Summer Topics, Benefits of Writing, and Free Printable— Are you looking for fun ways to get your child writing during the summer? Well, you have come to the right place. You see…
Not only do we have loads of summer writing resources listed below, but you will also have a FREE printable PDF page for you of our list of writing prompts for the fabulous season.
Oh yeah!
As an added bonus, one of our newsletter readers shared with me a fabulous summer journal she created for her students, and now I’m sharing her idea with you. (Psst, you will also find bonus content at the end of this article about a few of the wonderful benefits of summer writing!)
Now…
While I completely understand that most kids would prefer to focus on fun activities and sunshine during their vacation months, there are plenty of reasons to encourage your child to write during the summertime.
Two top benefits of encouraging your child to write over summer vacation are 1) to help them avoid the summer slide and 2) to keep their writing skills sharp.
Plus…
These summer writing practice benefits will also help your child get off to a great start when school kicks off in the fall.
So get to it and encourage your child to engage in a summer writing practice by using the prompt lists below, downloading the free printable PDF prompts page, and supporting your child in creating their very own personalized summer journal!
10 Super Summer Writing Topics
From participating in a camp to participating in summer programs, this season can be a busy time for kids. Make sure they set aside some time on a regular basis to include some fun writing topics into their summer journal.
- Does summer feel different than other seasons to you? Why or why not?
- Do you ever miss going to school during the summer? Why or why not?
- Does your family have any summer traditions? What makes them special?
- July is National Ice Cream Month. How will you be celebrating this important holiday? (Bonus! Here is a list of 50 National Ice Cream Month Writing Ideas)
- Do you prefer having a single three-month-long summer vacation, or would you rather have the time away from school broken up more frequently throughout the year? Why?
- Imagine that you and your friends are going to build the world’s largest sandcastle. What kinds of rooms would you put inside? What cool features would the castle have?
- Pretend that you are a tour guide for someone who is visiting your city for the first time. What would you do to show them around?
- Would you rather spend time indoors or outdoors during the summer? Why?
- What part of summer do you look forward to the most every year? Why?
- Have you ever gone to summer camp? What did you like about it? If not, what type of summer camp would you want to attend?
I hope you enjoyed this list of summer topics!
Now, check out this…
Summer Writing Topics Printable Page
Check out the list of 30 More Summer-Inspired writing prompts!
Summer Writing Simple Personalized Journal
Here is the message I received from a lovely newsletter subscriber along with photos of the students writing journal she had them make.
“Hi! I wanted to brag on your great journal prompts! My 3rd – 5th grade classes are winding down toward break. My kiddos love to write, so in the few remaining days left, we’re making a Summer Writing Journal that the students create and take home with them.
I made some cute covers for a spiral notebook that they can use to cover the notebook.
They cut out the journal prompts they want to use and glue one on each page.
They then are cutting out summer clip art to color and add as they wish. They add their name plate and date to the front, add a string bookmark to it, and presto, it’s finished!
They are loving making these. I so appreciate the prompts to get them to write over their school vacation!”
And just in case you are interested, here was my response:
Hello. Your email made my day and brought me so much joy!
It just warms my heart to know that my journal prompts are being used in such an amazing way with students. I love your idea so much that I’d like to share some of your message on my blog and on social media if that’s ok with you?Thank you again for sharing your story with me!! I wish you and your students a wonderful rest of the school year and a spectacular school vacation.
Most sincerely,
Jill
Summer Bucket List Ideas
In addition to writing, many fun summer activities are very popular during the summer season. So much so, we suggest you make a summer bucket list. Here ar some ideas you may want to include:
- Pick raspberries or strawberries or blueberries (or pick them all!0
- Make homemade popsicles
- Sleep in a tent
- Run through a sprinkler on a hot day
- Go on a bike ride
- Attend the county fair
- Blow bubbles
- Do a new summer craft project
- Lay on a blanket in your backyard and daydream about your future
- Build a sand castle at the beach on a hot summer day
- Catch fireflies/lightning bugs and/or a butterfly (just be careful!)
- Do an obstacle course
- Attend a local farmers’ market
- Visit the ocean or a river or a lake for the day
- Build a fort
Oh yeah. The fun things to do during the summertime are truly endless.
Ok, now check out these…
234 More Summer Writing Topics and Prompts
Discover even more sensational writing topics with the summer ideas to write about shown below.
Sensational Summer Writing Topics
Summer Writing Topics Celebrating the End of Summer
Summer Writing Benefits (BONUS Content)
Whether a student attends a camp away from home or visits a local class, summer programs provide plenty of topics for kids to reflect on in their journals in the evenings.
Kids who participate in reflective journaling about their summer experiences gain not only valuable insight but also some awesome benefits as well. A few of the top benefits of keeping a journal include enhanced self-esteem, a deeper sense of creativity, a stronger ability to think individually, and greater skills for self-reflection.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of keeping a summer journal.
4 Benefits of a Summer Writing Practice
1. Promotes Self-Esteem
By offering exposure to new people and activities, summer programs and activities can help kids become more confident. However, it’s important for kids to have the chance to reflect on their experiences in order to gain the most benefit. Journal prompts that encourage kids to review their daily successes help kids to become aware of their greatest strengths and the areas of their life where there has been the greatest improvement and growth.
As kids practice writing and journaling about their experiences, they’ll become more comfortable expressing — without judgment or criticism — their thoughts, feelings, and ideas freely in their journals. Experiences such as this will serve to increase a child’s sense of confidence and, in turn, improve their overall sense of self-esteem.
Though they might be distracted during busy and fun non-school days, an established journal keeping schedule gives kids the chance to slow down and think about their achievements which is a process know to very effectively increase a child’s sense of self-esteem.
2. Enhances Creativity
Further, journaling is a wonderful tool to enhance creativity in kids. From reflecting on their favorite parts of vacation camp to envisioning new ideas in order to keep busy and active during the summer months, kids can stretch their creative muscles through the process of writing.
While journaling offers plenty of ways for children to get creative, undertaking a holiday creative writing practice is a great way for students to explore and play with creative ideas. It really is amazing how a creative writing prompt has the power to encourage a child to look at a topic in fresh, new ways.
3. Fosters Individual Thinking
When asked to express their opinions in group situations, many kids feel pressured to conform to their peers. Pressure from friends stifles creativity and can hurt a child’s self-esteem, as the need to fit in takes away from individual self-expression.
However, when children journal, they are free to express their own opinions and ideas without censorship or pressure.
As students grow more comfortable writing about their thoughts and opinions, they will become more confident in their beliefs and in expressing their views. Journaling also allows students to form their own ideas without being swayed by other students.
4. Encourages Reflection
Finally, journaling gives students a space to reflect on the issues and events that matter most to them. The experience of daily reflection is an important skill that can serve kids as they grow by helping them refine the skills of assessing their choices and gaining insights about the decisions they make in their life.
While students might not see the long-lasting benefits of journal reflection at first, the practice will stay with them for years to come and will give them the skills needed to process their experiences in a healthy, helpful manner in the future.
Until next time, journal on…
If you enjoyed these Summer Topics, Tips, Activites, and Resources,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator
