75 Journal Prompts for Kids

Want to help your child become the best version of themself? Journaling offers a consistent way for all ages to build self-awareness amidst a daily routine. It also allows kids to enhance their creativity, engage problem solving, and inspire imagination. 

Journaling has been found to have incredible short-term and long-term effects on the physical and mental health of children; including improving immune function, supporting physiological changes that lower cortisol (stress hormone), decreasing anxiety and depression, and even improving grade point averages and decreasing school dropout rates.

Did you know journaling can also help increase your child’s emotional intelligence? This simple daily routine can inspire embodied self-awareness and a deeper understanding of their emotions.

Writing about one’s best self, trauma, or both for just 20 minutes a day has been shown to decrease illness; and that those who participate feel less upset, more happy, and get sick less often.

Even the act of cursive handwriting has been shown to improve brain function and learning in children, in comparison to keyboard typing or drawing. According to one study, there is a specific neurological pattern activated—from the act of handwriting—that opens the brain for learning.

Above all, journaling has been scientifically shown to help children reflect, process, and learn from their experiences.

How Get Kids Even MORE Excited About Journaling Using These Prompts

Sometimes it can be challenging to motivate your child to write. And that’s why using journal prompts for kids can be helpful! Inspiring your child to write requires captivating their attention and asking them to use their imagination. Daily journal prompts for kids offer just that!

Checkout these journal writing prompts for kids, and let the exciting questions below steer them into a state of self-reflection.

1. If you could design your own planet what would it look like and what creatures would live there?
2. You have 1 super power for 1 day, what would it be and what would you do with it?
3. What’s your absolute dream dessert?
4. What’s your dream vacation?
5. If your parents would let you get any pet, what would it be?
6. You can throw a party with anyone in the world and from history, who would you invite?
7. If you could go back in time to any place, where and when would it be? What would you like to see?
8. If you could speak any language, what would it be?
9. If you could be an animal for 1 day, what would it be? If you had to be an animal for your entire life, what would it be?
10. Imagine you wake up one day and you have wings on your back, what would you do? Where would you fly?
11. If you had the choice of a helicopter, airplane, jet-pack, or boat, which one would you choose?
12. You have the opportunity to meet 1 superhero in real life from any movie, comic, or book. Who would it be?
13. Anything you touch would transform into ______________ . Fill in the blank.
14. If you could be the #1 athlete in the world for any sport, what would you choose?
15. If you were to be broadcast on every screen in the world for 1 minute, what would you say to people?

Elementary School Writing Prompts

Elementary school presents many challenges, from learning new skills to making one’s own friend group. These journal writing prompts for kids are designed to help your child embrace their strengths, challenges, solve problems they may be presented with, and stimulate their mind. Set aside 5 minutes in your morning routine to work through these daily journal prompts for kids with your little one.

1. How do you introduce yourself to your friends?
2. What is your favorite subject in school, and why?
3. What is your least favorite subject in school, and why? What might you be able to learn from this subject even if it is challenging?
4. If you could master any instrument, which one would you like to play?
5. When you experience a problem what’s the first step you take to solve it?
6. What’s your favorite way to meet new people and make new friends?
7. What sports do you love and why? What sports do you play?
8. What’s a challenge you faced at school and how did you overcome it?
9. If you could take your whole class on a trip somewhere, where would you go?
10. What’s your favorite game to play during recess?
11. If you could download all the knowledge of 1 subject into your brain, what subject would you pick, and why?
12. If you could transform your school into anything for 1 day, what would you turn it into?
13. What’s the coolest fact you know? And where did you learn it?
14. What’s the best book you've ever read? What was it about? Why did you love it?
15. What is a recent mistake you made? What did you learn from it?

Self-Esteem Journal Prompts for Kids

Everyone can be hit with low self-esteem from time to time, but it can be particularly difficult while growing up. As your child is constantly confronted with experiences and relationships that may challenge their self-esteem, it’s the perfect opportunity to instill confidence within their abilities.

Checkout these daily journal prompts for kids, aimed at showcasing your child’s strengths while teaching them how to positively face their challenges. These journal writing prompts for kids are a quick and easy way to boost self-esteem. 

