6 Ways To Preserve Vacation Memories For Kids

My family and I didn’t do a whole lot of traveling when I was a kid, other than mini car trips to visit my grandparents and other family members a few hours away. As I got older, however, we did venture out to more places. And now that I’ve got a family of my own, travel is something I love to do with my husband and children!

I still have memories of some of my favorite family vacations (playing tennis in the rain in Hawaii, horseback riding in Mexico), and I love thinking back to those really fun times. But when you’re really young (or very old), sometimes it’s hard to remember things. If you plan on making family vacations a big part of your family’s life, here are 6 ways to make sure your children have wonderful vacation memories to look back on.

source: notonhighstreet.com

1. Travel Journal

Just like a diary, a travel journal is a great way for kids to jot down their favorite moments from family trips. Inside jokes, awesome activities and funny things that were said are all great things to write about. A travel journal is something that your children can keep for the rest of their lives, and someday they will get a kick out of the things they thought were important enough to write down.

You’ve got to check out notonhighstreet.com, which has super cool personalized travel journals!

2. Taking Pictures

Photographic memories are some of the best! I really enjoy looking through my photo albums and reminiscing on trips I’ve taken with my family and with friends. Just looking at a photograph can bring back tons of memories and make you feel like you’re back at the place you traveled to. If you’re not big on picture taking, let your kids snap some shots in an inexpensive or disposable camera. They’ll love it!

3. Souvenir Collection

I don’t remember when I first started doing it, but I collect shot glasses from all of my travels. Every time I go somewhere new, I get a shot glass with the name of the destination on it to take home as a souvenir. I love seeing all the places I’ve been!

Children can hold onto memories by finding something they can collect from their travels. Whether it’s postcards, jewelry, clothes or cups, watching their collection grow will be something your children will enjoy as they grow. It will be a constant reminder of how well traveled they are.

4. Marks On A Map

Anytime my husband and I travel by car, we highlight the route(s) we take on a map. This way, if we pass through the same areas again, we can try a different path and hit new spots. If your children have a travel map, they can mark all the different spots they’ve been to see just how big the world is! As they get older, they can use the map to plan road trips with friends, or plan vacations to places they haven’t been before. Or, they can revisit a few locations taking a different route.

5. Special Suitcase

Children love feeling special, and they love having things they can call their own. If your family travels frequently, it would be wise to get your children each their own special suitcase. While a fabric option is most common, a vintage style one that they can decorate would be totally awesome! They can cover it in stickers from places they’ve visited, and maybe even use it to decorate a room in their house someday. Every time they look at that suitcase, they’ll remember all of the amazing times they had with their family growing up. Isn’t that such a lovely thought?

source: Front & Center via Rent-a-Center

6. Artsy Scrapbook

One way I’ve preserved memories over the years is by creating scrapbooks. And if your children have lots of photos and other artsy types of travel mementos, creating a scrapbook is a unique and fun way to keep the memories of family vacations alive. They can add stickers, cute paper backgrounds and more! Scrapbooking is a great way for your children to express themselves and is something they can work on gradually over the years.

For more ideas on scrapbooking, including end of summer ideas for the kids, head over to Rent-a-Center’s official blog, Front & Center.

Bio
Facebook
Latest Posts
Pinterest

Leena Kollar

Contributing Writer at Life As Mama

I'm a wife, mother and everything else associated with domestic life. I can often be found hiding from my kids to sneak treats (especially ice cream). I love rainbows and naps, and I find any excuse to go to Target. When I actually make it out of the house in real clothes, I document my outfits on my fashion blog, Leather & Lip Gloss. My love for fashion also inspired me to start my own comprehensive style website, The Style Spectrum.