Creative Journaling -- Six Tips for Kids (and Parents, too!)

Your child starts a journal with great enthusiasm, has all the intentions in the world of keeping at it, and, months later, you find the journal laying on the bookshelf covered in dust. Sound familiar? Creative journaling makes the journal writing process more enjoyable, fun and creative and can help you overcome some of the barriers that may be keeping your child from consistent--maybe even daily--journaling.

I believe that the number one barrier to regular journaling by kids is their preconceived notion of how to journal.

When presenting workshops on creative journaling, I often begin by asking the participants to describe to me what comes to mind when they envision themselves writing in a journal. The typical and common response I receive to my question goes something like this, "I sit and write about what happened to me that day." Although this is an apt description of journal writing, it does not sound particularly fun, exciting or enjoyable. In fact, it sounds boring. Which is why, I believe, so many diaries and journals languish on bookshelves and what, in my opinion, stops a child from choosing journal writing as a regular and consistent activity.

Integrating creativity with journal writing can transform journaling from a mundane activity to a wildly enjoyable and fun one. The preconceived notion of journaling held by most kids is strong, however, and initially they hesitate when encouraged to get creative with their journals. But once it clicks that they can freely express their thoughts using both words and creativity their eyes light up!

I have really hooked both boys and girls interest in creative journaling when I offer them spangles, foam cut-outs, colorful feathers and glue to further embellish their journals. It's not long before they are laughing, giggling, creating, and journal writing.

What a glorious site it is. Huge smiles emerge on their faces and their eyes sparkle and shine with joy as they enjoy their creative journaling experience.

To help guide you and your child down the path of creative journaling I've listed some tips below.

Try them out, and remember that there are infinite ways for you and your child to dress up a journal and integrate creative expression into your journals.

Creative Journaling Tips:

1. Journal Share - Make the journal experience interactive rather than secretive and solitary. Take a new approach to journal writing and declare that diaries are for secrets and journals are now for celebrating and sharing. This will allow you to play an active part in helping your child to complete their journal.

2. Brighten Journals with Color - Toss those pens and pencils aside and use markers, crayons and colored pencils instead. You will be amazed at how beautiful and joyful a journal becomes simply by adding color!

3. Summarize. Summarize. Summarize! - There is no need to write page after page in a journal. A few words that summarize a day, or how you feel, or a few bulleted points that highlight the day's events is sufficient. Keep it short and simple and to the point by writing less than 10, 20 or 30 words, depending on your time constraints.

4. Write One Word - If you and your child have had a long day and do not have much time or energy left over for journal writing, simply choose one word that encapsulates the day and write that word across the entire page in big bold letters. Upon review at a later date you will be surprised how much can be recalled from this single word!

5. Make It Sparkle and Shine - Use stickers, spangles, glue, magazine cutouts, craft supplies, and other miscellaneous arts and crafts supplies that are stashed in your drawers and closets! Get creative but keep it simple; this need not be a major production.

6. No Such Thing as Right or Wrong - Lastly, and most importantly, emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers while journaling. Journal writing should be freeing, not limiting, so give your child permission to break the rules they are required to follow in school (spelling, grammar...) so that they may fully and creatively express themselves.

When journal writing becomes a creative adventure full of choices and options journals cease to languish on bookshelves and kids discover a positive and powerful tool of self-expression. As an added bonus, the completed creative journals become cherished keepsakes that can be used as tools of growth and reflection or as records of achievement and change.

Just remember to keep your creative journaling activity simple and to get super creative, but most of all remember to make the journal writing process wildly enjoyable and fun for you and your child!