This article was originally published in the January / February 2021 issue of The Good Life, the in house magazine by Nature’s Fare. You can see all of my Nature’s Fare articles here.
No matter how old you are, having a journal practice can be a really wonderful part of self-care. Journalling allows us to reflect on our days, process our feelings, work through emotions, and practice gratitude, all of which contribute to emotional well-being and self-awareness.
And children can experience all of these benefits from journalling too! This daily reflection journal for kids and tweens is free, printable, and especially great for those who are new to journalling.
This journal template takes the pressure of the blank page off and allows kids to reflect within a framework. It’s simple, straightforward, suitable for and only takes 5 or 10 minutes to do, which can be really helpful – especially when beginning a new journalling practice. It can also be used by kids who are just beginning to put their ideas on paper as well as by tweens and teens with strong writing skills.
The perk? Starting a simple journal practice with your kids can help them develop their self-awareness, confidence, resilience, gratitude, and empathy.
To create a daily reflection journal for your child, you’ll need:
– several copies of the printable journal template, printed front to back
– a piece of card stock to serve as a cover
– a sturdy sewing needle
– some embroidery thread
To put it together, simply:
1. Fold your card stock cover in half.
2. Do the same with your stack of printable pages.
3. Place the pages inside the card stock cover to create a book.
4. Use your sewing needle and embroidery thread to bind the journal. Adding the pages bit by bit makes getting the needle through the paper easier.
5. Secure your embroidery thread with a tight, double knot.
And that’s it… Your kiddos are ready to journal! How you do it is up to you, but you might like to sit down for just a few minutes at the end of the day to reflect while the day’s happenings are still fresh in your mind. Or if you’re home learners like we are, you might want to start the day reflecting on the previous. It’s totally up to you.
Older children will most likely be able to complete their daily reflection on their own, while younger ones will probably need support, if not a scribe to jot down their ideas for them.
Some tips for journalling with kids?
– if it’s helpful, start by chatting about the day together first
– make the process a practice in self-care rather than an additional homework task (you want them to enjoy the process and want to journal again next time)
– focus on ideas rather than perfect spelling, punctuation, and grammar (those things can be taught and corrected another time)
– accept your child’s reflections and ideas as they are (these are their feelings and thoughts after all)
Find the printable daily reflection journal templates here:
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