Kids juggle a lot these days with homework, sports, music lessons, birthdays, family events, and all the hobbies they actually care about. It’s easy for even the most organized kid to forget an assignment or be surprised by a test.
A simple solution that feels fun instead of naggy? A bullet journal for kids.
It’s not a fancy notebook full of rules. It’s a flexible planner kids can turn into whatever they need: a school organizer, a habit tracker, a doodle book, and a place to store ideas. Once they get the hang of it, it can grow with them from elementary school into middle school and beyond.
What Is a Bullet Journal (Kid Version)?
A bullet journal is just:
A notebook + short notes + simple symbols = your brain on paper.
Adults use it to track tasks, events, and goals. Kids can use it the same way, but with more doodles, color, and fun spreads.
A kid-friendly bullet journal can be:
A school planner for assignments and tests
A study planner for middle school
A place for creative journaling lists, art, and memories
A home for trackers (reading, habits, screen time, mood)
Because kids design it themselves, it feels more like their HQ and less like one more school worksheet.
Why Bullet Journaling Helps Kids and Tweens
Bullet journaling combines planning and creativity in one place:
Everything is together. Homework, sports schedules, to-do lists, and ideas for YouTube videos can all live in one notebook.
It builds independence. Instead of relying on adults to remind them, kids can open their journal and see what’s next.
It reduces stress. Seeing the week laid out makes school and activities feel more manageable.
It’s personal. Kids can decorate and change spreads as they grow.
No perfection needed. Messy handwriting and crossed-out notes are part of the process.
Ask your child to write down everything they need to remember this week: homework, chores, clubs, practices, and fun plans. Paste that list into the DIY.org AI Homework Helper and ask it to arrange the tasks into a simple weekly layout. Your child can then copy that layout into their journal as their first “real” spread.
Step 1: Simple Supplies to Get Started
You don’t need special stationery to start a bullet journal for kids.
Must-haves
Any notebook (lined, grid, or dotted)
A pen or pencil they actually like using
Nice extras
A few colored pens or highlighters
Stickers or washi tape
A ruler for making neat boxes (if they care about straight lines)
Let your child pick the notebook and a couple of colors buy-in matters more than aesthetics.
Step 2: Make an Index and a Key
Two quick pages at the front of the notebook make everything easier to find.
The index
On the first or second page:
Write “Index” at the top.
As your child fills in new spreads (Homework Log, Habit Tracker, Reading List), they jot down the page number and title.
No more flipping through 70 pages to find “that one list” they made last month.
The symbol key
On the inside cover or first page, create a simple key. For example:
• = task
○ = event
✩ = idea
✔ = done
→ = moved to another day
✖ = cancelled
They can also add little icons:
📚 = homework
🏀 = sport
🎵 = music
⭐ = something they’re proud of
These symbols keep pages clean and easy to scan.
Step 3: School Planner Setup for Kids
Now you turn the notebook into a planner that actually matches their life.
Year-at-a-glance (or term overview)
On a two-page spread:
Draw tiny calendars for each month of the term or school year.
Add big events: first day of school, holidays, exams, project due dates, sports seasons.
This helps kids see where busy weeks are coming instead of being surprised.
Monthly spread
Each month, make a simple calendar or list layout:
Boxes or lines for each day
Space to write birthdays, tests, and field trips
A small “This Month’s Goals” box with 2–3 goals, like:
Turn in homework on time
Read 4 books
Make it to soccer practice every week
Weekly spread: the main hub
A weekly spread is where a school planner setup for kids really earns its keep.
Pick a style:
Vertical: columns for Monday–Sunday
Horizontal: rows for each day with space underneath
Include:
Homework and school tasks
After-school activities (sports, clubs, music)
A small “Top 3” box so they can pick the most important tasks each day
Encourage them to open their weekly spread after school, fill in assignments, and check it again before bed.
Your child can describe their school week, what days they have PE, band, soccer, clubs and ask the DIY.org AI Homework Helper to suggest a weekly spread. It can recommend columns, headers, and simple labels that your child can then copy or tweak in their notebook.
Step 4: Habit Trackers for Kids
A habit tracker for kids is just a simple chart they color in whenever they do something they’re working on.
What a habit tracker looks like
Draw a grid with the days of the month down the side and habits across the top.
When they complete a habit on a given day, they color that square, add a dot, or place a tiny sticker.
Over time, they get a visual pattern of how often they do the thing.
