How to Make a Diary Calendar for Children

Turn a calendar into a diary with this fun, artistic project.

Writing in a diary provides children a safe place to express their ideas, feelings and thoughts. However, it can be difficult to keep up with daily writing. A combined diary and calendar creates a multi-purpose tool that makes it easier to keep track of entries. With a little supervision and assistance, children can make their own personalized diary calendars. Utilize diary calendars in the home or in the classroom. These journals provide a place for kids to hone their writing skills and get creative.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Three-ring binder
• Scissors
• Craft foam
• Hot glue and hot glue
• 12 dividers
• Glitter pens
• Crayons
• Markers
• Lined paper with holes
• Printer
• Computer
• Pencils
• Pens

1. Making a Diary with the Months

   • 1
     Decorate the front of a three-ring binder with craft foam. Cut pieces of craft foam into shapes such as hearts, flowers, geometric shapes or sports equipment. Using a hot glue gun, glue the craft foam to the cover of the notebook.
   • 2
     Write the name of each month on 12 separate dividers using a glitter pen. Allow the glitter to dry. Insert divider tabs with the name of each month into the dividers.
   • 3
     Create artwork on the front of each divider that is personalized to a theme for that month, such as pumpkins for October or flowers for May. Fasten the dividers into the three-ring binder.

   Creating Pages for the Diary

   • 1
     Load sheets of lined paper into your printer. Use your computer to create seven separate MS Word documents. In bold letters, centered at the top of each document, type the days of the week. Press "enter" to drop down a few line spaces and type the word, "Date," followed by a colon. The pages will give kids a place in which to write the date for each entry.
   • 2
     Print multiple copies of each of the seven documents with the days of the week. You don’t have to make 365 copies right away. Make approximately 10 to 12 copies for each day of the week. Save the documents so you can print more copies when the kids run out of paper.
   • 3
     Fasten the lined paper with the days of the week printed on them into the three-ring binder. Insert pages under each month.
   • 4
     Encourage children to write a little bit in their diary calendar each day. Use the page for the appropriate day of the week, writing the actual date at the top of each page. Let the kids know it's okay if they skip a day. A calendar diary helps the children keep track of the days to see the date of their last entry.