Travel Journal for Teens

Traveling with teens can be stressing and tricky. Yes, teens can be dramatic and make a trip unbearable. They're at that in between stage - not quite a child anymore, not quite an adult and everything and everyone are "LAME!" I've found one way to defuse a temperamental teen while traveling is to make them a travel journal kit. I began making my first travel journal when I was about 8 years old. I've kept one ever since for nearly every trip I've taken. Each one represents some of the best times of my life. They're a window into the past —a way to not only record your travels, but to revisit them whenever you want.

On a recent trip to Pennsylvania, I made one for my friend's 8 year old niece. Each night after our day's activities, she would sit down with her uncle and they would work on her travel journal together. This quality time spent together brought them much closer to one another.

Over the years I've experimented with different kinds of journals - hard cover, soft cover, spiral bound, section bound, accordion style, lined pages, unlined pages. Whether your teen (or pre-teen!) is a note-taker, scrapbooker, junk journalist, or avid writer, you can grab the best option for your child to take on your next journey.

Here are some travel journals I'd recommend if your pre-teen or teenager is just starting out in travel journaling:

You can purchase a travel journal for teens from Amazon, currently priced at $7.99, 110 pages. (Below)

I love this travel journal even though it's more pricey than some other journals. $38.

Being able to find a journal with both lined and unlined pages in it is very difficult, yet ideally, that's what a journaler wants and needs! You want lined paper to document your travel notes, yet unlined pages as well for scrapbooking/decorating your journal. Not only that, this journal is divided into sections for 6 different trips with space to scribble budgets, itineraries, packing lists and everything you’ll need to feel organized. There are even travel games to fill time on long journeys!

This would be my #1 pick for someone either someone starting out in travel journaling or who is experienced in travel journaling, as far as ready-made journals go. Another very similar travel journal for $20

Another possibility: PAPERAGE Dotted Journal Notebook, (White), 160 Pages, Medium 5.6 in x 8 in - 100 GSM Thick Paper – Hardcover Journaling Notebook for Work, School & Bullet Journaling

There are also ready made travel journal scrapbook kits...

I create my own scrapbooked travel journals: Hard cover made of scrapbook cardstock specifically for book covers, unlined paper as I'm an artist that likes to sketch in my journal, 3 hole punched and ring bound. This allows the journal to expand as you add to it (rarely will a book-bound travel journal lay completely flat as you add to it), you can easily add, remove or rearrange the journal pages.

An expandable travel journal:

When using an easily expandable journal, make sure the book has some means of holding it closed - an elastic wrap, a strap with snap or buckle, etc. You want some means of holding the book closed so you don't lose anything should something come loose off a page.

I used something like the example below with 3 rings so the teen could add pages or remove them and reuse the journal over and over again. The book zips closed to keep everything secure inside of it. They can "package" each trip they take by rubber banding it or putting it in a box. This saves on having to purchase or make a journal for each trip taken.

SCRAPBOOKING MATERIALS

It's easy enough to make a scrapbooking kit. You're going to want to purchase some ready-made scrapbooking materials and embellishments like the sheet of travel stickers below.

I bought some scrapbooking U.S. travel stickers and embellishments, $8. You can purchase these kind of stickers for specific travel destinations like national parks, specific U.S. states, etc. You can get them from Amazon or scrapbooking stores and/or suppliers.

Since ready made scrapbooking materials can be expensive, I'll use the following materials most people have lying around their house when scrapbooking my own travel journals:

• Old road maps cut up or torn

• Travel themed gift wrapping paper cut up or torn

• Coin envelopes used as small pockets

• Hang tags

• String, raffia, twine, ribbon and similar materials

• Paper clips

• Pictures cut from magazines

• Post cards

• Mailing envelopes used as pockets for photos, tickets, etc.

• Rubber stamps

• Free travel brochures picked up in rest stops or store/restaurant lobbies

• Event tickets or ticket stubs

• Construction paper
  

You can also use plane boarding passes from your trip, Polaroid or other photos printed out on photo paper, small souvenirs you picked up on your trip, embroidered iron on patches that would pertain to your trip activities. Use your imagination! There aren't any "right" or "wrong" elements to add to a travel journal!

MAKE A SCRAPBOOKING KIT FOR YOUR TEEN

This is so easy to do and doesn't have to be that expensive to do. Gather some of the aforementioned materials for your teen to start scrapbooking their travel journal with.

You can put the kit in an appropriate sized box or carrying case of some sort. What I found worked really well was a plastic clipboards with storage. $8

Scrapbooking items can be kept neatly inside and your teen has a nice flat surface to work on if journaling while traveling in a car, plane, etc.

Here are some other materials you'll want to add to the scrapbooking kit:

Scrapbook decorative edge scissors, 6 different edges for $6.85.

Add some double sided scrapbooking tape. (You can use regular double sided tape or glue sticks but they tend to cause what you're gluing to wrinkle on the page at times) 4 pack for $6

A pair of scissors. What I found works really well are hair cutting scissors!

They're sharp and smaller than a regular pair of scissors so easily stored in the clipboard compartment and they normally come with a protective holder for storage.

You can even find hair cutting scissors at Walmart.

You also want to include an Xacto knife and spare blades for intricate cutting work and a mini hot melt glue gun with glue sticks.

