Free Printable Kids Travel Journal (From a Worldschooling Family)

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This free kids travel journal printable has 10 pages for your child to fill in before, during and after a trip. We made it as a worldschooling family who travelled full time with our son for four years. You can print it at home in A4 or US Letter.

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What’s Inside Our Kids Travel Journal Printable

The journal has ten pages, and each one has a simple job. Here’s what your child will find inside.

• My Travel Journal (cover). Space for your child’s name, where they’re going and the dates.
• All About My Trip. Who’s coming, how you’re travelling, how long you’ll be away, three things they’re excited about and one thing they’re nervous about.
• My Map. A world map to colour in, with a key for countries visited on this trip, visited before and still on the wish list.
• Packing List. A tick list for clothes, toiletries, travel essentials, day trips and tech, plus space for their own items.
• My Travel Day. The date and place, the weather, the best thing about the day, something new they learned, a star rating and a box to draw a memory.
• Food Explorer. A food they tried, what it tasted like, whether they’d eat it again and space to draw it.
• Words and People. How to say hello and thank you in the local language, a new word and its meaning, and someone they met.
• Spot It! A travel scavenger hunt with 12 things to find, from a different alphabet to a place of worship.
• My Passport Stamps. Six stamp frames to draw or stick in a stamp from each place they visit.
• My Trip Review. The best day, the funniest moment, a surprise and where to go next, finished with an Official Young Explorer certificate.

Print My Travel Day and Food Explorer as many times as you need, so there’s a fresh page for every day and every new dish.

Most pages leave room to draw as well as write. For a child like ours who loves drawing, that matters a lot.

Why We Use Travel Journals With Our Son

Our son has always loved drawing. A lot of the time, drawing is how he processes what he has seen on our travels.

So in our family, a travel journal isn’t a diary he has to fill in each night. It’s a place to think on paper. Some days that means a drawing of something we saw. Other days it turns into something he has invented completely.

He designs maps of imaginary places

One of his favourite things to draw is a map of his own imaginary city or country. We’ve never set this as a task. He simply loves doing it, and every new place gives him more to build with.

If your child does this too, count it as journalling. A made-up map still takes real thinking about how places fit together.

He draws gods and imaginary beings

He also draws imaginary beings. I think it helps him process the stories of gods he hears about from different religions and cultures as we travel.

This is one of the quieter ways worldschooling shows up in our week. It sits alongside the more structured work we describe in how we keep up with academics while worldschooling.

How to Get Kids to Actually Use a Travel Journal

Most travel journals end up half empty. Here’s what works for our son, plus a few ideas for less keen journallers.

Never make it compulsory

I never tell our son he has to journal. He does it because he enjoys it. The moment a journal becomes a daily task, it starts to feel like homework.

Use the natural waiting time

Cafés, restaurants and trains are where our son journals most. There’s a table, there’s time, and nothing else needs his attention. Keep the journal and a few pencils in your day bag so it’s there when those moments come.

Let drawing count

A drawing with a one-word label is a complete journal entry. Writing can come later, or not at all. Pressure to fill a page can make some children stop altogether.

Don’t correct it

Resist the urge to fix spelling or tidy up a drawing. The journal belongs to your child. Save the corrections for schoolwork, and let this be the one book they control.

Have a back-up plan

If your child isn’t in the mood, don’t push it. A card game can fill the same gap. Our list of travel games we actually take with us includes a few that fit in a pocket.

Kids Travel Journal Ideas and Prompts by Age

These travel journal prompts for kids are starting points, not rules. One prompt a day is plenty. If your child would rather draw something else entirely, let them.

Ages 5 to 7

• Draw the best thing you saw today.
• Draw what you ate for lunch. Did you like it?
• How did we travel today? Draw the plane, train, boat or bus.
• Stick in a ticket, a receipt or a leaf you found.
• Learn one new word in the local language and draw it.
• Colour in today’s weather: sunny, rainy, windy or snowy.

Ages 8 to 10

• Three things you saw, two things you heard and one thing you tasted.
• Draw a map of where we walked today.
• What is different here from home? What is the same?
• Interview someone in the family about their favourite moment.
• Write down one fact you learned and where you learned it.
• Invent a creature that could only live in this place.

Ages 11 and up

• Write a postcard to a friend about today, then stick it in.
• What surprised you most about this place, and why?
• Retell a local legend or myth in your own words.
• Design a flag and a map for an imaginary country inspired by this trip.
• If you planned tomorrow, what would we do?
• Describe a meal using all five senses.

Before, During and After the Trip

A travel journal works best when it isn’t only used on the trip itself. Spreading it out takes the pressure off any single day.

Before you go

Look at a map together and find where you’re going. Ask your child to draw what they think the place will look like. It’s fun to compare that picture with the real thing later.

While you’re there

Bring the journal out in the slow moments: a café table, a long lunch or a train window. Five minutes is enough. A quick sketch now is worth more than a full page that never happens.

After you get home

Go back through the pages together and fill any gaps from memory or photos. Then let your child show it to grandparents or friends. Having an audience makes the next journal more appealing.

What to Pack With a Travel Journal

You don’t need much. This small kit fits in a zip pouch and covers almost everything.

• A travel pencil set. Pencils don’t leak on planes and won’t dry out. See the travel pencil set
• Glitter pens. Our son loved these when he was younger, and they make any page feel special. See the glitter pens
• Markers. Bold colours for bigger drawings and maps. See the markers
• A pencil sharpener with a lid. The lid keeps shavings out of your bag.
• A glue stick. For tickets, labels, maps and the odd pressed leaf. See the glue stick
• Washi tape. Quicker than glue, and kids love choosing the pattern. See the washi tape
• An envelope for tickets. Collect bits during the day and stick them in later. See the ticket envelope
• A hard folder or clipboard. Printed pages need something firm to lean on. See the folder

Planning one of these trips? Read our 12 days in Japan with a 7-year-old and 2 weeks in Central America with kids itineraries. Heading to Africa? See our guide to going on safari with kids.

Kids Travel Journal FAQs

What should kids write in a travel journal?

Anything that helps them remember the trip. Drawings, ticket stubs, new words and short notes all count. If they’re stuck, pick one prompt from the age lists above.

What age can a child start a travel journal?

As soon as they can hold a pencil. Younger children can draw and stick things in, while you write a word or two for them. Older children can take over the writing themselves.

How do you make a travel journal for kids?

The easiest way is to print a template and keep it in a folder. Print our free journal, add a few blank pages, then hole-punch or staple it. A plain notebook works too if your child prefers a blank page.

Is drawing as good as writing in a travel journal?

For many children, yes. Drawing is how our son processes what he has seen. A drawing with a label still records where they were and what mattered to them.

How do I print the free travel journal?

Choose A4 for the UK, Europe and most of the world. Choose US Letter for the US and Canada. Print at actual size, not “fit to page”. A local copy shop can print it if you’re on the road.

Is the travel journal really free?

Yes. You add your email to our mailing list and go straight to the download page. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Final Thoughts

A travel journal doesn’t need to be neat, finished or written every day. For our son, it’s a place to draw, invent and make sense of everywhere we go.

Print the free journal, pack a few pencils and let your child lead. Travelling for months rather than weeks? Read how we avoid burning out on long-term travel, or browse our complete guide to worldschooling resources.