As a passionate lover of all things paper—from beautiful notebooks to the joy of writing with a pen—I have always cherished the moments spent documenting travels. My own children have joined in since they are little and can hold a pen. It may not be Instagram-worthy but we all love looking back at them.

I've revamped my collection of travel journal ideas to inspire creativity and exploration for the whole family!

The tradition of travel journals

A few years ago, I started a tradition by creating a travel journal for my daughter when she was just four. She didn’t how to write but loved scribbling, collecting pieces of paper and drawing (at her own level). This simple act has blossomed into a routine where she expresses her experiences through writing, drawing, and sticking memorabilia into her journal. It's a delightful way for kids to capture their adventures, and I encourage you to start something similar with your little ones!

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DIY tutorials & new ideas

Here are some simple DIY travel journal ideas that you can create together with your kids:

Adventure Scrapbook
- Inspiration: Create a scrapbook that combines writing with collages of photos, ticket stubs, and other travel memorabilia. Use vibrant paper and stickers to make it visually exciting! Here is a fun tutorial to create a smash book.

Nature Journal
- Instructions: Collect leaves, flowers, or other natural items during your travels and paste them into a journal. Encourage kids to write about what they found and where they found it.
Daily Highlights Journal
- Example: Each day, have kids write down their favorite moment or discovery. This can be a great way to reflect on each day’s adventures.
Travel Bingo Journal
- DIY: Include a bingo page where kids can mark off things they see (like specific animals, landmarks, or food). This makes the journey interactive and fun! You can find fun road trip games here.
Postcard Journal
- Tip: Instead of a traditional journal, send postcards to yourself or your kids during the trip. When you return home, compile them into a scrapbook.

Free Printables & Resources

Enhance your travel journal with some engaging printables:

Printable Travel Prompts
- Download: Websites like Kids Travel Books offer free prompts to help kids articulate their experiences and emotions.
Art-Inspired Pages
- Resource: The Artful Parent provides art-inspired pages that encourage kids to express their creativity through drawings and crafts.
Customizable Printables
- Options: Use sites like We 3 Travel for simple, easy-to-fill printables that can be tailored to your trip.

Language & Cultural Journals

Encourage multilingual learning with destination-specific travel journals.

Cultural Exploration
- Suggestion: Look for journal that are specific to the destination you are going to. These will be full of fun information and this can be a fun way to engage with the culture. For Portugal, take a look at the fun treasure hunt workbook I recommended in this article.
Bilingual Journals
- Example: Find journals that include prompts in the local language of your travel destination. This can help kids learn new vocabulary while documenting their experiences. Here are some fun ones fully in foreign languages (Brazilian Portuguese, German, French).

Ready-Made Journals

If DIY isn't your style, here are some fantastic generic ready-made journals that will work for almost any trip:

Generic Journals:
- My Travel Journal by Lonely Planet Kids: Aimed at younger children, this journal is packed with fun activities that will keep them engaged and excited about writing. Find out more here.
- The Ultimate Travel Journal for Kids: Awesome Activities for Your Adventures: a travel journal filled with games, prompts, beautiful pages and more. Find out more here.
- I Was Here: A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded: a quirky little journal with fun illustrations and unexpected inspiration. Find out more here.

Destination-Specific Journals
- Find journals themed around specific destinations that include activities, coloring pages, and fun facts about the area.
- Gelato journal: an awesome little printable made by Julie, perfect for a trip to Italy.
- Donut tasting journal: another amazing little printable by Julie for kids on a trip (in the USA).
- Portugal Kids Travel Journal: it contains lots of activities and games to do while on a trip to Portugal. More of a games book than a journal per se.
Printable ready-made journal
I highly recommend this printable some friends and I put together. It is a paid printable but you can purchase it once and reuse it as many times as you like. Printing different pages for different occasions. We love it. Take a look here.

More travel journals available here.

Creative Alternatives to Journaling

If you're looking for something different:

Map Journals
- Idea: Use a blank map where kids can mark places they've visited, doodle, or write fun facts about each location. Take a look at this Australia one.
Interactive Travel Games
- Resource: Create simple games like scavenger hunts or quizzes to make the travel experience more interactive and memorable.

Conclusion

Travel journaling is a wonderful way to engage kids in the travel experience while enhancing their creativity and writing skills. Whether you choose to DIY, use printables, or opt for ready-made journals, the most crucial aspect is to encourage your kids to express their unique perspectives during your adventures. Happy travels and happy journaling!

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