PLAN NOW FOR YOUR TRAVEL! PRODUCTION TIME FOR JOURNEY JOTTER BOOKS IS CURRENTLY 3-4 BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE SHIPPING.

FAQs

ABOUT JOURNEY JOTTER BOOKS

  • What age are Journey Jotter Book activities best suited for?
    • The activities involve critical thinking and require that children be independent readers and writers. While they are best suited for travelers who are 9 years old and up, it is possible for slightly younger children to complete the activities with assistance from older members of their travel group.
  • How long does it take to complete an activity?
    • This varies by activity and child. Most activities are two pages long. Some activities, like “How’s the Weather?” require only a quick check-in each day, while others like “Logging My Lodging” can be completed in 15-30 minutes.
  • How many chapters should I add to my Journey Jotter Book?
    • A good guideline is to include at least one activity for each day of your trip. The Essentials chapter is included in every Journey Jotter Book and contains 12 activities. Other chapters contain three activities each, some of which are well-suited to specific travel experiences like visiting a museum, a market, or spending time outdoors. Consider your child’s personality and the kind of travel they will experience. The more downtime, or time spent in airports or a car, the more activities you may wish to include. To find the right chapters for your child, check out Meet the Chapters!
  • Will the colors on the cover of the book look the same as they do on the screen?
    • All efforts have been made to display book cover options as accurately as possible. Please keep in mind that small variations in color will occur from one screen to another.
  • Why are the activities printed in black and white?
    • The activities are meant to jumpstart a child’s creativity during travel in a number of ways. The inclusion of black and white graphics invites children to color, sketch, doodle, or otherwise add to the page however they wish!
  • Can I order a book without adding a name/year to the cover?
    • You may absolutely choose to order a book either with no name, or no travel year(s).
  • Can I put the names of two children on the cover?
    • Thinking of sharing a Journey Jotter Book between children? You are more than welcome to add two names to the cover of your book. Please note that the font size will be smaller than normal. Additionally, due to the highly interactive nature of the activities, children may find shared ownership very difficult. Providing each child with a book of their own not only allows them to engage with the activities in their own time and style, but also results in a keepsake of their travel that they will delight in revisiting time and again.
  • Can I order a custom cover for my Journey Jotter Book?
    • At this time, custom covers are not offered. If and when that changes, members of the Journey Jotter Books mailing list will be the first to know, so don’t forget to subscribe!
  • Can I select the order in which the chapters are arranged in my book?
    • The order of your selected chapters cannot be changed. This means that each book can begin with a handy table of contents for quick navigation!
  • Can I select some activities from a chapter, but not others, to be added to my book?
    • Individual activities cannot be selected. Each chapter has been specially designed to reflect a way of viewing or engaging with travel. And sometimes an activity you least expected may end up being your child’s absolute favorite!
  • Can I add or subtract pages from my book after I receive it?
    • Once a Journey Jotter Book is bound, it is not possible to add pages without damaging the wire binding. This ensures a sturdy product for your child’s use. You can always remove pages the old-fashioned way, by tearing them out, but why miss out on the fun of an activity?
  • Will the activities included in each chapter change?
    • The activities will remain constant, and new chapters will be added to the Journey Jotter family. What is always changing, however, is the perspective of the child completing the activities. The 9-year-old traveler may write or draw very different responses to an activity than their 12-year-old self will. That’s part of the fun of a Journey Jotter Book as the ultimate keepsake: it’s a window into who your child was when they undertook this particular journey!
  • I’d love to add a chapter with activities that are specific to a certain city, country, or other destination. Are those available?
    • Not yet, but they will be as Journey Jotter Books continues to grow! If you have a suggestion for a location-specific chapter that you’d like to see offered, share it with Journey Jotter Books on Facebook, or drop it in an email to hello@journeyjotterbooks.com!
  • Is there a digital download version of the Journey Jotter activities?
    • There is no digital download version for the activities. Producing them in a sturdy and personalized book format results in a keepsake for your child, and something quick and easy for them to pack. Another thing checked off your to-do list!
  • Are Journey Jotter Books available in other languages?
    • Journey Jotters Books are available exclusively in American English. If they become available in additional languages, members of the Journey Jotter Books mailing list will be the first to know, so don’t forget to subscribe to the list!
  • Is there a smaller version of the Journey Jotter Book?
    • There is not. Journey Jotters Books are produced with a standard 8.5” by 11” page, because this makes them portable, yet also large enough for legible activity prompts and sufficient space for young travelers’ responses.

