The Benefits of Kids Journals and 39 Journaling Prompts

Journaling is one of the most important skills a child can develop. In a world of increasing pressures, children are definitely feeling the impact. Kids journals teaches young people about how to keep balance in their lives - and in a happiness planner, they learn more about how to build happiness into their daily routines. Journaling for kids in a kids journal gives young people the skills to stay resilient and happy throughout their lives. 

Why Should Kids Journal

Journaling for kids serves as an outlet opportunity for teens and tweens. A journal can be used for those who often find it hard to express themselves verbally. Children can use a journal to track thoughts and learn from them, or simply use it as a place to record, track, and process their day as a better form of reflection. The child may wish to share their journaling entries with an adult, and this becomes a powerful sharing opportunity.

There are quite a few benefits of journaling for kids. Not only is the process and activity of journaling fun for kids, it also teaches them a number of things, such as processing thoughts and improving writing skills. The exercise of journaling is a fantastic way for children to express themselves, who may sometimes be reluctant to write, or in-fact reluctant to speak. A kids journal can be used to track emotions, gratitude practice, affirmations, goal setting, study, or even dreams.

Journaling for kids can allow children to:

• Express themselves in a safe environment
• Analyse feelings and thoughts
• Track their emotions
• Notice a pattern of how they deal in certain situations
• Show them another form of processing our thoughts
• Examine how they act towards others or towards certain results
• Make decisions more decisively by reviewing the pros and cons

Key benefits of Kids Journaling

1 - Teaching kids for to deal with emotions

By using a kids journal, children are able to write down their thoughts and emotions through well thought out kids journal prompts. These help children to identify what it is they feel, and how to express this. Children can view the journal as a safe place to unload the current feelings they have. At the bottom of this article, we've listed our favourite kids journal topics and journaling prompts to help guide children.

2 - Improve written skills

Each child will have different abilities in how they express themselves. Some will find it easy to discuss in person how they feel, what their emotional state is, or how to process an upcoming challenge. Some will find it easier to review all of this in written format. Whichever the child feels more comfortable with, journaling can certainly have an improvement on expressing ourselves in the written format. 

3 - Improve how to deal in certain situations

Journaling allows children to reflect on their daily experiences - some bad and some good. By reviewing how they dealt with certain situations, a child can learn from this. For instance, if on a certain day a child reacted unfavourably when being asked to tidy their room, the end result they received may not have been the one they wanted. They can review that their actions did not give them the desired results.

Journaling for Kids: Where to Start with a Kids Journal 

Journaling in a happiness planner is all about maximising the positivity in our daily routines. With schoolwork and hobbies, children often don't realise the need to look after their wellbeing, which impacts on their mental health. The best way for kids to start with a happiness planner is to brainstorm ideas of what happiness means to them. They can write their ideas down as words, or even draw them. These ideas can then be added to their plans.

A journal can be used to plot in goals for the week and express gratitude for happy moments, but it's also a space for young people to express themselves without judgement. No need to write lengthy paragraphs, just enough to let out their feelings. Writing about worries and frustrations is also important in a happiness planner, because it allows kids to work through their experiences. Through journaling for kids, young people can understand their feelings in a way that boosts happiness and builds resilience. 

Why Gratitude Journaling for Kids Can Increase Happiness 

Gratitude journaling for kids isn't about overlooking the negative experiences in life, but about truly appreciating the positive moments. When young people are struggling with their mental health, the most important thing to do is seek support from local services. For everyday challenges, gratitude journaling for kids can make a huge difference. At the end of each day, young people can practice gratitude journaling for kids by writing about three things they feel grateful for. 

It might be a best friend, a walk you took together in the park, or even a favourite cartoon character. If they are happy to, talk to your children about what they've written. Gratitude journaling for kids increases happiness because it helps children to spend more time thinking over the positive moments in their lives. With school and peer pressures, children often don't have the opportunity to appreciate their happy moments, and this can help them manage daily stresses and develop resilience. 

How Bullet Journaling Can Help Kids Plan for a Happy Week  

Planning might initially seem very boring to young people, but it can have huge wellbeing benefits. Bullet journaling is the best way for kids to plan their week, because it's quick and easy - no getting in the way of video gaming or chatting online with friends. 

Bullet journaling essentially works in code. Shorthand in bullet journaling incorporates symbols that represent the types of tasks to complete. 

(•) - A dot stands for an incomplete task.

(x) - A cross represents a completed task.

(o) - A circle stands for an event. 

(-) - A dash gives you extra space to add any notes.

When your kids jot down their tasks for the day, there's no need to waste time on elaborate notes. Just a quick symbol to alert them to the type of task or event, and then a few keywords to summarise the details. 

For example: 

• Mindful breathing, 15 minutes 

     x Tidied desk, need new storage box

     o Zoom birthday party, 3pm

It's not just homework and chores that get planned in. Planning for a happy week means plotting in time for gratitude, mindfulness, exercise, and lots of fun activities. Bullet journaling helps kids to manage their time, and plot in exercise and mindfulness sessions that they might normally forget. 

Kids Journal Prompts and Ideas

Picking up a blank journal or notebook to start journaling is not something we recommend. This can be a hard introduction in to journaling when there are no guides or journal prompts. That's why we would recommend investing in a kids journal. However, if you would like to start right now, then we have created a list of kids journal prompts to help guide the child. Simply select one of the prompts, and have the child write a sentence or two with the answer.

1. What’s your favourite thing to do?
2. What always makes you laugh?
3. Who do you look up to?
4. What happened today that made you happy?
5. What 3 things are you most grateful for?
6. When you're older, what do you want to be doing?
7. Are you worried about anything?
8. What is your most favourite memory and why?
9. Can you remember a mistake you made and what you learned from it?
10. What challenge or goal could you set yourself this week?
11. Do you have a hobby? What do you love about it?
12. What's the funniest thing to have happened this week?
13. If you could do anything right now, what would it be?
14. Who do you admire, and why?
15. Is there anything that scares you right now?
16. How have you, or could you, be helpful today?
17. How do you calm yourself down if you feel angry or upset?
18. What do you see when you think of your favourite colour?
19. What is your favourite thing about yourself?
20. What makes a good friend?
21. Do you have a special bond with an animal or pet?
22. Is there a place that is important to you? Why is it important?
23. What would your dream job be when you are older?
24. Do you have a favourite room in your house, and why?
25. If you could say thank you to anyone, who would it be and why?
26. What animal would you be and why?
27. If you could do anything today, what would you do?
28. What is your favourite subject and school, and why?
29. If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?
30. What is the best gift you have received?
31. What is the most interesting thing you learned today?
32. Write about the qualities of your best friend.
33. Who is your hero and why?
34. What is the happiest day of your life?
35. Describe why you love your family.
36. What would the perfect holiday be?
37. What is your favourite outfit to wear?
38. Describe yourself in three words.
39. Is it ever ok to lie or tell a fib?

Conclusion

Journaling for kids has amazing benefits to help young people live positive and fulfilled lives. A happiness planner brings happy moments into focus, so young people can look back and see how far they have come. From balancing time schedules to gratitude journaling for kids, a happiness planner can be life-changing for young people.