34 Journal Prompts for Kids

Practicing mindfulness is a great habit to start in childhood because it helps children understand and manage their emotions as they grow. Mindfulness encourages kids to notice how they feel and put their feelings into words, making big emotions like anxiety, worry, anger, or frustration easier to handle. It also helps kids calm themselves and respond thoughtfully in challenging moments. When they understand their own feelings, they are better able to understand others, which supports kindness and stronger friendships. Mindfulness can also improve focus and learning by helping children pay attention and feel more ready to learn. Over time, these skills become healthy habits that support children’s mental wellbeing throughout their lives.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness including journaling. Sometimes the best adventures happen inside our own minds. Journaling is a brilliant way for children to slow down, notice how they feel, and understand their thoughts.

We’ve put together a list of journal prompts for kids to help your child reflect, imagine, and grow.

But first, check out our top tips for journaling below:

1. Start with a calm moment

Before writing, take a few quiet breaths together. Breathe in through the nose and breathe out slowly through the mouth. This helps the mind settle and get ready to write.

2. Check in with feelings

Encourage your child to notice how they feel right now. They can name the feeling (happy, worried, excited, tired), draw the feeling, or choose a color that matches it. There’s no right or wrong answer!

3. Use our list of journal prompts

Mindful journaling works best with open, kind questions that help children reflect without pressure.

4. Be flexible

Mindful journaling doesn’t have to mean lots of writing. Instead of writing a paragraph, they can write a sentence or a list, draw pictures, or symbols and stickers. The goal is expression, not perfection.

5. Focus on the process, not the result

Remind your child that although journaling is writing practice, the purpose of the exercise is not to highlight spelling or grammar mistakes. They should focus on expressing themselves and getting in touch with their feelings. Journaling is about how it feels, not how it looks.

Now that you’re all caught up on the benefits of journaling and our best practice tips, it's time to get writing!

Click “Download” for a free printable worksheet filled with our mindful journal writing prompts for kids.