There’s little chance you will forget the home quarantine of 2020. But the details will fade over time — unless you create something that lasts. Kids around the country are doing just that by making their own newspapers. They’ve become reporters, photographers, editors, art directors and even cartoonists. And they are doing what good journalists do: keeping their communities (or maybe just their families) informed and entertained.
Quarantine Daily News
Kate Goodman, 12
Wayland, Massachusetts
Why did you create this newspaper?
I created this newspaper to help remember what was happening during the quarantine time.”
Jajaland News
Jade Chiang, 6
San Diego, California
Why did you create this newspaper?
Because I am not happy when Jasper messes me up! I want to say something about it.”
Editor’s note: Jasper is Jade’s younger brother.
Freya’s News
Freya Kripke, 7
Washington, D.C.
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
Typing it.”
MG Tattler
Emerson Miller Gabriel, 8
Washington, D.C.
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
Seeing the end result, seeing how people react because it is so shocking seeing reactions and how good it turns out.”
The Quarantine Times
Claire Lundgren, 10, editing, with other contributors
Middleton, Wisconsin
What other stories are you interested in covering?
Celebrations during quarantine (lost a tooth, learned to ride a two-wheeler), Song or book reviews, a drawing contest. We've already put together two editions and are working on our third!”
Ryland’s Newspaper
Ryland Hunt, 9
Wilton, Connecticut
Why did you create this newspaper?
I created my newspaper because in the first week of e-learning, my teacher suggested e-learning possibilities and one of them was to make a newspaper. And it was supposed to be stuff like your weekend news and surprising new facts you found, but I took it to make a real newspaper. But I didn’t make a paper one! I made a website! rylandsnewspaper.wordpress.com”
Snippets News
Greta and Eloise Fronheiser, 11 and 10, editing, with other contributors
Morrisville, Pennsylvania
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
We liked figuring out the layout of the stories and pictures.”
Top Stories
John Wall, 10
Indianapolis, Indiana
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
My favorite part of this newspaper is the cartoon. It was inspired by my brother who did exactly what the cartoon said! It was so fun because I did it with my own thumbprints and ink. I got to do it in real life not just on a computer.”
Corona Chronicle
Zachary and Nathaniel Miller, 8 and 9
Bethesda, Maryland
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
Doing the research and making the word games.”
The Takoma Neighborhood News
Joe (10) and Zaki (8) Rempell, Henry Olsen (10), Cooper (10), Chloe (9) and Peter (8) Hewett-Marx (10), Hadley (9) and Graham (8) Hannum
Takoma Park, Maryland
What other stories are you interested in covering?
Our next issue has an article about a tree falling during a storm and hitting our neighbor's house. We like writing the entertainment section. We want to write an article about nearby hiking trails.”
The Koester Times
Perre Coleman and Fritz Koester, 10 and 6
Cambridge, Massachusetts
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
How many people seem to like it. We have published every single day since March 14. We have 190 subscribers in 35 states and 10 countries! It is fun to get notes back from lots of different people from everywhere.”
Editor’s note: As of May 4, The Koester Times was up to 250 subscribers in 47 states (all but Hawaii, West Virginia and Delaware) and 10 countries.
The Butterfly News
Reese Koropecky, 8
Timonium, Maryland
Why did you create this newspaper?
I like writing about people. We charge for the newspaper and sell 10 or more issues every time.”
Quarantimes
Lily Scheckner and Sophie Pranio, 13 and 12
Silver Spring, Maryland
What other stories are you interested in covering?
Sophie and I are 12 & 13 years old, which means we are practically adults. :) But even if we're not adults, we still want to explore real stories. We have sections on the presidential candidates, but we'll also have a funny gallery of pets. At our age, we are walking the line between childhood and adulthood, and our writing is going to reflect that!”
Narwhal News
Naomi Pond and Evelyn Grzemkowski, 12 and 11
Seattle, Washington
Why did you create this newspaper?
I created Narwhal News in June 2018 and wrote 8 issues about the make-believe lives of my stuffed narwhals, but then took a break when we moved. I thought making a new issue about narwhals in quarantine would be a fun way to update my friends and family about what the narwhals have been up to in Seattle.”
Galila’s Gazette
Sylvia Hartman, 8
Portland, Oregon
What other stories are you interested in covering?
I want to do more movie reviews and more lists because I love making lists.”
Cuttermill Chronicle
Hannah Colas, 9
Springfield, Virginia
What other stories are you interested in covering?
In my next issue I would like to write about my neighbor Miss Judy who is also a nurse working with covid patients, planting nice flowers in her front yard.”
Hope-Hernandez Household News
Maggie Hope-Hernandez, 10
Tulsa, Oklahoma
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
My favorite part was working with my whole family, because they are all amazing writers and great to work with. I also enjoy being the Editor, because I am in control of my coworkers.( A.K.A Mom, Dad and Grandmother.)”
Quarantine Ideas
Adelyn Statz, 10
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Why did you create this newspaper?
I want other people to get ideas so that their not bored and I wanted to give them starting ideas.”
The Daily Excitement Worldwide
Gwendolyn Stoner and Hadley Dertinger, 7 and 8
Seattle, Washington
Why did you create this newspaper?
Because since the Coronavirus is really bad now and school is out, I just wanted to make people happy.”
Editor’s note: The Daily Excitement Worldwide is available online at thedailyexcitement.com.
Quarantine Weekly
Moubon Kurukumbi, 12, editing, with other contributors
Fairfax, Virginia
Why did you create this newspaper?
I wanted to inform my fellow students about what was happening in our world, and the best way to do that seemed to be by creating a newspaper. I feel that everyone has a right to know about what is going on, and has a right to make their own opinion after they read the fact.”
The Monday Times
Juniper and Dashiell Gaines, 9 and 7, editing, with other contributors
Urbana, Illinois
What was your favorite part of creating this newspaper?
Making the comics because I like the penguin comic I made. Also I like to deliver it on my bike.”
Strat-Tattlers
Callista Strattard, 12
New Gloucester, Maine
Why did you create this newspaper?
Because it is fun! There wasn't much to do during the pandemic. My Mom shared it with her friends and they loved it, so we kept going.”
If you’re thinking of making your own newspaper, the examples above have some fun ideas of types of stories to try. You might want to include a cartoon, like the one at the top of this page that ran in the paper called “Top Stories,” or like this set from “The Monday Times.”
You could also make a “newsgraphic,” like this survey about cereal that ran inside “The Quarantine Times.”
Or you could make a game, like this word search that appeared in the “Corona Chronicle.”
Maybe you tried something totally different!
