If you do not want to see your kids spend the whole summer allowing their reading and writing skills to diminish, try motivating them through this simple project for creating a homemade, personalized journal. These are really simple to make, as you can opt to just design a cover to replace the old standard marble design of school journals, or you can put forth a little bit of extra effort to make a completely homemade journal and cover. For this particular project, we are going to keep it simple, though you will need to offer your assistance when it comes time to using some of the cutting tools involved.
First you will need to choose a cover for the journal. If you are traveling somewhere on vacation and want your kids to document their adventures, you can choose to use a map or a picture of an identifying landmark as the cover. If you want to have a more interactive cover, you can use a blank coloring book page that allows your kids to choose whether to write inside the journal or decorate the cover. Either way, your kids will hopefully be occupied by a wholesome activity.
Once you have chosen the cover, you will need to cut it to size to fit the journal. Cut out the image you are using so that it is larger than the journal itself, aligning the straight edge of the image with the edge of the journal’s original binding. Glue the uncut image in place with a glue stick and make sure you flatten the image out and spread the glue evenly beneath it. Using a cutting mat, take an X-Acto knife to trim the borders of the cover so that it fits the journal perfectly. You can add a few more personal elements to the journal, and hopefully this customized journal will help in encouraging your kids to keep reading and writing all summer long.
