The Best Journals For Kids

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The best journals for kids are . . .

the journals they write in!

And like us, every child will have his or her own preferences.

The Best Journals For Kids

The Best Journals For Kids

Just remember . . .

encourage writing stamina and fluency, not spelling.

— journals aren’t meant to be revised or edited unless your child knows in advance.

— journals can be seed ideas for more writing which will be drafted, revised, edited, and published.

Composition Notebooks Make Great Journals

The Best Journals For Kids

I like composition notebooks for two main reasons: they’re inexpensive and the pages don’t rip out. (So young writers won’t lose their writing.)

These make fantastic keepsakes and reminders of growth as you look back at previous years.

Guided / Prompt Journals

The Best Journals For Kids

Guided journals make journaling easy for so many kids. Why? Because then children don’t need to think of what to write.

That is the beauty of guided journals with prompts.

However, this also can be unappealing to others (like me!) who want to think of their own topics. So let your kids try blank journals as well as see what they prefer.


Me: A Compendium
by Wee Society
ages 6 – 9
A colorful, easy fill-in journal great for beginning writers.

Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book by Jeff Kinney
ages 7 – 10
Filled with loads of interactive pages and plenty of space to write your own life’s story, this book is all you need to create your masterpiece. Books Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid


The Big Life Journal

ages 7+
A guided journal for children ages 7+ to encourage a growth mindset.


Dude Diary
by Mickey and Cheryl Gill
ages 8 – 12
This is exactly the kind of crazy, random activity book/diary that a boy will love. Lots of what-if scenarios and goofy questions.


Share Your Smile: Raina’s Guide to Telling Your Own Story
by Raina Telgemeier
An interactive journal from the talented graphic artist and author of Smile and other stories. She’ll help you brainstorm ideas, make lists, and use your imagination to write stories.


Wreck This Journal Everywhere
by Keri Smith
ages 8 – 12
A fun, take-with-you compact book of writing prompts and activities. It’s an easy-to-do little book that sparks creative thinking and wonderment.


Travel Journal by Peter Pauper Press
ages 7 – 12
This is a way for kids to record a trip on a daily basis with writing prompts, drawings, and more.


All About Me: My Thoughts, My Style, My Life
by Ellen Bailey
ages 8 – 12
An interactive journal for girls with prompts, quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks, and more.


Q & A a Day for Kids: Three Year Journal by Betsy Franco
ages 8 – 12
This is a quick and easy journal with simple prompts.

Parent-Child Journals

The Best Journals For Kids

AJ and I started using Just Between Us: The No-Stress, No-Rules Journal for Girls and Their Moms from Chronicle and Meredith and Sofie Jacobs during our breakfast dates before school. I loved how it helped us to focus our conversation and share something special.

Just released is the new Mother and Son Journal by Meredith Jacobs!

Blank Journals That Kids Like


Draw and Write Journal

ages 5 – 8
Wide ruled lines for writing plus drawing spaces will give kids plenty of blank pages for practicing writing.


Mudpuppy Journals

Super cool locked journals.


Peaceable Kingdom Journals
Locking journals for kids who want privacy.

What about your kids? What journals do they like?

best journals for kids

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11 Comments

  1. Great ideas, Melissa. My daughter absolutely loves writing and I encourage her to maintain journals in different shapes and sizes. She loves keeping more than her. I think if that inspires her to write, why not. So we have a travel journal and a night time journal, a letter journal and a nature journal…!
    One too many!

  2. We have journals, but we don’t write in them enough. Good intentions, not enough action. My kids love looking back at older entries. We use our journals as our memory keepers.

    You’ve shared some really cool journals here. The buddy journals and mom and daughter journals peeked my interest. I wonder if anyone has made a mother and son, father and son, or father and daughter journal. Wouldn’t that be great! My husband seems too have so much influence with all our kids. Encouraging dads to get involved in writing with kids makes sense.

    Our summer is flying by. You’ve motivated me to get a few journals entries done today. Myself included.

  3. It’s important to distinguish between creative activities and grammar/spelling activities. A journal is personal and creative, so definitely not for grammar and spelling corrections! but it’s also important to help kids write correctly within other spheres of activity.