5 Fun Ways to Use Your Sketchbook This Summer
Emma Shannon 
Summer is the perfect time to get outdoors, try new things, and—of course—fill your sketchbook with memories, doodles, and discoveries.
Summer is the perfect time to get outdoors, try new things, and—of course—fill your sketchbook with memories, doodles, and discoveries. Whether you're 7 or 17, or sketching side-by-side with your family, here are five exciting and creative ways to use your sketchbook this summer!
1. Nature Explorer Pages 🌿🐞
Take your sketchbook on an outdoor adventure! Visit your garden, a local park, the beach, or even just a balcony.
- Draw what you see—leaves, insects, clouds, or birds.
- Try leaf rubbings or tape in a pressed flower.
- Imagine a magical creature living in or around the plant you are looking at. Can you draw it?
2. Summer Story Comics 📖🦸♀️
Turn your sketchbook into a comic book starring you, your friends, or a made-up hero.
- Use boxes to make comic strips.
- Create silly summer adventures—ice cream disasters, camping mishaps, or time-travel holidays!
- Try starting a comic and ask a family member to draw what happens next.
3. Art Challenges & Prompts 🎲🖍️
Feeling stuck? Try daily or weekly prompts to kick-start your imagination.
- “Draw something with your eyes closed”
- “Draw something only using scribbles”
- “Draw a picture only using circles and triangles”
Family Fun: Set a timer for 10 minutes and do a “speed sketch” challenge together!
4. Travel & Day Out Diaries 🚗🏖️
Going on holiday? Visiting a museum or café? Bring your sketchbook!
- Draw where you go or what you eat.
- Sketch maps or tickets and stick in wrappers or postcards.
- Add mini reviews: “The best pancake ever!” or “This castle had 57 stairs!”
Cool Idea: At the end of summer, you'll have a one-of-a-kind memory book!
5. Collaborative Family Sketchbook 👨👩👧👦🎨
Why not make it a shared adventure?
- Pass the sketchbook around and take turns adding drawings.
- Start a picture and let someone else finish it.
- Create a “family doodle day” once a week with snacks and music.
✏️ Final Tip: There Are No Rules in a Sketchbook
Messy pages? Fantastic. Half-finished drawings? Great. The most important thing is to have fun and keep creating!
So grab those pencils, crayons, or pens—and let your sketchbook become your summer sidekick. ☀️
Need more ideas to create art this summer?
Why not join our Summer Art Club this August?
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- Increase your child's confidence (and your own) when creating their own art from their own ideas
- Enjoy spending quality time together as a family (sessions are suitable for all ages)
- Great for your mood and your mind. Relax and create...
Tell me more…
- Suitable for all ages
- 4 x live classes in August on zoom (2 on creative drawing and 2 on creative painting)
- Replays available until end of 2025
- 1 x mixed media workshop pre-recorded (yours to keep)
- 1 x clay sculpture workshop pre-recorded (yours to keep)