Telling Stories through Journaling for 3 Year Olds

Journaling for 3 - 4 Year Olds: Play with Letters and Memories

I mean I tried to keep a journal myself, but always forgot to make entries and it didn't stick. What's the purpose of journal writing for preschoolers? Wouldn't they rather do something else? Inspired by the ideas found here: Journals with 3 Year Olds from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, we decided to give it a try.

And it is getting more fun for My Firefly by every additional page! Her journal is her special book of her favorite stories and happenings with just a little playing with letters and a written language mixed in.

 

Barbie Bottle Journal Page

This is her first page. She had gotten a fun Barbie bottle of juice from a gas station when travelling and loved it. I thought this would be a nice entry for a start.

The letters on this page: I wrote them with her watching just to show her how letters could fit inside the lines. I did not expect her to copy them at all! She did - coping my behavior more then the letters themselves.

You never know how much kids can actually do until they try. That is - at the right moment, of course.

 

Telling Dinosaur Stories through Journaling

We do not have any preset time for working with her journal. Some fun memories in a playful way: an activity I offer her with each page is for about 3 minutes, which she can extend by herself if she wants to.

Here are some dinosaur pages made by My Firefly and her best friends during their Dinosaurs play date. They each got a half circle to trace for a dinosaur's body, then added other body parts and words. This was done with parents' assistance - an awesome bonding activity to do together and to tell the dinosaur stories afterwards.

Volcano Journal Page

Every time My Firefly gets her journal, she starts by looking through the pictures, reading words, and telling stories. This is some sweet time for us to talk about anything, and to absorb the meaning behind written language and illustrations.

This Volcano page was done after our volcano play found here: Letter V Is for Volcano.Rocks and Model Magic Volcano Craft.

Best Friend's Birthday Party: Cupcake Pages

First, kids were offered to find the lines for letters by drawing a pattern for a table cloth at the bottom of the page. I found this works the best for us: an activity planned for 3 minutes with a kid-lead extension and no set expectations of the outcome. Also, it is important to find the only one object to draw to keep activities simple.

 

My Firefly's Favorite Journal Page: Family at the Festival

Her stories about people at the carousel change from time to time, but the main idea is the same: it is so much fun to spend time with family and friends at the festival!

Journaling and telling stories based on journal pages worked wonders for us. The one challenge is to find extra 3-5 minutes to sit together, reflect and draw. The great thing is this notebook is such a wonderful conversation starter!

More Preschool Ideas from My Bright Firefly

Practical Life Skills through Play

Finding Spring: 10 Creative Sun Catcher Crafts

Q-Tip Painting for Preschoolers
(Click on the picture below to enlarge it.)

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