It’s summer! School is out and our desk is already dusty. I’m loving having Lydia home every day. (But maybe missing my Mommy & Asa days…) However, I didn’t want this summer to be a big blob of nothingness. If we’re going to homeschool (even partially), I want our lifestyle to be learning. I want my kids to love learning!
So, I’ve been thinking about something creative and fun, yet laid-back to do this summer. Well, good for me, I was invited to an event for Atlanta bloggers to connect with almost every fun museum, park, etc in the city. This summer the kids and I will be visiting the Botanical Gardens, Center for Puppetry Arts, World of Coke, Fernbank Museum, Georgia Aquarium, High Museum of Art, the Children’s Museum, Stone Mountain and Zoo Atlanta! I am so excited!
I am hoping to use these “field trips” as launching pad for other activities that interest the kids. And hopefully, we can even bring a little of God’s Word into our adventures, you know, as we walk along.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to chronicle our summer with journals. I read this awesome post about journals for 2 and 3 year olds and thought Asa would love it because he loved his writing notebook during school. Then it would give Lydia some writing practice during the summer, too.
So, I pulled out all my stickers and let the kids have at it decorating their journals. (And when I say “my stickers” I mean it–because many of them are mine from when I was a kid! I just can’t throw away stickers. I love ’em!)
After we decorated, I let them do the first page: a self-portrait and their full name (which clearly, Asa cannot write). They really enjoyed it. Now all I have to do is figure out some more topics! I was thinking 2 choices: 1) whatever we did that day which may include a little scrapbook-y type stuff with tickets or pictures from our fun outing or 2) draw a picture (and write a sentence for Lydia) about a topic I choose like…
- favorite Bible story
- favorite animal
- shapes (for Asa)
- a family member
- tracing/crayon rubbing items (for Asa, idea from this cute blog)
- what’s the weather today?
- colors (just coloring for Asa, but maybe for Lydia, how many objects of one color she can think of?)
- favorite toy/stuffed animal
- friends
- make up a story
I have no idea if this will go over well, so we’ll see what happens! I would just love to start a love for writing and journaling in my kids. I’ve always loved to journal and a blank book sets my little heart aflutter. Of course, now I tend to write more on my computer than with a pen and paper!
Do you have any ideas for me? Do your kids (pre-writers or great writers) have journals?
ps: If you’re gearing up for summer, too, don’t forget to check out our Super Sunny Day series from last year. I’ve put them all on a Super Sunny Day Pinterest board and added some more fun sunny day activities for you!
What a great thing to do… How about some poetry? My sunburn is red, the sky is blue… 🙂
Or doing their own movie/book/music reviews?
There are so many possibilities!
Have fun!
personally, my big initiative this summer for my 2 kids is gratitude. maybe include writing/drawing something they are thankful/grateful for or count their blessings, etc…
I love this–I am putting together a light schedule for my kids (4,6 & 8) and during afternoon I have craft/project time (they love them–loved your Advent activities!)–and I was just thinking do I have enough ideas/craft stuff so I’m not wracking my brain for an activity. This is perfect–even if we just do it a couple days a week to keep up with their outings, appreciations, or some of your items above. My brain is whirring with ideas–where did you see God today? What do you think God should create next? What do you remember that was fun last summer?
Some other ideas for journals. Write your prayers for your kids down and keep the book for them. For older kids, start a conversation journal with them. Write a prayer, a thought or even a question to your child and leave it on their pillow. Tell them to respond by writing something and leaving on your pillow.
LOVE this Amanda!! Evan just came home today with his writing journal for the entire year. I have never seen it before b/c it doesn’t come home. It was so fun to read through so I know a summer version of things we do together will be LOTS of fun!! Also linking to this article on a Summer Guide I’m publishing tomorrow – so double thank you!!
We put topics on slips of paper and put them in a jar (google journal jar for like a gazillion topic slips!) and the kids pulled one out each day and wrote about it. If they didn’t like the first topic, they could try for another but that was it; no digging for the “best” or “easiest” one in the jar 😉
I love, love, love this idea! I am big on journals. I started journals for each of my 3 kids when they were born. I finished my oldest daughters when she graduated college and I plan on giving it to each one when they have their first child, along with an empty journal for them to do one for their child.
How sweet! What a precious gift. 🙂
Super idea. I’m a big fan of summer journals; just blogged about them today in a post about summer schedules. We have done them for two summers (I have a rising 3rd grader and a rising Kindergartener, plus a little scribbler), and I’ve found journaling to be a great way to keep writing skills in tact while tracking our fun. The kids started their 2012 journals today using the second half of last year’s journal, and they loved re-reading their entries. Such fun to see their growth! Definitely say go for it — maybe my post will inspire some new ideas for you. http://shewhodelights.blogspot.com/2012/06/reality-of-summer.html
Hi!! I’m a preschool teacher at Colegio Americano in Quito, Ecuador. I too love journals and have had my little students draw on their journals what they did on the weekend with their family. The children have enjoyed showing their peers their journals and what they did with their family.
I loved the idea of sending it for the summer too!!
Great website!
Marilyn