The 10 Best Travel Journals And Activity Books For Kids

Keep your kids busy during summer vacation with these entertaining journals from Amazon and Maisonette.
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Family vacations are some of the happiest experiences that a child can have, but that doesn’t mean that executing a trip with children in tow is easy. Whether you’re flying, taking a road trip or simply exploring a neighboring city, keeping a little one entertained and engaged while in transit can be a challenge.

Luckily, there is one simple, affordable and screen-free way to keep kids interested in their surroundings and busy during travel time: a travel journal or activity book.

I was definitely an enthusiastic diarist on my childhood trips — I loved recording my family’s comings and goings, and what we’d seen, eaten and talked about. (I also made sure to note every time my siblings annoyed me.) I always used plain notebooks, but there are now plenty of travel-specific workbooks that are full of creative prompts and projects to stimulate the imagination and enhance the overall experience for a child. 

Below, I’ve rounded up some of the best travel journals and activity books for kids from Amazon and Maisonette. Pick up a few for your smallest travel companions and keep them happy and busy as you embark on summer journeys.

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1
"The Ultimate Travel Journal for Kids!" by Rob Taylor
Help your kids record some of their favorite travel memories with this book filled with activities and prompts. Suited for 6- to 9-year-olds, the journal is filled with tons of games and activities, from scavenger hunts and crossword puzzles to travel writing prompts and DIY souvenirs for them to enjoy long after their trip has finished.
2
"Kids' Travel Journal" by Mudpuppy and Sarah Hollander
This journal contains 128 pages to help your kid track every aspect of their trip, including blank space to fill with their own individual creativity. It's broken up into guided sections to help your kids document their trip, and is made with strong, flexible spiral binding that can withstand the rigors of travel. It's also full of Hollander’s beautiful illustrations. It's appropriate for kids ages 5 to 13 — in other words, suitable for your whole squad.
3
"Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids" by Kristy Alpert
Forget the iPad — this activity book and travel journal will keep your kids entertained for the entire length of a road trip. It’s jam-packed with over 100 games, puzzles, mazes, words games, journal prompts, scavenger hunts and more to keep children ages 7 to 12 engaged.
4
"And So The... Adventure Begins!" by Cherry & Pickle Publishing
This journal makes it easy for kids to keep track of their entire vacation. Each book has a cute two-page template with space for the date, weather and their mood. It also has room to doodle or write about the day, including a memory, what they've learned and much more. It has over 100 pages for kids to enjoy.
5
"Summer Camp Journal" by Cheree Berry Paper
This pocket-sized volume is the perfect way for kids to quickly jot down what they've just seen and experienced. It also provides plenty of opportunities for longer journaling or drawing. It is filled with prompts, lists, stickers and more to keep kids entertained during travel or to record their camp experience.
6
"Really Fun Travel Activity Book" by Mickey MacIntyre
This diary has a carefully curated roundup of fun coloring pages, mazes, jokes, riddles, quizzes and puzzles to keep your child busy and having fun. The brain teasers and prompts help to give them age-appropriate challenges that help to develop concentration, imagination and problem-solving skills. It's ideal for kids ages 9 to 11.
7
"On The Plane Activity Book" by Heather Alexander
If you're flying to your destination, you can help keep the adventure exciting for your kids with this activity book. It has a wide range of games and prompts to help keep little ones entertained both at the airport and on the plane. It includes planes to decorate, matching games, fill-in-the-face drawing tasks, behind-the-scenes, diagrams and true-or-false airplane and flying facts to explore.
8
"On-The-Go Vacation Journal" by Kid Made Modern
This travel journal from Kid Made Modern is so much more than your everyday activity book — it’s actually a kit that’s chock-full of innovative interactive activities. It has guided prompts for recounting adventures, space to stash souvenirs and a coloring kit and journal. The whole set includes an accordion book with 20 pages, 12 markers and a fabric carrying case with zipper closure and handle. It’s intended for kids ages 5 and up.
9
"Kids' Travel Journal" by Peter Pauper Press
Perfect for kids age 6 and older, this travel journal will get young travelers excited before they even set foot outside the home thanks to a trip planning section and packing list. It includes puzzles, games, maps and plenty of space to record everything kids see and experience. It's full of fun world facts, photos and illustrations that are as educational as they are entertaining.
10
"Activity Book for Kids 6-8" by Blue Wave Press
This colorful workbook includes mazes, tracing, coloring and much more to keep kids busy and entertained while sneakily teaching them a thing or two along the way. All these activities stimulate and inspire creativity while developing fine motor skills thanks to features like puzzles, practicing cutting skills, tracing and more.