Those are the minimum items needed to get your travel journal scrapbooking kit started.

Optional items that come in really handy:

Glue dots come in various sizes and are great for raising something off the journal page while adhering the item to the page. They're especially handy when working with very small elements on the journal page.

A simple wallpaper seam roller is invaluable, allowing one to glue pieces to the scrapbook page without wrinkling while ensuring the element lays flat. I use mine every time I scrapbook anything and am gluing an element to the journal page.

I wouldn't be without my scrapbooking oxides. You use these to give the page a distressed antique look.

They come in various colors but you don't need a whole slew of them. I usually stick to using only the brown and black shades.

The Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Oxide pack is perfect and includes 4 pads: Black Soot, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo and Antique. $22.66 from Amazon.

I use a makeup sponge to apply the oxides to the journal pages to get the right coverage without the distressing getting darker than you want it to be.

A pad of oxide will last you for YEARS as long as the lid on it is secure when you store it between uses.

Photo corners are another item I use a lot to hold photos on the journal pages. I use the clear removable corners.

I love illustrating my travel journals with my own artwork. I do this using colored pencils and markers, but especially watercolor pens.

Those are my basic scrapbooking for travel journal tools and none of them are overly expensive.

SCRAPBOOKING TIPS:

You don't want your travel journal to look "perfect". You're going for somewhat of a grunge look so don't be afraid to get messy!

Grunge journal

Make sure that the paper pages in your journal are heavy enough that you won't get bleed through onto other pages when writing in it or illustrating a page. (When purchasing the travel journal you want to get one with at least 100 pages in it.)

Lay all of your elements out on a page when designing that page before you glue anything in place. Be sure to leave enough room around the page elements to write what you intend to write on the page.

If you want to give your journal pages a vintage, antique look, tea stain them.

Tea staining is a really easy process. Fill a dishpan or 13x9 baking dish with brewed black tea. (Don't use any other kind of tea!) You want your journal pages to lay flat when you tea stain them. Put the paper in the tea so that it's completely covered. Leave it in the tea bath until you achieve the 'darkness' you want on the paper. If you want to give the pages a wrinkled look, slightly ball up the paper, then flatten it out again before putting it in the tea bath.

Once you achieve the vintage look/color you want. Lay the sheet of paper on some wax paper to dry overnight. That's all there is to tea staining!

A paper this works really well with is called Astroparche. It comes in a variety of colors.

I got mine at my local office supply store: an 8.5 x 11 sheet for 10 cents apiece. I got 50 sheets, cut them in half to fit in the journal I was making, giving me 100 sheets in the travel journal.

Don't get or make a journal that's too large and/or heavy to be easily carried with you when you travel. Keep the size to around 6"x 9" and as lightweight as possible. Rounded corners on the journal will help keep the corners of your journal from getting bent or torn.

When making a travel journal kit for your teen include an instruction sheet on how your child can capture the spirit of their travel destinations:

ENGAGE SENSES TO CONVEY TO THE READER TO THE TIMING AND PLACE

Describe textures, flavors and smells in detail you experienced during that day's travels. No detail is too small and being detailed brings your travel journal to life! And your detailed memories will be easily recalled years beyond your trip.

PEN UP PEOPLE YOU MEET TO BRING YOUR CHARACTERS TO LIFE

The interesting people you meet along your travels path are worth remembering so be sure to include them in your travel journal entries. It doesn't matter if it's a cab driver you took a short ride with or someone from a tour group that you met and befriended. Think about how they looked, spoke, and most significantly, how they made you feel. Include that in your journal entries.

DISCOVER A THEME FOR ENTRIES TO SUPPORT MAKING THEM FEEL LOGICAL

It's easy to know how to start your journal entries if you aim for a central mood and idea. Think about all of the stuff you saw on that day and see if there's a repeating theme that supports shaping your journal entry. Think about what you saw or experienced you that day that made you feel differently or changed how you viewed the world differently, for example. Begin your journal entries with that repeating theme.

COLLECT MEMENTOS TO ADD VISUAL INTEREST TO YOUR JOURNAL

Mementos of your travels allow you to capture memories in a very transparent way. Post cards, tickets to attractions, photos, logo napkins and menus from restaurants, clippings from local newspapers, labels from beverage products, and receipts from purchases support making your travel journal come to life and make it appear interesting.

TAKE PHOTOS TO BRING YOUR JOURNAL TO LIFE

As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousands words", You do use a digital camera or Smartphone camera to snap images wherever you go. Try to shoot a blend of informal portraits of people you meet as well as landscape portraits of your travel destinations to make your travel journal more interesting. If you like to draw, add your own sketches.

GET AN EXPANDABLE CLEAR FOLDER TO ORGANIZE ITEMS FOR YOUR TRAVEL JOURNAL

Travel can get fast-paced at times, leaving you insufficient time to work on your journal on a daily basis. A folder will keep everything for a day's entry into your travel journal later, organized. It can be easy to forget from one day to the next what transpired during any particular day of your travels.

DECIDE WHO YOU WILL BE WILLING TO SHARE YOUR TRAVEL JOURNAL WITH

Is your journal something you just want to keep to and for yourself? Or are you willing to share it with family and friends? This will in part determine how and what you write in your journal.

Providing a travel journal for your teens to document their travels can help turn them from this...to this and make travel more enjoyable for everyone involved.