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Journal Your Travel Tales

Journal Your Travel Tales
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Create a travel journal by collecting maps, photos, drawings, and short stories; record places visited, favorite moments, and lessons learned each trip.

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Step-by-step guide to create a travel journal

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WRITING for Kids ✏️ TYPES OF TEXTS and Their Secrets 🤩 Stories, Plays, News and More!

What you need
Blank notebook or plain paper, coloring materials, glue stick, maps or travel brochures, pencil, photos or photo prints, scissors, stickers or decorative items

Step 1

Gather all Materials Needed into one pile on a table.

Step 2

Pick a blank notebook or stack plain sheets to make your journal.

Step 3

Choose a fun title for your travel journal in your head.

Step 4

Write the title on the first page with your pencil.

Step 5

Glue a map or map printout onto a new page in your journal.

Step 6

Choose 2 to 4 photos from the trip and glue them near the map.

Step 7

Draw a favorite scene from the trip beside the photos using your coloring materials.

Step 8

Write a short story of 3 to 5 sentences about your favorite moment from the trip.

Step 9

Write a simple list of the places you visited on a new page.

Step 10

Mark or star the place that was your very favorite on the list.

Step 11

Fold a piece of plain paper to make a small pocket for tickets or souvenirs.

Step 12

Glue the pocket into your journal so the top stays open for keepsakes.

Step 13

Decorate the pages with stickers or colored borders to make them cheerful.

Step 14

Make a contents page at the front listing each trip and its page number.

Step 15

Share your finished travel journal on DIY.org.

Final steps

You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!

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Help!?

What can we use if we don't have a glue stick, printed map, or travel photos?

Use clear tape or double-sided tape to attach the map and photos, tear a map from a brochure or draw a simple map on plain paper to glue into the journal, and replace printed photos with smartphone prints or hand-drawn pictures to place near the map.

My folded pocket glued into the journal ended up stuck shut; how can I fix or avoid that?

To avoid sealing the pocket, apply glue only to the bottom and side edges of the folded paper pocket when you glue it into the journal and press flat until dry, and if it's already stuck gently insert a thin tool to open the top then re-glue the sides correctly.

How can I change this activity for different ages?

For preschoolers let them choose and stick photos and draw beside the map while an adult writes their short story, for early elementary kids have them write the 3–5 sentence favorite moment and make the pocket and contents page themselves, and for older kids encourage map annotations, longer journal entries, photo captions, and sharing the finished journal on DIY.org.

How can we personalize or extend the travel journal to make it more special?

Personalize the journal by adding captions under each glued photo, labeling and starring your favorite place on the map, decorating pages with washi tape or stickers, laminating a cover, and placing small souvenirs into the glued pocket before sharing on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to create a travel journal

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Easy SMASH BOOK DIY - How to make a Journal Tutorial - Scrapbooking - DIY Art Books

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Facts about travel journaling

✍️ Famous explorers like Marco Polo and Lewis and Clark kept journals that later became important books about distant lands.

📸 Early travel photos were rare because 19th-century cameras were big and slow, so travelers often mailed postcards instead.

📚 Scrapbooking boomed in the 1800s when people started pasting photos, tickets, and notes into albums to save memories.

🗺️ Some of the world's oldest maps are over 4,000 years old — people have been recording places for millennia!

🎒 Writing by hand in a travel journal helps you remember details better—studies show handwriting improves memory more than typing.

How do you make a travel journal?

To make a travel journal, give your child a small notebook or scrapbook and decide on sections (maps, photos, drawings, stories). On each trip, have them note the date, place, and one favorite moment. Glue in maps, tickets, and photos; add drawings and short captions. Use simple prompts, asking what smelled good or what made them laugh, to spark stories. Encourage adding lessons learned and a final page of highlights. Let them personalize covers with stickers or paint.

What materials do I need for a travel journal?

Materials: a small notebook or scrapbook, glue stick and child-safe scissors, pens and colored pencils, camera or smartphone for photos, printed maps or brochure clippings, envelopes or adhesive pockets for tickets, stickers and labels, ruler and masking tape. Optional extras: watercolor set, stamps, washi tape, and a zip pouch to keep mementos. For a digital version, use a notes or journaling app and a dedicated photo album folder as your collection space.

What ages is this travel journal activity suitable for?

This activity suits ages 3–14 with age-appropriate support. Ages 3–5 enjoy gluing photos, scribbling drawings, and naming places with an adult. Ages 6–8 can add short sentences, label maps, and collect small mementos. Ages 9–12 write short stories, reflections, and sketch scenes. Teens can use more sophisticated layouts, research cultural notes, and keep a detailed log. Adjust prompts, writing length, and tools (no sharp items for little ones) to match each child’s ability.

What are the benefits of keeping a travel journal?

Keeping a travel journal builds writing and observation skills while creating lasting family memories. Children practice sequencing, vocabulary, and geography as they label maps and describe places. Journaling supports emotional processing—reflecting on favorite moments and lessons learned—and boosts confidence in storytelling. It encourages creativity through drawings and layouts and helps organize keepsakes like tickets and photos. Sharing entries strengthens family bonds and turns trips into
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Journal Your Travel Tales. Activities for Kids.