On a chilly fall day, there is nothing better than putting on comfy PJ’s, starting a fire, pouring a cup of hot chocolate and taking out a pile of board games to play away the afternoon. Gather a group of friends – grown-ups or kids – and dust off the old Scrabble board for a round of fun word play.
When you are finished with your game, don’t sweep up the tiles just yet; keep them on the board for a journaling activity. (Note: If you don’t have anyone around to play Scrabble with, you can also simply make words, sentences or simple poems from the tiles and use these creations for this activity.)
Journal Writing Meets Play
Spend a few minutes reading your Scrabble words. Which jump out at you? Which words were the most impressive, the most absurd or the most interesting? Did any of them spark debate or laughter? Write your favorite words on a blank page in your journal. Use them as inspiration for one or more of the following journaling activities:
1. Start a story.
Combine a few of the words to make an intriguing plot for a short story. “Zombie,” “farm” and “love” might start an interesting Halloween love story, while “mirror,” “crime” and “pen” could be the next bestselling thriller.
2. Get wacky with word association.
Let the words guide you through 10 minutes of free-writing. Focus on one word at a time, and write down anything that comes to mind. Don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense—just have fun with it!
3. Think of a memory.
Select two to five words and recount personal memories that you associate with each. “Swim” might inspire you to write about the day you taught your little brother to dog-paddle in the river near your childhood home. “Mouse” might be a harrowing tale of your encounter with wild rodents. Try to remember as many details about each story as you can, and keep writing if one memory leads to another and you find yourself on a roll.
Learn what Journaling is really all about: Download free sample pages of the Journaling for the Self of it Manifesto.
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