Before You Go

13 Toys That Will Entertain Your Kids During Summer Break So They Don’t Drive You Crazy
Rubik’s cube(01 of13)
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Rubik’s cubes are old school, so there’s a good chance your kid has never played around with one before. The beauty of a Rubik’s cube is that it’s hard — it’s going to take them a while to figure it out. When they do solve it, YouTube Justin Bieber figuring it out in less than 60 seconds. They’ll be amazed. (credit:Walmart)
Jurassic World sticker activity book(02 of13)
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Even if your kids aren’t old enough to see "Jurassic World" in theaters, the movie’s release has officially given dinosaurs a resurgence in popularity. (For many kids, the interest never went extinct anyway.) With this sticker book, they can create their own dino-centric scenes. (credit:Walmart)
A giant activity book(03 of13)
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Connect the dots, mazes, matching games … this activity book has 200 pages featuring these activities and more. The suggested age range is kids 5 to 8 and in addition to keeping them entertained, the games sneakily sharpen their learning skills, too. (credit:Walmart)
LEGO friends forest house (04 of13)
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With this LEGO set, kids can follow the directions to build the tricked-out tree house or they can go off-script and create something completely different. Either way, they’ll stay busy and as a bonus, they can play with the LEGO people and animals when they want a break from building. (credit:Walmart)
A glow-in-the-dark solar system puzzle(05 of13)
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Even if your kids aren’t interested in traditional puzzles, there’s a good chance they’ll be into this one. Otherwise, they’re not going to get to see the planets glow in the dark. It will keep them entertained to infinity and beyond! (credit:Walmart)
Etch-A-Sketch(06 of13)
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Like the Rubik’s cube, this is another classic game your kids may not even know exists. Part of what makes an etch-a-sketch so great is that kids of all ages can have fun with it. (credit:Walmart)
A jewelry-making kit(07 of13)
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Remember braiding colored thread to make bracelets in the summer and wearing them until they finally fell off? This colorful jewelry making kit is the 2022 version of that. Made for kids ages 6 and older, it comes complete with star charms, alphabet beads and lots of colorful beads. (credit:Walmart)
A quilt-making kit(08 of13)
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This kit makes quilt-making kid-friendly by eliminating the cutting and sewing. Instead, they use knots to secure the squares of fleece fabric together and can then apply felt embellishments to jazz it up. By evening, they’ll be ready to cuddle for a much-deserved movie night. (credit:Walmart)
A 1966 Chevy Nova Pro model car kit(09 of13)
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If you have a middle-schooler, let them try their hand at a model car kit. (This one is for ages 12 and up.) Heads up: You do have to buy the model glue and paint before they can assemble it, so be sure to add those to your cart when you purchase it. (credit:Walmart)
A hula hoop(10 of13)
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Hula hooping is a way to give your kid something active to do without worrying about them running all over the neighborhood. What’s cool about this one is that the size and weight are both adjustable so elementary-school age kids all the way through teenagers can get in on the fun. (credit:Walmart)
A bird house-making kit(11 of13)
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This bird house-making kit comes with everything needed to make it, including the paints. The cord is made of hemp, which will encourage a bird to move right on in once it’s ready to hang. (credit:Walmart)
A paper airplane book(12 of13)
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A paper airplane book keeps kids busy in two ways: First, it takes time to follow the folding directions to make the planes. Then, they can head into the yard and see them fly. This book comes with 15 different designs to tear out and do. (credit:Walmart)
A dance mat(13 of13)
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If your day involves a lot of work calls, you’re going to want to put this mat on the other side of the house or in the garage, but once it’s set up, your child will have a great time dancing away by following the prompts, which tell them where to step. It’s the perfect solo game for a child who doesn’t exactly want to sit still. This game will keep ‘em moving! (credit:Walmart)

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