One of the best parts of travelling isn’t just the trip itself – it’s being able to grow our excitement and look back on it. That is why we keep a family holiday scrapbook. Our scrapbook has become part of how Lily, Noah and I, turn each holiday into something we can relive for years to come.

The Scrapbook

When you’re a parent, holidays can fly by in a blur. You plan, pack, make sure everyone’s fed and entertained… and before you know it, you’re home again. The scrapbook slows everything down. It’s a way of saying: this mattered, let’s keep it with us.

It’s also something tangible for Lily and Noah. Screenshots on phones get forgotten, but when they can hold a page filled with photos, notes, and drawings, the memories feel real.

What Goes Inside?

Our scrapbook is a mix of planned sections and spontaneous little treasures:

Printed Images of Destinations – a few months before the holiday, I print photos of the places we’re going. We sit together, look through them, and write down what each of us is most excited about. It builds anticipation for the family, and makes the countdown part of the memory.
Tickets & Passes – theme parks, museums, train rides.
Photos from the Trip – I print 6–8 highlights from each holiday. Nothing perfect, just the ones that make us smile.
Notes & Quotes – little things the kids say or funny moments we don’t want to forget.
Drawings – Noah often scribbles a picture of the beach or the caravan; Lily sometimes writes a short “review.”

Why It Matters

For me: it keeps my love of planning alive even after we’re home.
For the kids: our scrapbook gives them ownership of their travel memories – they’re not just passengers, they’re memory-makers too.
For us as a family: it becomes a ritual. Every time we open it, we relive not just the big trips but the little weekends away.

One day, when Lily and Noah are grown, I hope they’ll look back through our scrapbooks and feel the care and joy that went into their childhood holidays.

Try It Yourself

You don’t need to be “crafty” to keep a scrapbook. All you need is:

A notebook or binder.

A glue stick and a pen.

A working printer and some treasured photos.

A promise to tuck in just a few keepsakes each trip.

If you want to make it easier, I’ve created printable scrapbook pages (check my Resources tab) that you can stick in your own book and fill out together.

These printable scrapbook pages make it simple for families to start their own holiday scrapbook tradition.

I’d love for you to come along. First stop: Dorset, where our family adventures really began 🌿