These journal ideas for teens make for awesome prompts whenever they want to express themselves through writing.
For teens who love the written word, writing in a journal is a fun thing to do. By keeping a journal, they can enhance their writing skills and have the perfect chance to reflect on their personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions.
However, every writer knows how difficult it is to start. A blank page can look daunting, even to those who have been writing for years.
These journal prompts for teens will help them overcome such a challenge. After all, these are designed to get those creative juices flowing and the young at heart to start writing.
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How Do Teens Benefit From Writing?
There’s more to writing than just simply doing it for a school requirement. Outside of the academic setting, young teens can gain a lot from this activity.
Here are some benefits of journaling for teens:
Allows Teens to Self-Reflect
There are many forms of self-care, and journaling may be one of the best. Teens may use their journaling time to write about an emotional experience, whether happy or sad, which can help them process it better.
They can also practice self reflection and self-exploration through this, which enhances emotional intelligence. It can help them better understand their behavior, feelings, and emotions when they write in a journal regularly.
Journaling is also a good opportunity for teens to widen their perspective and experience growth and development as individuals.
Can Boost Creativity
There are many types of writing that teens can do in their journals.
Creative writing can be one of them. This is the art of using the written word to tell an interesting tale or story designed to elicit a reader’s thoughts and emotions.
With creative writing, there’s no limit to a teen’s imagination. They can write anything, be it poetry, a story, an essay, or a memoir. They can even come up with fictional characters of their own.
Cultivating creativity in teens can be possible through journal writing.
Healthy Venting
Teenagers may face a lot of negative emotions as they grow up. Unfortunately, the changes they experience may make them feel confused, alone and scared.
Journaling is a great tool to help teens release bad energy in an otherwise healthy environment. Their journal can act as a safe space for them — that’s why it’s so important that they can use it anytime when they need to let off some steam and clear their mind of negativity.
Apart from always communicating with a teenage son or daughter, a journal is without judgment, too, so teens can feel comfortable writing whatever they feel in their journal entries.
What Is the Best Journal Topic for Teens?
The best journal topic is one that encourages someone to write — there are no wrong topics when it comes to journaling. It can be about literally anything.
They can write about relationships and experiences or dreams and aspirations in life. Topics can explore painful and difficult experiences, too.
Teens can choose simple ideas and topics they’re most comfortable with and start their writing journey. It should mean something to them, enough to inspire and motivate them to put their thoughts and feelings onto paper.
These writing ideas can help ignite the fire if they’re having difficulty selecting one. And if they’re keen on improving their writing in the process, these prompts can also serve as daily writing exercises.
List of Creative Journal Prompts for Teens
These journal ideas for teens are designed to encourage your teens to express themselves and their ideas through writing. From mindful prompts that encourage reflection to more creative writing topics that challenge their imagination, teens will have many options to try.
Mindful Journal Prompts for Teens
These journaling prompts can make your teens think deeply about themselves, like their experiences, thoughts and feelings.
- What makes being a teenager difficult for you?
- Have you said anything mean to anyone this week that you regret?
- If you could travel back in time to witness a specific moment in history, what year would you pick and why?
- What would you do differently in your life so far now that you are older?
- Reflect on a mistake you made and what you learned from it.
- What does success mean to you?
- What’s something that you did this month that made you proud of yourself?
- What is something you have now that you think you can live without?
- What brings you the most joy?
- Do you consider yourself to be a good friend to others? How?
- What is the biggest, most difficult task or responsibility that your parents have given you?
- What do you like most about yourself?
- What skills do you want to develop or learn before you graduate high school?
- Describe your biggest fear in life. How would you overcome it?
- Do you highly admire someone? Who is it and what do you admire most about this person?
- Who in your life do you trust the most? What makes them trustworthy?
- What type of gifts do you like receiving the most?
- When was the last time your parents or siblings embarrassed you? Why was the experience embarrassing for you?