1. What is a special achievement you’re proud of, and what did it feel like to accomplish it?
2. Everyone is born with a talent, life is about discovering it. What do you feel naturally good at?
3. What’s something that people don’t know about you?
4. How do you respond to praise from others, and why do you think that is?
5. What are 5 positive things about yourself?
6. What are 3 ways you can ground yourself in the present when you feel a bit overwhelmed?
7. Who is someone that looks up to you?
8. What is something that was really difficult for you, but you learned to do?
9. Write down 10 things you accomplished in the past year.
10. Describe yourself in 3 words.
11. Make a plan for how to respond to challenges in the future when you get frustrated.
12. Imagine someone is having a bad day and doesn’t feel great about themselves. What do you say to cheer them up?
13. Write about a problem you’re facing. Is there another way to view the situation? How might this situation be an opportunity to learn something new?
14. What outfit / clothing makes you feel the most confident, and why?
15. What’s your favorite way to move your body, and how do you feel after it?

Self-Love Journal Prompts for Kids

Self-Love is essential to raising a child that is able to have healthy relationships. Without self-love, your little one may continue to look for their worth or value in things outside of themself—which can land them in manipulative environments. Journal writing prompts for kids can be used to propose practices of self-love on a regular basis.

These daily journal prompts for kids offer points of contemplation that ask your child about the people, places, and ways they experience love, and how they can generate that love for themselves independently. 

1. What is something people always compliment you on?
2. What is your favorite thing about yourself?
3. What’s your favorite way to spend time with yourself?
4. What is your favorite food, and what memories do you have eating it?
5. If you could speak to your younger self, what advice would you give them?
6. How do you like to spend time with your family?
7. How do you like to relax?
8. What brings you joy?
9. What stresses you out? And what is something that can bring you a feeling of calm during those moments?
10. What do you value most in friendship?
11. What do your family see as your greatest attribute?
12. How would your friends describe you?
13. Write a note to yourself to go back and read when you’re feeling sad.
14. Write a love letter to yourself.
15. Make a list of 5 things you’d like to do more often that are good for you.

Fun Journal Prompts for Kids

As your little one is growing up, it’s important they remember how to have fun when life can get a bit too overwhelming. What better way to insert joy in the day than with journal writing prompts for kids? Create a family routine that evokes laughter and silliness with these daily journal prompts for kids. 

1. What is your favorite way to spend a sunny day?
2. What is your favorite way to spend a cold, rainy day?
3. Tell me what it would feel like if you were riding a camel in the sun in the desert. 
4. How many words can you make using only the letters in your name?
5. Write a story using these words: rhinoceros, jet-pack, mars, mermaid, telescope, fingernails.
6. Write down one of your favorite memories.
7. What’s your favorite sound to listen to?
8. If you could plant anything and it would become a tree that produces more of it, what would you plant? Why? And what would you do with all the things it grows?
9. Come up with a new recipe based on combining your favorite foods.
10. Make up a game using only the objects in your house. Write down how to play it and what the rules are.
11. Write a song including the names of all your friends. 
12. Write down the last dream you remember having.
13. If you could talk to either cats or dogs, which one would you pick and why?
14. Imagine an alien landed in your backyard, what would you tell them on behalf of humanity?
15. What is the silliest thing you do with your friends and family? And why is it so funny?

Using journal prompts for kids on a daily basis can nurture your child’s habit of self-reflection, and give them confidence to shine as their unique self. '

When children understand more about themselves, they can communicate their needs, desires, goals, and dreams more effectively, setting themselves up for a lifetime of success.

When children ask themselves questions about who they are, what they want, and how they see the world, they are invited to share what’s inside of them—ultimately letting them know that what they have to say is worthy of being heard.

Among the many benefits of daily journal prompts for kids, the most valuable result is that your child will feel more connected to their imagination, and excited to share their individual perspective with the world around them; setting their authentic self free!

Still not sure how to get started? Checkout these 10 Tips to Start Journaling!

You can also visit our shop to see which journal fits your child's needs, interests and age!