If you are the parent of elementary school children who are on vacation for the summer, you probably dread the age-old complaint, “I’m bored!” Channel your kids’ energy and imaginations into an afternoon of creative journal writing and storytelling (this is perfect for a day when it gets too hot to play outside).
Fun Journaling Ideas for Kids
1. Take out a notebook or journal that will be dedicated just to stories. You can take turns writing, or if your children are too young, you can have them dictate to you. Have them brainstorm ideas for the plot of the story, and write them all down before selecting one (you can always use the rest of the ideas another day!).
2. If you’re looking for story starters, here are a few to get the creative writing juices flowing:
• The best part about having a pet dragon is…
• The shipwrecked pirate was stranded on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean…
• My best friend and I stepped into the time machine and entered the year…
• They had a bad feeling about it, but they quietly crept in the open door of the haunted mansion…
• I turned to the genie and said, “The first of my three wishes will be…”
• Detective O’Brien’s toughest case was the time she had to find the missing…
• The Pinocchio story got it all wrong. When he told a lie, his nose didn’t grow; his…
• In the middle of the forest, in a hollowed-out tree, lived a…
• No one could have predicted that the spaceship headed for Mars would veer off course and…
3. Play a supportive role, and ask questions about the characters, the events and the conclusion of the story. Help guide your children if they get stuck while writing their story, but let them take the lead. When you have finished the story, read it out loud together or act it out with props from your costume box. Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to get a little silly!
Have you ever written stories with your kids? What are your kid-friendly journaling ideas? Share them in the comments.
If you want to learn more about the 24/7 motherhood struggle and how you can overcome it to enjoy fun times with your children, please download the free ebook, Avoiding the 24/7 Motherhood Struggle Through Journaling.
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