One of the ways you can be a literacy advocate for your own children is by asking them to keep a summer journal. Journaling makes a difference in your child’s relationship with writing in ways you see and don’t.
Summer is a time for long, lazy days spent sunning and swimming, but it’s also a time for reading, writing, and reflecting without the homework and assignment deadlines of a formal educational environment.
Scholastic talks about the many ways journaling can help your child here.
Are you looking for summer journal prompts for your children?
I’ve struggled to come up with creative prompts for my own children. Sometimes young writers, especially elementary-age, stare at a blank page and feel intimidated. You can kick their imagination into gear with creative writing prompts.
Last week, I wrote about middle-grade series recommendations for young readers.
20 Summer Journal Prompts for Children
This week, I compiled a master list of 100+ summer journal prompts for children.
Below, you’ll find 20 free, printable prompts:
- You are a book jumper who can temporarily enter any book’s pages. Pick one of your favorite books and “jump” into its fictional world. Become a new character in your favorite book. Write a scene where you interact with its other characters.
- You wake up with the superpower of flight. Use all five senses to write a descriptive paragraph about what you see when you fly for the first time. Use sensory details (what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch). Where will you go?
- Write a story from the perspective of a pet.
- Our language is constantly growing. Invent a new word. What part of speech is your new word? Write a paragraph in which you use your word in its proper context.
- Opinion: What is one thing about your school that needs to change? Why?
- You’re in charge of planning a class party at school. Include the theme, activities, and snacks in your planning. The sky is the limit! What does your party look like?
- Make a list of ten places you want to visit.
- You are planting a garden. Anything can grow in your garden, real or imagined (for example: Sour Patch Kids tree). Describe your garden and the work it takes to maintain it.
- A monkey escapes the zoo and ends up in your backyard. Write a story about how you befriended it.
- Write a letter to your adult self.
- Look at the following quote and write whatever comes to mind when you read it. “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing will get better. It’s not.” ~The Lorax, Dr. Seuss
- Space colonization is permanent human habitation off of the planet Earth. You live in a new space colony. Write about your new home. Describe your space habitat in detail.
- You are a character in your favorite TV show. Create a scene in an episode that features YOU.
- Find an illustrated book or magazine and select an image that catches your eye. Write a fictional story about the image.
- Use a third-person point of view (she/he/them/they) to tell the story of one of your happiest memories.
- Write a story about a magical creature that shows up at your door. (Examples of magical creatures: minotaur, unicorn, dragon, griffon, etc.) BONUS: Create your own magical creature.
- Pick a color. Make a list of words that make you think of that color. Write a short paragraph using the list of words you created but do NOT name the color you are describing.
- Make a list of things you want to learn about.
- Describe your perfect day in as much detail as possible.
- Should kids be paid for doing chores? Choose a position and create an argument for your position.
other ideas for your child’s summer journal
Encourage your child to get creative with their summer journals! There are lots of things you can try.
Here are a few examples:
- Have them write a book review.
- Try a chain story.
- Give blackout poetry a try!
For more activities, see Give Me 5 Minutes, and I’ll Improve Your Tween’s Writing.
The more your kid writes, the stronger their skills become! Happy writing!
Middle Grade Series Recommendations by a MG Reader