DIY Kids Summer Journal Ideas

Find everything you need to make a DIY kids summer journal, including fun and creative journal cover ideas and writing prompts.

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Making a kids’ summer journal can be a fun craft to do at the beginning of summer. Then pick a time every day or once per week to sit down and write. Your kids can also draw or attach photos and other keepsakes, like movie tickets.

Why keep a summer journal

Keeping a summer journal is a great activity for all ages, even adults! Younger children can benefit from practicing writing and reading while away from school. For older kids, a journal is a great way to get thoughts and feeling written down and out of their heads.

Keeping a summer journal is also a fun way to save special memories, both from big adventures and everyday moments. They might spend a few minutes at the end of each day writing about what they did.

How to make a journal

A summer journal can be as simple or fancy as you want to make it. All you need is paper and a pen or pencil.

1. Get a notebook or composition book. It could be lined, but dot and grid journals are versatile if your child wants to write and draw.
2. Let your child decorate the cover. We have some fun journal decorating ideas below.
3. On the first page, have your child write their name and the year.
4. Optional: Make the next 1-2 pages the table of contents. Number the lines on those pages, then start numbering the following pages in one corner. Each day, add that entry to the table of contents.

Journal decorating ideas

• Make a sunshine collage with paper, like Makes and Takes.
• These embossed summer journal covers from Pretty Life Girls are cute.
• All you need are Mod Podge and paper to create this notebook cover on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry.
• Lia Griffith has cute notebooks covered in washi tape designs.
• You could even cut and fold a paper book cover with instructions from One Mama’s Daily Drama.

Summer journal prompts

Keeping a journal can be as simple as writing a few sentences or drawing a picture about what you did that day. Here are some more fun summer journal prompts your child can write about.

• What do you want to do this summer?
• If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go?
• What was your favorite class at school this year?
• What is your favorite food to eat in the summer?
• Pick a place you’ve visited and try to describe it with the 5 senses.
• Take a walk and then write about the things you saw.
• Make a list of movies you want to watch.
• What is your favorite thing to do outside in the summer?
• What is your favorite thing to do inside in the summer?
• Who are you spending time with this summer?
• Which is your favorite summer month?
• What is your best memory about summertime?
• Pick 3 words that describe summer and write about them.
• Tell a story about something funny that happened in the summer.

Shop summer journals

If you’d rather buy than DIY, here are some really cute summer journals on Amazon that include prompts and fun activities for kids.

Creating and keeping a summer journal is a fun kids’ activity, but teens and adults will enjoy doing it too. You could even create a family summer journal and take turns writing in it each day.

More fun ideas from Backyard Summer Camp:

• 12 Kid-Approved Indoor Camping Ideas
• 25 Summer Art Activities for Kids
• 14 Mindfulness Books for Kids