Materials
Game cones or any other objects that can be upright such as soda bottles,
bowling pins, paper cups, and so on
Music, optional
Instructions
1. Explain to the children what a journal is and that they will be writing in one
throughout the year.
2. Ask the children to make a cover for their journal. (A self-portrait makes a
great cover.) If desired, laminate the cover or cover it with clear contact
paper.
3. About every other week, think of a topic for a journal page, such as a theme
or a letter on which you are working. Write a caption at the top of the page
in each child's journal. Some examples are:
If I were a shape, I would be a ____
If I were an animal, I would be a ____
When I grow up, I want to be a ____
If I were going to an island, I would take a ____
My favorite season is ____
My favorite nursery rhyme is _____
If I were president, I would _____
I can protect our earth by ____
When the weather is ____ outside, I like to ____
4. Ask the children for their response to the caption and write it for them in the
space provided. Then encourage them to draw a picture of their idea.
5. Make sure to date each journal entry and keep them until the end of the
year. This is a great way to show parents a child's growth and progress.
More to do
Circle Time: If the journal is too much for the children, depending on your
group, you could ask these kinds of questions during Circle Time and then record
their responses. Hang the responses for parents to enjoy or put them in your
monthly newsletter.
