Creating Creativity with an Art Journal

An art journal is a wonderful way to encourage creativity in your child. It is ideal for screen-free time and offers low-pressure activities and prompts that can truly help your child’s imagination come to life.

Keeping an art journal can build confidence in your child’s creative abilities and may also help them process big emotions they are not yet able to articulate verbally.

So, What Is an Art Journal?

An art journal is simply a book. It could be a notebook, sketchbook, old storybook, or a brand-new blank journal that is filled with creativity.

It might include:

• Drawings
• Paintings
• Collages
• Mark-making
• Detailed studies
• Scribbles and doodles

There are no rules about what must go inside. What matters is the freedom to create and record ideas in a personal way.

Perhaps your child wants to visually record a fun day out.
Maybe they want to explore how they are feeling.
It could be a place to write ideas, reflect on a subject, or tell a story.

The possibilities are endless.

Why Choose an Art Journal?

Research shows that children build confidence when they are able to express themselves in different ways, and creativity is a powerful outlet for that expression. When there is no right or wrong, children feel free to experiment without fear of making mistakes.

Creative activities encourage:

• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving

As children choose materials and figure out how to bring their ideas to life, they develop cognitive flexibility and innovative thinking. These are skills that transfer into other areas of learning and everyday life.

Art journaling also supports emotional wellbeing. Drawing, doodling, painting, or collaging provides a non-verbal outlet for emotions. It allows children to express feelings they may not yet have the vocabulary to explain. Arts-based approaches are often used in therapeutic settings because they help children explore emotions safely and without judgement.

On a practical level, an art journal keeps all those loose sheets of paper together. Over time, you can look back through it and see your child’s creative journey as they grow.

It is also portable. Pop it in a bag with a small pencil case and you have an easy, screen-free activity ready wherever you go.

What Do You Need to Start?

You can begin with almost anything:

• A sketchbook
• A notebook
• An old storybook
• A recycled book from a charity shop

It can be brand new or pre-loved. The most important thing to remember is this. It is their journal. They can do whatever they like with it.

What Can You Use Inside?

Pages can be filled in countless ways. Your child can draw or paint directly onto the paper, or create collages to stick in and draw over.

They might use:

• Pens
• Markers
• Paints
• Brush pens
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Pastels
• Glitter
• Stickers
• Glue

They can combine text and pictures, add printed photos, magazine cut-outs, flyers, recycled paper, or sticker sheets.

There is no right combination. Experimentation is part of the fun.

Let Creativity Be Pressure-Free

One of the most important aspects of art journaling is not forcing creativity. As parents or caregivers, you may hear “I’m bored” from time to time. Having an art journal available can offer a gentle alternative to screens without turning into a structured task.

You can create together or independently. There should be no pressure to produce a finished or polished piece. The focus should always be on enjoyment and exploration.

When discussing your child’s artwork, try open-ended questions such as:

• “Why did you choose those colours?”
• “What was your favourite part to create?”

Offer specific praise, for example:

• “I love how you used your pencils to create that shape.”
• “The layers you added make it really interesting.”

This builds confidence and encourages reflection without judgement.

Embrace the Mess

Art journals are not meant to be perfect. Pages may wrinkle. Paint might smudge. Glitter might escape. That is part of the magic. When children learn that creativity does not have to be perfect, they carry that confidence into school, friendships, and problem-solving in everyday life.

All you really need is paper and permission.

Give your child a journal, a few simple supplies, and the freedom to explore. You might be amazed at what appears on those pages.

Creativity grows where it is nurtured.