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
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
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
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.
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
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?
RELATED POSTS:
Why You Should Encourage Kids to Start a Writing Journal (& How to Start)
Huge List of Writing Prompts for Kids (Including Books & Websites)
As Daria says, sometimes we are quick to neglect writing in pursuit of developing reading, but the plus side of this is that reading will only improve any future writing activities. Daria – try reading as a writer as a step into focusing on writing again. Before writing, say an informal letter to a friend, read a few examples and use these to determine what language features and organizational elements you’ll need to develop 🙂
LOVE this post! I’ve used the memo books covered in fabric to personalize them for myself and my children. We’ve got Spiderman, Dora, and other just random patterns. It has been a great project for my school-age son and my preschooler loves to just add stickers and her scribbles while big brother journals. So many wonderful possibilities! I really want to check out the one with prompts though!
Good reminder about having my kids write this summer. I’ve been pushing reading, but have let writing fall by the wayside.
Daria,
It’s harder to motivate kids to sit down and write, isn’t it? Make it fun and write with them – or have them pick a fun place to write – like the park or zoo.
🙂 Melissa
Nice journal suggestions. I also especially like your tip of ‘encouraging writing stamina and fluency and not spelling’. Sometimes it’s easier for children to write when they don’t get stopped up by trying to ask or worry how words are spelled.
We’ve just been on a driving holiday and the children wrote a diary. It was wonderful and something I want to keep on going now we are home again. Great ideas!