DIY Travel Binder for Kids (+Free Printables)

The excitement before leaving for a family trip is unmatched. Whether it’s holiday travel or a vacation, packing up and leaving the house for something new can bring lots of fun and lots of challenges. Traveling with young kids means breaking from routines and it can be hard to burn off energy in confined spaces. Even with plenty of entertainment like movies and iPads, you may run out of ideas to keep them occupied. 

Packing a travel binder for each of your kids is a great way to ensure that there are planned activities available in case the electronics die or when you need some quiet time to yourself. You can also customize each binder to your child’s age and interests by finding special printables. Even better, older kids can keep memories of each trip inside their travel binder. 

To create your own binder, you’ll need:

• 1 binder (at least a ½ inch)
• Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
• Printable activities
• Hole punch

Optional materials:

• Pencil pouch
• Sheet protectors
• Dry erase marker
• Tape

Roundup all of the printables for your child’s travel binder and keep the supplies in their backpack or the backseat of your car. Once your child finishes all the activities, you can print more and add them in for the next travel opportunity. 

Activities for preschoolers

Activities for grades K-2

Activities for grades 3-5

Check out these travel-themed printables from The Zebra for kids of all ages. From puzzles to games, they created printables for kids preschool–fifth grade. You’ll find pages of tic-tac-toe squares, car coupons, a coloring map, and loads of activities for your kids.