A Little Nostalgia Therapy: 20 Summertime Journaling Prompts

So, for the first time since I started writing this blog, I did not post an article last week. That is because I went away on a beach trip with my family and one of the pets we boarded at the vet passed away.

What a way to start the summer, right? We were obviously crushed by what had happened, and I knew that the kindest thing I could do for myself and my family was to just focus on us and our grief rather than trying to put out another article. (If you’d like to see a creative journaling page I did to work through my feelings, check it out on my Instagram account: @planonthesunrise.)

However, it did make me think about the summer and how we spend the warmer months. For those of us in the U.S., we are now officially in the summer season. And, with the world opening back up, our family decided to take that first trip and hope to make another before the season is done (the next one with pets in tow).

Thinking about summer plans always makes me nostalgic for those days when summer break really meant something to me personally. Of course, those days were when I was younger- before college and adulthood turned my summer days into any other day.

As a working mom, summers don’t really feel all that different. I wear lighter clothes and prepare to sweat as I walk between my office and the courthouse, but aside from that, summer days are just a warmer and sunnier version of all the other days of the year.

The ones who really can tell the difference are my kids. They get spring fever around April and it’s a chore to keep them on task until the end of the school year. They cannot wait for summer break, knowing that it means more time to play, relax, and be at one with the pool.

It’s been so long since I felt those feelings myself, I could barely remember that time until I started journaling about it. Once I did, I started to remember the excitement and potential each summer break held for me. I recalled how warm it was, the clothes I wore, and how quickly it seemed to dissolve into the next season.

Tapping into old, positive memories can be therapeutic. One of my first summer jobs was at a nursing home, and I remember helping the recreational therapist as she conducted a reminiscence therapy session for the residents with dementia. It was amazing to see their faces light up as they recalled happier times- it seemed to bring them back from the far away place their minds typically resided.

That reminded me that we can always try our own reminiscence therapy. All you need is some paper, a pen, and time to dig through the filing cabinet of your mind for sunny days when you were younger and more carefree.

Below are some simple journaling prompts to get you thinking about this sunniest of the seasons. I know that it has helped me to dig up some sepia-colored memories in my mind that have brought a smile to my face.

20 Summertime Journaling Prompts

Before you get started on journaling about summers long past, do whatever you need to get in the mood. Listen to some beach music. Maybe first take in a fun, summer-themed movie. Or, grab an old photo album and leaf through the pictures of family trips, days spent at the beach, or time in the neighborhood pool.

Then, have a seat and write about those lovely memories. Here are some prompts to get you started:

1. When you think of the summer, which words and images come to mind first?
2. How did you spend your summers as a child? Were you at home, doing summer school, or living for a few months somewhere else?
3. Did you ever attend any camps? Were they sleep away or day camps? What were some of your best camp experiences?
4. Recall 3 memorable family trips you took during the summer. Which was your favorite and why?
5. What did you and your friends or siblings like to do during summer break? What were your favorite pastimes?
6. Did you make any friends while at sleep way camps or on vacation? How did those friendships develop?
7. What were your favorite summertime foods or desserts? Were there places you went regularly to enjoy them?
8. Are there any traditions from your childhood summers that you still honor today? Are there any you now remember you might want to try with your own family?
9. Did you ever have a summertime romance or crush? What do you remember about it and what was the sweetest memory from that time?
10. Did you ever have family from out of town stay with you during the summer? What was that like? Any funny memories come to mind?
11. Were there any nighttime summer activities you remember? Describe them in detail.
12. Did you go to any theme parks during the summer- either small ones or larger ones? What were some of the most memorable experiences you had there?
13. If you enjoyed swimming or other water-based activities, where did you typically do those? Was there a neighborhood pool you frequented? A beach, lake, or swimming hole? Who would take you and who else would be there?
14. Were your summers different when you became a teenager? How were they different from the summers you spent as a child?
15. What was your first summer job and what was it like?
16. Describe the outfits you wore most frequently as a kid in the summers. What is your perfect summer outfit today?
17. Did you ever go to the movies with family or friends to watch summer blockbuster movies? What were some fun or memorable movies you watched?
18. Did you ever attend any outdoor concerts during the summer? Which stand out and why?
19. Forget you’re an adult. If you could do one thing this summer that you’ve always wanted to do but never could, what would that be? Is there any way to make it happen?
20. Make a summertime bucket list with your significant other or family. Can you get a few of them done this year?

Are you still journaling this summer season? Any prompts you can think of not listed here? Share them below in a comment!

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