Bullet journaling has become a popular way to record and journal life, and I’ve been enjoying looking at journaling ideas on Pinterest.  Basically, bullet journaling is a way to organize information.  You can keep of a log of accomplishments, to-do lists, thoughts, plans, goals, and more.  Customize it to work for you!

I thought it would be fun to brainstorm and share a collection of bullet journal ideas for kids.  Teaching kids to keep records and lists helps them to see their progress and take responsibility for their productivity.  Keeping a bullet journal also provides an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned, future goals and dreams, and more.

So what can kids do with a bullet journal?

Here are some ideas to get you started!

I bought this journal at Hobby Lobby in the sketch book aisle.  It’s a full-sized sketch book, but I actually bought two smaller sketch books for the middle boys.  I found the markers at Hobby Lobby also.  They have a fine tip on one end and a medium tip on the other end, and they are just about perfect for this kind of drawing and writing!

Brainstorm Things About Yourself

This is a good place to start – have kids write down things about themselves.  Encourage them to go beyond the basics and think about things they are good at, etc.

Keep a Record of Books Read

I think it’s good to record the author’s name along with the title to teach awareness of different authors. For younger kids, have them record their favorite part of the book.  Older kids can come up with a theme for the book or write a short review about whether or not they would recommend the book to a friend and why.

You might want to have kids set some reading goals, such as completing two books a month or reading from a variety of literary genres.

Money Saving Log

Track progress toward a money saving goal with a handy savings chart.  Create a key – for example, each box represents $1 added to savings.

Skills I Want to Improve

Encourage kids to set goals regarding skills they want to improve or new things they want to learn.  For example, improving their math grade, making the basketball team, learning to play a musical instrument, etc.  Model how to break the goal down into measurable steps, such as practicing multiplication facts for 15 minutes each day.  Being able to “see” one’s progress is very motivating!

Keep a Record of New Experiences

Some kids balk at trying anything new.  (We may or may not have one of those.  As a toddler, he even protested things like getting new shoes!) Record new experiences and make them something to celebrate.

Kindness Journal

This one might be my favorite because it’s an easy way to be more intentional about serving others and appreciating the kindness we receive.  Have kids keep a journal of kind things that have been done for them and kind things that they do for others.

If your kids need to work on being kind just for the sake of being kind and not for the praise they will get, then you might want to try Kristina at Toddler Approved’s system for her 100 Acts of Kindness project.  Simply color in a heart for each kind act rather than writing out the specifics.

Places I Have Traveled 

Keep a record of places traveled to – both day trips and excursions as well as vacations.  Older kids might want to make a page for each trip.

Things I’ve Learned

Have kids make a page for recording interesting facts learned.  Or make it more specific – a page for animal facts, sports facts, etc.

More Ideas:

• Make a list of new foods tried!  Let kids record whether they liked it or not. 🙂
• Record fruits/vegetables eaten each day.
• Record specific progress.  For example, make a chart and check off every set of multiplication facts memorized. Make a chart for number of minutes spent exercising each day.
• Write a bucket list for summer vacation.
• Make a list of places you’d like to travel.
• Make a list of inspiring words to use in essays instead of boring vocabulary.

If you want to learn more about the Bullet Journal system, this article has a lot of great information.