30 Summer Journal Prompts

Summer is for fun vacation and relaxation, growth and early harvesting, the long day and short night of the summer solstice, the beauty of green leaves, and sand between toes.

The summer writing prompts and journal prompts in this article are focused on really appreciating the summer moments you have.

Why Keep a Journal?

Journaling is surprisingly beneficial! Writing down your thoughts and experiences can help you process emotions, track personal growth, and even spark creativity. As you describe your favorite summer memories, try to write with as much detail as possible to make the memory come alive.

Writing Practice

First, writing more improves your writing skills. Like anything, practice matters when it comes to writing.

That means journaling can help improve the writing you do in other areas! For example, journaling can be a great way to write a story about your summer experiences. But after you have fun with writing prompts, it might eventually get easier to write those work emails.

Reflect on Your Goals

Journaling can be an opportunity to focus on your goals and progress. Write about why you want to achieve the goals you’ve set and brainstorm ways to achieve them.

And don’t forget to track your progress in your journal!

Similarly, you can use your journaling time to think through an aspect of or situation in your life—even simply yourself—to sort out how you feel about it and how you want to address it.

Consider journaling about your plans and goals for the upcoming school year, work, or stage of life.

Improve Your Health

Studies are showing that journaling may also reduce stress, improve your immune system response, and even boost your memory. Here’s an article from Intermountain Healthcare about it.

Journaling can also help process feelings as summer ends and transitions to fall. These summer writing prompts are a great place to start.

So with those benefits in mind, let’s get started!

30 Summer WRiting Prompts

We’ve divided the following summer writing prompts into June, July, and August to help you organize your summer journal. But please feel free to pick and choose!

June Journal Prompts

1. The first day of summer, the summer solstice, marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. What are you doing with your opportunity for long summer days?

2. What colors do you associate with summer? Why? Describe summer using sensory details. What do you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel during this season?

3. What do you look for in a perfect summer vacation? What type of vacation appeals to you the most?

4. When you need to relax, what is the most effective thing you can do? What about it makes you relax?

5. Think about the bees on the flowers around you, bringing nectar back to their colonies. How are you, like a bee, connected to your friends and community?

6. Summer is the season of growth. Describe a time you worked hard for something and it paid off.

7. Write a story about the last time you made an exciting discovery.

8. How are you planning for the future, metaphorically putting some of your summer harvest aside?

9. Write about a favorite memory of summer.

10. What goals do you have for this summer? How will you accomplish them before the end of summer?

July Writing Prompts

11. What will you create from what you are working for and harvesting this year?

12. What are your favorite summer foods and why? This could be the seasonal foods you enjoy from your garden or farmer’s market, or it could be a tradition, for example—maybe the cool treats you can indulge in after a long, hot day.

13. What is your favorite song of the summer and why is it special to you?

14. What would be the perfect way to celebrate something with your best friend or family?

15. Describe how you can come into your full power this summer.

16. Between outdoor activities, time off from work or school, or the opportunity to visit a friend or travel away from home, summer is full of potential adventure! Write a short story about an adventure you’ve had.

17. Think about what you have accomplished so far this year. What are you grateful for, and what are you proud of? What have you learned?

18. If you had to spend the summer in either flip flops or hiking boots, which style would you choose and why?

19. What are your favorite flowers? What do you love about them?

20. Pick something from your bucket list. Why is it on the list? Are you working toward it, or is it a far-off dream? What would it take to accomplish it?

August Writing Prompts

21. What is something you like to do just for summer fun? What do you like about it?

22. What does summer smell like to you? It's probably the least focused on of the five senses.

23. Write about something from nature you are particularly grateful for this summer.

24. What dreams and goals do you have that deserve to grow, as nature grows in summer? What can you push further?

25. How is your romantic life? Are you happy with it? What do you like about it, or what would you like to bring to it?

26. If you could experience major growth in one area of your life this season, what would it be?

27. What do you always try to do when you spend time traveling? What are your favorite travel rituals?

28. Write a short story about a summer job you had or would like to have. What did you learn or would you hope to learn from it?

29. What summer gathering do you look forward to the most? What makes your favorite time special?

30. In what area of your life could you use a refresh? What would it look like?

How to Start Your Summer Journal

Summers are a great time for growing an intentional practice like journaling. It's also a perfect time to write a poem or short story, so you can use these tips for any of your writing goals.

Here are some writing prompts to get you started!

Choosing Your Journaling Materials

Fortunately, you don’t need much. You need something to write with and something to write on, and at journaling’s most basic, that’s it.

Choose a journal that you like, because if it makes you happy, it will be easier to pick it up. Consider selecting a journal that reflects the summer season to inspire your writing.

Physical Journals

The important thing is to try to hold your journal in person before you buy it. Get a sense of whether you will reach for it and enjoy using it. It'll be your new favorite book!

Journal Binding

Determine if the journal will lay flat. That is, can you open it to start writing your summer writing prompts and have it stay open? This will go a long way toward a more pleasant experience for you.

Is the journal’s binding sturdy? Try to get a sense of whether the cover is going to get detached from the block of pages as you write.

Careful with spiral bindings, too. They lay flat, but sometimes they’re too loose and pages start to fall out. Look for a sturdy one.

Journal Size

If you’re going to write your summer writing prompts on your desk, maybe you want a bigger trim size. If you’re going to pop it in your purse and take it to the coffee shop or the ocean, does it fit in your purse or beach bag?

Journal Paper

Consider the paper texture. If it’s too glossy, that limits your pen options. A standard ballpoint will probably work, but if you want to use pencil or other type of pen, it might not make a mark or it might smear easily.

Journal Extras

A ribbon marker is a nice touch on a journal.

If this is going to be a portable journal, an elastic closure keeps it from splaying open inside your bag. Other clasps can be bulkier, so make sure the journal still lays open comfortably if you look at those.

Tip: A lock is a fun thing if you want to pretend to write at summer camp.

Digital Journals

Digital journals are especially handy if you’re journaling about ideas you might want to use later—don’t underestimate a good search feature.

You also have plenty of free and very inexpensive options, from Google docs to specialized apps like Penzu.

Tips for Establishing a Journaling Habit

Establishing a habit can take time, and that amount of time varies. Here are some journaling ideas that might help this summer vacation.

Make a Journaling Spot

Make your writing place your favorite place. Stock it with your favorite pens. Will you drink tea (or iced coffee or water) while you write? What else will help you journal or write a short story about your summer experiences?

Remove any obstacles that will keep you from journaling.

Set an alarm

Pick a time of day to write your summer writing prompts, like first thing in the morning, and set up a recurring calendar appointment to remind you.

Set a timer

If it feels overwhelming to sit down and write for an indeterminate amount of time, try setting a timer for 10 minutes and telling yourself to write that long.

Too long? Try 5 minutes.

You can always give yourself extra time if needed.

Try a habit tracker

Add journaling to your favorite habit tracker, be it standalone or in your planner. There’s nothing as satisfying as filling in another habit tracker box!

(We have a few downloadable habit trackers if you need one!)

Make Journaling Your New Favorite Summer Memory

Please feel free to try and discard—or keep—any of these journaling ideas. Personalize your practice and create something that works for you long term. Happy journaling!

(Before moving on, take a moment to reflect on your actual favorite summer memory. Perhaps it will inspire some writing!)

What’s Next?

Fall journal prompts, of course! School starts eventually, kids, and we have to watch the summer sun fade, celebrate the harvest season, and prepare for winter.

Are you finished with these summer journal prompts but want to keep the fun going? Look no further—we’ve got plenty of journal prompts for adults.