How to Get Kids Excited About Journaling
If you have kids who are able to write basic sentences, they are old enough to start writing in a journal. But are you concerned that they won’t be interested in it? It can be a new medium for kids who might have grown up using tech but is so worth it. Here are some easy ways to get your kids excited about journaling.
Let Them Choose Their Own Materials
You want your kids to WANT to write in their journal? Let them choose what they use! This makes such a drastic difference in children’s attitudes about journaling. It takes journaling from something they feel like they have to do and makes it something they enjoy doing.
This doesn’t just mean the journal itself, though that is a great place to start. It also includes any other supplies you decide to get for them. These might be different colored pens, colored pencils and crayons, stencils, stickers, and stamps. Bring your kids to the craft store to let them pick out their own supplies.
Use the Rewards System
In the beginning, your kids might not yet be super excited about journaling, but that’s ok! /you can give them a little extra encouragement by using some type of rewards system. This might be a chart in their room where you put a star for each day they use their journal, then give them rewards for a number of stars in a row, or you can increase their allowance for writing in their journal. The rewards don’t matter as much as the consistency.
Find Fun and Creative Writing Prompts
Writing prompts are optional, but they do help when your kids aren’t really sure what they should be writing about. Be sure to select writing prompts appropriate for your child’s age, as a prompt for a 12-year-old isn’t going to be easy for a 6-year old to make sense of. You will find a wide range of them online, or you can create some of your own by tweaking the ones you find that others have written.
Set Up Their Writing Space
Try to have a designated area in your home where kids know they can go for quiet, private journaling. This helps in a few different ways. First, it gives your kids a reason to use this space, where they start recognizing it as part of their journaling routine. It can also be a quiet space for your kids to pay attention to their journaling practice without distractions.
Leave a Reply