Art Journals With Kids
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Today I invite you to join me in art journaling, sharing this creative experience with your kids to promote self-expression and communication.
I began to explore art journaling after realizing how much joy I find in creating. Before kids, I used my music and dance to channel my creativity.
Recently, I’ve been exploring art journaling to tap into the creative self. And, I’ve invited my kids along for the journey as well. (AJ is 9 and JJ is 6.)
Originally published: 12/6/11
Updated: 6/13/24
What is Art Journaling?
My definition of art journaling is simple: Art journaling is creating a journal with a combination of words and visuals, or mixed-media art. It’s communication and self-expression.
Beginnings of Art Journaling
While in the mountains, we used our blank books, colored pencils, Doodle Diary: Art Journaling for Girls, and wrote in our journals daily. Yes, I did this with the girls, too – a very important piece of getting kids to do anything!  Mostly, I introduced some new ideas I noticed in the Doodle Diary book like:
- borders
- lines
- swirls
This is the cover page AJ made after we played with making swirls.
Here’s a page about a play we saw on our trip.
Art Journal Journals and Kits
We used Art Journal Kits from Strathmore. You can buy a mixed media journal like the ones we used here. I LOVE how thick the pages are.
The Strathmore kit isn’t currently available, but there are other art journaling kits for kids you can try.
Pick a Medium (or Two)
Looking at the ideas in the kit, we started with two art ideas: watercolor and collage.
Then the girl painted a watercolor background on their pages.
After that, they added pictures and words. (Remember when I wrote about word collections? You can use words from your word collection jars!)
There is no right way to art journal. It’s all about creating and being creative.
Here’s a page from JJ’s journal using collage and watercolor.
As we continue on our art journal exploration, here are 4 art journal prompts you can also try to start!
Art Journal Books I’m Reading
Raw Art Journaling by Quinn McDonald
The Art Journal Workshop by Tracy Bunkers
Creative Journaling by Renee Day
Create Your Life Book by Tamara Laporte
KEEP READING
Beginning Art Journaling Guest Post
Beginning Drawing Ideas for Kids
This is such a wonderful idea and I have 4 kids and so this would be fantastic for them each to have more than one…they love to draw and paint and create and having it all be in this cute little jounal is such a great idea!!!
thanks so much for this great giveaway!
Love this….I have been looking at a blog that does this and have wanted to try it but thought it would be too hard and I am not an artist. This looks easy to follow and something I can do with my kids. Thank you for sharing this.
What a treat! My son loves to paint and explore media, but we’ve never tried journaling. Thanks for all the sources!
whoa, this is some giveaway, Melissa! If anyone is in the NYC area, I highly recommend the Ezra Jack Keats exhibit and workshops at the Jewish Museum. The workshop included watercolor and collage techniques and really helped the kids make connections between Keats’ techniques and inspirations, and his art, up close, is breathtaking.
Melissa,
I was delighted at the very first glance with all the colorful photos that accompanied your post; then I realized your topic was one of my favorites. I’m a huge art journaling fan as of this year, plus I’ve kept a written journal for 27 years.
I love the focus of art journaling for kids. It’s refreshing to see children express themselves in creative ways, in ways only they can do becomes it comes from their heart.
I truly enjoyed what you shared from their experience and yours.
Love the products you feature as well.
I have chosen your post, Art Journals with Kids and a Strathmore Kit Giveaway, for the #JournalChat Pick of the Day on 12/7/11 for all things journaling on Twitter.
I will post a link on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, my blog and website Refresh with Dawn Herring, and in Refresh Journal, my weekly e-journal: http://www.refreshwithdawnherring.blogspot.com/ .
You’re welcome to join us for #JournalChat Live on Thursdays at 4 CST/2 PST for all things journaling on Twitter; tomorrow’s topic is journaling to define your day.
Thanks again for giving us an inside view of art journaling with your kids. What fun!
Be refreshed,
Dawn Herring
JournalWriter Freelance
Host of #JournalChat Live and Links Edition on Twitter