Keep kids learning on the road with this DIY travel journal. Develop writing and enhance travels by encouraging kids to remember details of their experiences.
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I’m a huge fan of using journals to keep kids learning on the road. Besides developing writing skills, travel journals make children more aware of the world around them. Kids learn to record important details from their day. Written memories make for stronger memories that children will cherish as they grow older.
Learn more: Benefits of Journaling for Kids
Of Course, for this to work, kids need to LIKE their travel journals! My kids have kept travel journals since they were tiny, and we’ve used everything from improvised notebooks we grabbed at the nearest shop to decorating composition books.
DIY Travel Journal for Kids Printable
What You'll Find on This Page
This is a special travel summer for my family, because we are spending five weeks in the United Kingdom! It’s also special, because this is our first trip where the entire family can read and write, even if Anna only reads and writes a handful of words.
I decided to make this summer’s travel journals extra special. After getting the kids’ input in putting together a special printable DIY travel journal template, which you can download here:
I printed out one page of this template for each day of our trip. This organized template is a great way to get kids started journaling when they are new to the practice. Since I wanted to give the kids every chance to make the most of learning through traveling this summer, I bound the pages together to create a travel journal for each child.
What to Put in a DIY Travel Journal
Here are the other things we put in our DIY travel journals:
- One page for every day of the trip that is dedicated to recording memories for that day. We used this DIY Travel Journal template, which you can also download.
- A trip timeline – where we will be when.
- Transport maps for the two cities we are staying in for most of the time (Edinburgh and London).
- City maps for the two cities we are staying in for most of the time (Edinburgh and London).
- Information on some of the key events that we *know* we will fit into the trip.
- Flight and train itineraries.
I put a map of the United Kingdom along with each child’s name on the front cover.
How to Bind a DIY Travel Journal
I used our binding machine to put together our DIY travel journals. We use this binding machine:
I used a 3/4 inch comb to allow for plenty of writing, as well as extra space where the kids can glue or tape in pictures or drawings they make on the trip. I also added plastic covers for durability.
It’s fun to see what the kids have added to their travel journals so far! My five-year-old writes about things like washing her hands and using airplane and train potties. The older kids focus on individual things they see and how they spend their free time on the trip.
Do you make DIY travel journals for your kids? What would you add to our travel journals? Share ideas and feedback on my Facebook page, or by tagging me on Instagram.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
These travel journals look professional! I love how they turned out!
I love doing travel journals, but we are terrible with keeping up with them. Our best results came when I made a tradesmen journal for Colonial Williamsburg so they could write about each location we visited.
This looks terrific! I wonder if I should make one when A goes to Germany and then on a cruise this summer, but, on the other hand, she will probably do well just with a plain notebook. You should start selling this :)