The film Boyhood was inspiration for this one. I’ve always loved the idea of a visual documentation of time passing. Documenting the summer can provide an opportunity for children to write, increase vocabulary skills, practice penmanship (especially as we lose our cursive writing to typing and texting), not to mention, provide great memories and a snapshot of the summer.
Journaling, Blogging, Sketching, and making a Photo A Day are just a few ways to have your child document their summer and capture the essence of each day.
A few of our favorite tools include:
1) The Journal. An oldie but a goodie. Nothing beats an old fashioned notebook and a favorite pen or pencil for getting in the practice of writing each day. It also provides a simple way to perfect your child’s penmanship. Find a basic notebook so your child can decorate the cover and make it her own.
2) Keep token memorabilia from your summer outings and later edit the most meaningful items– a ticket to the play you loved; concert tickets, the key to the B&B, your Zoltar fortune, and more. Have them write a brief paragraph about each item as they save it and attach it in some way.
3) A Camera. Most devices already have this handy feature, but hand your child a real camera- consider an instant, underwater, or film camera- and watch what happens. You’ll be amazed when you see the world from their perspective.
4) Start a blog or a website and have them share a brief moment of each day. Typepad and WordPress offer free blogs and numerous sites like Wix, offer a quick and free way to launch a site with little prior experience.
5) Utilize new tools to tell today’s story and make screen time more meaningful. Consider these apps to make daily documenting more fun:
• Photo 365 to document each day with one image that documents the best of each day of your summer. Have your child journal each day to correspond to that photo and let them pick the photo that best represents their day. At the end of the summer, you can print a photo album from your daily selections.
• IDiary for Kids is a good journaling app for kids that allows kids to draw photos or upload pictures to accompany their writings. Day! — The Best Story of Mine and Day One are also good choices depending on cost and the features you prefer.
• Strip Designer lets you create your own comic strips with text
• The Zaggfolio keyboard for your device, such as an iPad Mini, to make on the go journaling a cinch. It’s size makes it great for travel but gives it the feel of a laptop.
At a loss for words? Suggest writing prompts like these.
PALNYC 