – If I could have a favorite band/musician over for dinner, who would it be and why?
60 – How do I show people I love them?
61 – What does it mean to be kind to others?
62 – What is my favorite book and why?
63 – When did I last get to spend time with a family member that lives far away from me and how can we stay in touch more often?
64 – If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, what would it be and why?
65 – What are three words that describe me best?
66 – What is something that I never get tired of doing?
67 – What was the best party you’ve ever been to and why did it stand out in your mind?
68 – What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to me?
69 – What is something that my friends and I laugh about every time?
70 – Who are five people who have really made a difference in my life?
71 – What are three things that make me happy right now?
72 – What makes me feel proud about myself?
73 – How can I be a better friend to others?
74 – If I could play any musical instrument, what would it be and why?
75 – What do I wish people knew about me but they don’t know yet?
76 – What is something that I’m totally afraid of and why?
77 – If I could play any character in a movie, which one would it be and why?
78 – If I could be famous for anything at all, what would I choose to be famous for and why?
79 – What is my favorite thing about school?
80 – What would be the best job in the world?
81 – What would be the worst job in the world?
82 – What is my favorite way to be creative?
83 – If I could ever change my name, what would I change it to?
84 – Describe my family and what they mean to me.
85 – What is my favorite smell?
86 – What sounds can I hear right now?
87 – If I created my own language, how could I teach other people how to speak it?
88 – What is something I believe everyone needs to learn about?
89 – What is my favorite thing to do outside?
90 – What is my favorite thing to do inside?
91 – How can I make people feel better when they’re upset or sad?
92 – How do I like people to help make me feel better when I’m upset or sad?
93 – If I could shrink down to the size of a mouse, what would I do?
94 – If I could grow to the size of a giant, what would I do?
95 – What dinosaur would I be and why?
96 – If I had an animal sidekick, what animal would it be and why?
97 – If I discovered a buried treasure chest, inside would be…
98 – What invention do I think would really help people?
99 – I think the one thing the world needs right now is…
100 – What do I think would happen to someone if they ate way too much food?
Story Starters As Journal Prompts:
These prompts are designed to encourage kids to tell creative stories.
101 – Tell a story using the words apple, chair, plane, tiger, sleeping.
102 – You have now been transported into the last TV show you watched, what happens in the next episode?
103 – You open the door to your bedroom, but instead of your room, you find…
104 – You arrive at school to find a herd of elephants near the playground. How did they get there and what are they doing there?
105 – Write an alternate ending to your favorite book or movie.
106 – You are given a packet of seeds for a gift from a stranger at a market, you go home and excitedly plant the seeds. The next day, you wake to find…
107 – You are riding through the field on the back of your pet dinosaur when you see…
108 – How would your life be different if the world didn’t have… (water/food/gravity)
109 – You are given a magic potion that makes it so you can only speak in questions. What happens?
110 – You get lost in the woods and try to follow the sun, but end up deep into the dark forest. When you finally find your way out, you are delighted to see…
111 – You have just won a lottery where you have the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a brand new sports car, behind another door is a time machine, and behind the last door is…
112 – It’s the end of the world as we know it. How did you survive?
113 – Your uncle/aunt/big brother or sister is about to make their big announcement. They are…
114 – You are given the power to control other people with your mind, what do you choose to do first?
115 – You have been given the task of creating a new planet. Describe the planet, who lives there, and what happens on your new planet.
116 – Tell a story about an adventure, while incorporating each of these words into your story: book, dragon, ghost, mirror.
117 – You are in charge of creating an epic battle between your favorite characters from your favorite book/movie/show. Who wins and why?
118 – Your mom goes on vacation and leaves you in charge for the weekend (you’re only allowed to use magic). What happens?
119 – You are given the power to see 10 years into the future. What is different?
120 – Rewrite part of your favorite book or movie with you as the main character.
121 – You are given a map to a magical world, and when you open the map, the first thing you notice is…
122 – You are given a portal that can take you anywhere in the world. Where do you go first?
123 – You’ve found an old brass bottle and when you go to gently rub the side of it to clean it off, a genie pops out and tells you that you have 3 wishes. What do you wish for?
124 – You’ve created a new sports game, explain how it is played and who plays it.
125 – You wake up in the morning and go to get out of bed, but instead you notice that everything in your room is backward. As you walk out to the kitchen you notice everything is either upside down or around the wrong way… what happens next?
126 – On your family vacation to the beach, you excitedly run towards the ocean to go for a swim. When you feel the cool waves wash over you, you realize you’ve grown gills and can breathe underwater. What happens next?
127 – You walk outside one day and notice everything in the world is now blue. How did that happen?
Journaling is a great way for kids to explore their thoughts, emotions, and ideas as well as a great way to express their creativity and allow their imagination to flow.
Hopefully, these prompts have helped to spark some ideas of creativity and encouraged your kids to get into a journaling habit.
Remember, these are just some ideas to get you going, you can create your own journal prompts with your kids or encourage them to write about anything they want. This is their creative time and they get to choose what they’d like to do.