- If you could spend a day with any of your relatives, who would you choose?
- If you can ask a loved one a specific question, who will you ask, what is the question and why did you choose that question?
General Prompts for Daily Journal Writing
These journal ideas for teens can help develop a daily journaling habit. Even reluctant writers may find a topic or two from this list to write about.
- Who do you think is the best artist of your generation?
- Do you have a best friend? What quality of theirs do you like the most?
- Do you think your zodiac sign perfectly describes you as a person?
- What activity do you like to do the most when you’re hanging out with friends?
- What is the most fascinating thing about life to you?
- Describe a childhood memory that you can still recall so vividly.
- Do you believe in aliens or ghosts?
- Where do you want to go for a vacation? Why?
- What’s a foreign food that you would love to try yourself?
- What do you consider the worst holiday ever?
- Are you more of a cat or a dog person?
- Describe how a perfect date would go for you.
- What’s your favorite video game to play? What makes playing it fun for you?
- What new thing did you learn today?
- Make a bucket list of 10-20 things you want to do in your lifetime.
- What’s something you wish more people knew?
- If you could live in the fictional world of any book or series, which one would you choose and why?
- You need to uninstall a social media app for life. What would you choose and why?
- Make a list of things that can help calm you down when you’re upset.
- When you grow up, would you go for a career that you love, but pays little or a job that you hate, but pays a lot?
Creative Writing Prompts for Teens
These writing prompts for teens allow them to exercise creative thinking by putting them in various imaginary situations.
- What’s the first thing you would tell a character that has come to life?
- You’ve found a genie who will grant you three wishes. What will you wish for?
- You’ve suddenly developed superpowers. How would you use them for world peace?
- Which fictional world do you want to live in and why?
- You’ve just won $10,000. Make a list telling how you will use it.
- You have now been elected as the President of the United States of America. What law would you enact first?
- It’s the zombie apocalypse. How would you make sure you and your family survive?
- Describe your perfect day.
- If your life was made into a movie, which actors would you pick to portray you and your family?
- If your life was made into a movie, which scenarios from your life would you want to see on screen?
- Your entire state lost internet for a month. List the activities that you would spend your time on.
- Where do you think you will be exactly a year from now?
- You’re stuck in an elevator. Who would you most want to be stuck with? What would you ask this person?
- Draft a letter addressed to your past or future self.
- You’ve discovered a brand-new type of animal or insect. How would you describe it to others? What would you call it?
- Write a short story about the worst summer vacation that ever happened to you.
- List the questions you would ask your favorite action hero if you were to interview them.
- If you were to invent a new machine or technology, what would it do?
- If you could spend the day as someone else, whose identity would you take?
- You can suddenly talk to animals. What would your pet want to tell you?
Gratitude Writing Prompts for Teens
These journal ideas for teens can help your teens feel more appreciative and grateful for the things they have in life.
- What are you grateful for today?
- What do you have that makes you feel lucky or privileged?
- What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received in your life?
- What are you excited about in the next five years?
- What memory from your childhood are you most grateful for?
- Pick three to five people in your life. Write about the most recent time you felt grateful for having them around.
- Write a thank you note to someone you’re thankful for.
- What’s the best advice you’ve received from a relative or a friend?
- Write a thank-you note to yourself.
- What makes you happy?
Free Printable Teen Journal Prompts
Want do download these journal prompts to keep on hand and have available whenever you need them? I’ve put them into a PDF, free for my subscribers. Just fill in the form below to have a copy sent to your inbox.
Use Journal Writing Prompts as a Starting Point
The power of journaling extends far beyond the pages of a notebook — it becomes a personal space for thoughts, dreams, and personal growth. Encouraging teens to embrace this practice nurtures their writing skills and fosters a deeper connection with themselves.
Support them on this journey of self-discovery through journaling. And let this list of journal prompts for teens kick off a possible new hobby.