Create a Summer Sketch Journal

At the start of summer I like to head to an art supply store and pick out a spiral bound sketch book.  Throughout the summer I bring this book with me on hikes, road trips, and other adventures. If there’s an available moment, I draw doodles, stick figures, and even sketches of things I have seen that day. I also add comments, quotes and memorable stories.    If the day is busy then I wait till I get home to do any of the journaling.  By the end of summer the journal is full of words and pictures that encapsulate  our favorite summer moments. My favorite sketchbooks are the ones I created when my son was younger—these journals are packed full of funny moments and amusing drawings of our daily adventures.  If you create a summer sketch journal for your own child (or a young person you spend a lot of time with), you can add spaces in the journal where they contribute their own pictures and stories.

Now that my son is a teenager I tend to do more sketches of nature and landscapes with an added story here and there.

As much as I love photos and social media, nothing compares to looking over summer sketch journals (especially years later) and reading stories about all of our activities, encounters with wildlife, social gatherings, and reflections on the magical moments of summer.

Materials to Make a Summer Sketch Journal

• A spiral bound sketch pad
• Watercolor pencils or color pencils
• An ink pen
• A pencil with eraser

  

Directions to Make a Summer Sketch Journal

Draw, doodle, and sketch any types of drawings that tell the story of what you have experienced this summer.  You can use stick figures, realistic sketches, cartoons, etc.  I like to draw my pictures using an ink pen and then add splashes of color with colored pencils and watercolor pencils.  Some people will prefer pencil drawings—anything its fine. Add comments or brief anecdotes about the highlights of your summer moments. Mix it all up—it doesn’t need to be organized!  Just have fun with it!