Good habits to track
Pick just a few:
Reading 15–20 minutes
Instrument practice or sports practice
Brushing teeth morning and night
Going to bed on time
Drinking water
Screen-free time before bed
“Kind action of the day”
Tweens might also track mood, energy, or time spent on creative hobbies vs. scrolling.
Layout ideas
One big calendar for a single important habit (like reading)
A multi-habit grid for 3–5 small behaviors
Mini trackers tucked into weekly spreads
Remind kids that blank boxes aren’t failures, they're information. The goal is noticing patterns, not being perfect.
Step 5: Creative Journaling Pages (So It’s Not Just Homework)
If the journal is only about school, they’ll abandon it. Add kids journal ideas that make it feel like their personal space.
Collections and list pages
Fun options:
Books I want to read / Books I finished
Shows, games, or movies to try
Places I want to visit
Art / video / story ideas
Birthday wish list
“Stuff that makes me laugh”
These pages are like a brain dump for interests and dreams.
Mood & gratitude spreads
Simple, low-pressure options:
A tiny mood icon for each day (sunny, cloudy, stormy)
“One good thing” list with a single sentence per day
Weekly “Highlight of the Week” with a doodle or short note
These spreads help kids practice self-reflection without turning the journal into a long diary.
Doodles, collage, and scrapbook pages
Let them decorate:
Theme pages (all about soccer, cats, space, music)
Sticker explosion pages
Mini comic strips about something funny that happened at school
When kids see their personality on the pages, they’re more likely to keep using the notebook.
Step 6: Bullet Journaling for Hobbies and Passions
A bullet journal is also a great way to track the things they love most.
Sports or music pages
Ideas:
Practice log (date, time, what they worked on)
Progress tracker with new skills or songs learned
Game / performance schedule with notes on how it went
Hobby planning spreads
Whether they like drawing, coding, baking, or crafting, they can create:
“Project ideas” lists
“Skills I want to learn” pages
Step-by-step plans for big projects (like making a short film or launching a small YouTube channel with parent approval)
Screen time with purpose
If screen time is a big deal in your house, they can track:
Time spent on creative apps (drawing, music, coding)
Time spent just scrolling or watching
Seeing it in color on the page can spark better choices without lectures.
Step 7: Study Planner Ideas for Middle School
As kids hit middle school, assignments get longer and more complex. A bullet journal can keep things from piling up.
Subject overview pages
One page per subject with:
Teacher name and contact
Class schedule or room number
Grade goal
Space for big project ideas and test dates
Project breakdown pages
For each big assignment:
Write the due date in a box at the top.
List all steps: research, outline, first draft, final copy, printing, etc.
Assign each step to a specific day and copy those mini tasks into weekly spreads.
This teaches real project-planning skills, not just “hope I remember.”
Exam prep spreads
A countdown tracker showing days left A topics list with checkboxes
Short daily goals: “Study vocab for 10 minutes,” “Do 5 practice problems,” etc.
A box for questions to ask the teacher
When your child gets a new project or exam schedule, you can paste the instructions into the DIY.org AI Homework Helper and ask it to break the work into small, daily tasks. Your child can then plug those steps into their bullet journal calendar and weekly spreads.
Step 8: Keeping the Bullet Journal Habit Going
The goal isn’t “perfect spreads every week.” It’s consistent, good-enough planning.
Weekly reset ritual
Choose one time Sunday evening, Monday after school, or whatever works and:
Look back at last week: what got done, what didn’t?
Move any unfinished tasks to the new week.
Set up the next weekly spread together (or watch them do it).
This short ritual trains kids to check in with themselves regularly.
Allow imperfect pages
Make sure they know:
It’s okay to skip days.
It’s okay if the layout didn’t work.
It’s okay to change styles mid-journal.
They can always start fresh on the next page.
FAQ: Bullet Journaling for Kids
What is a bullet journal for kids? It’s a flexible planner kids build themselves inside a notebook. They track tasks, events, habits, and ideas using short notes and simple symbols.
What age can kids start? Many kids are ready around ages 8–9, especially if they like lists or drawing. Younger kids can use simplified versions with help.
Does it have to be artistic? No. Some kids go all-in on doodles and washi tape; others just use boxes and checkmarks. Both are valid.
What if my child loses interest? That’s normal. Encourage them to flip to a new page, try a different layout, or focus the journal on something fun (like hobbies) for a while. The system is meant to flex with them.
