We are, no doubt, living through historical and unprecedented times right now.  A global pandemic, quarantines, homeschooling,  shelter in place orders, unemployment, financial uncertainty...... so. much stress.  And even with all of that going on, it will eventually, become "history" and something that I most want to document (in both pictures and writing).  

I saw somewhere that this, for our kids,  will be the equivalent of the "I had to walk uphill to school 3 miles in the snow" story.  They'll tell their children and grandchildren how school was canceled, their sports postponed and that they had to stay home all day long bored out of their minds.

Because of this, I purchased my kids journals HERE and have them write a page in it every day.  My goal is to tuck these books away with the other treasures I am saving from their childhood and one day when they are adults they can look back and reflect on what it was like in March (and beyond) of 2020.  It will be a peek back in time to their thoughts and daily routines.

*My kids (age 13 and 10) mostly just write to "their older selves" about what they've done for the day and how they are feeling.  You can certainly adjust this activity for older and younger kids.  For the much younger ones, you can get a blank journal HERE and they can draw a picture each day instead (they can narrate the story/their feelings and you can write it down). To add more than just writing to the journals- you can print pictures out, clip newspaper/internet stories, draw pictures, etc.

What are they writing about?  Here are some prompts you can give them to get them started-

How did you feel when you heard that school was canceled?

What does a typical day during quarantine look like for you?

What do you miss most about "normal life"?

What do you like most/least about quarantine?

Who in the outside world do you want to give a hug to and why?

Is there something new you want to learn while you are out of school?

What is the first thing you want to do when the quarantine is lifted?

If you could have a giant box delivered to your porch, what would you want it filled with?

If you could leave your house right now, where would you want to go?

If you had one wish, what would it be right now?

Do you like homeschooling?  Would you rather stay home and learn or go to school?  Why?

When the quarantine is lifted, what is one thing you will do differently going forward?

Imagine inventing a time machine.... would you leave 2020?  What time would you travel to?

*When this is all over, store these journals in a safe spot until you are ready to pass along their mementos to them as an adult.