ORDERING, PROCESSING & SHIPPING

  • Do you ship to customers outside the United States? 
    • Currently, Journey Jotter Books are only available to customers within the United States. Subscribe to the mailing list to be kept informed about international shipping when it becomes available! 
  • Am I required to create a customer account in order to check out?
    • Not at all! Creating a customer account is optional. Doing so allows you to review your past orders, and to save your shipping address for future orders.
  • If I place an order today, when will it be shipped? 
    • Typically, your book will be created and shipped within 3-4 business days. If a delay lengthens production time, it will be noted clearly on a banner on the home page. 
  • If I place an order today, when will it arrive? 
    • Shipping time will vary based on the shipping option you select at checkout, and an estimate will be displayed. Please keep in mind that the estimated shipping time begins after the 3-4 business days allowed for production of your book. 
  • Can I pick up my order if I live locally?
    • No, but here's even better news: Free local delivery within 36 hours of order production is automatically offered at checkout to customers within a 12-mile radius of Journey Jotter Books HQ. Please note that this option will not display if you checkout using an accelerated method like PayPal.
  • If my order contains multiple books, can they be shipped to multiple addresses? 
    • Shipping to multiple addresses for one order is not supported on this site. Please complete one order for each address to which you would like a book shipped. 
  • Do you offer gift cards? 
    • Not at this time, but members of the Journey Jotter Books mailing list will be the first to know when they are offered, so be sure to subscribe to the mailing list! 
  • Can I include a gift note with my order? 
    • Sure thing! During checkout, please leave your gift note in the “Notes” box displayed underneath your order. If you would like to order two books as two separate gifts, each with its own gift note, then please be sure to make clear for each gift message who the recipient is, and/or the book to which it belongs. 
  • I would like to give a Journey Jotter Book as a gift. Will a receipt be included in the shipment? 
    • No worries! Receipts are emailed and are not included in shipments. 
  • Where can I confirm the personalization details of my order? 
    • When checking out, please review your personalization details in your cart. Verify the travel year(s), the chapters selected, your choice of map in “The Journey Begins” (North America vs. worldwide), and that the name is spelled correctly (names will be printed in all caps on the book cover). Unfortunately, after an order is completed and a book is in production, these details cannot be changed. 
  • Is there a customer loyalty program that I can join? 
  • How can I share feedback or suggestions for new Journey Jotter activities? 
    • Thanks in advance for your thoughts! Please email hello@journeyjotterbooks.com and share away! 
  • I need my book as soon as possible. Can my order be rushed through production? 
    • The production time cannot be altered, but if you are truly pressed for time, you may consider selecting Priority Express shipping at checkout, to ensure your book is delivered as quickly as possible. 
  • Can I cancel my order? 
    • Given the personalized nature of Journey Jotter Books, and to provide you with expedient service, you may cancel an order within one (1) hour of placing it. To cancel an order, please email support@journeyjotterbooks.com with “Cancel Order [Your order number]” in the subject line. If your email was received within the time allotted, you will receive a reply to confirm the cancellation of your order. If production has already begun on your order, you will receive a reply explaining that. 
  • Can I track my order? 
    • You will receive an email with a tracking number once your book(s) are created and shipped. 
  • My order hasn’t arrived yet. What should I do? 
    • If your tracking number indicates your order has been delivered and you have not received it, please check in with others in your household or with neighbors to make sure no one is holding the package for you. If 48 hours have passed since your tracking number indicated delivery of your order, feel free to email support@journeyjotterbooks.com and include your order number, and we will look into it! 
  • What should I do if my book arrives damaged or has an error? 
    • If something is amiss when your order arrives, please email support@journeyjotterbooks.com within seven (7) days of receipt, and include a description (and photo, if possible) of the problem and your order number, so that I may work with you to help make it right.

TRAVELING WITH JOURNEY JOTTER BOOKS

  • Will a Journey Jotter book fit in my child’s backpack? Seat pocket of a car? Carry-on? 
    • It will! Journey Jotter Books measure 9 inches wide by slightly more than 11 inches long, and the thickness of the book will depend upon how many chapters you order. 
  • Can my child complete Journey Jotter activities without the use of a camera? 
    • While some activities like “The Name Game” are enhanced with the use of a camera, it is possible to complete each activity without one. 
  • Should I wait until we start traveling to give my child their Journey Jotter Book? 
    • Get the book into their hands soon after you receive it, for two reasons. First, anticipation of travel creates happiness. Second, in previewing their Journey Jotter Book, young travelers can determine which activities they’ll want to do at the very start of the journey (such as “I Can Predict That…”), which ones they’ll want to contribute to daily (such as “How’s the Weather”), and so on. 
  • Will my child need any other supplies to complete Journey Jotter activities? 
    • A pencil and some crayons, colored pencils, or markers are all they really need. They may choose to use a small stamp on BINGO-style activities, or can simply check off squares instead. Activities like “Color Me Observant”, “The Name Game”, and “Going on a Shape Hunt” are designed with a photographic component for young travelers with access to a camera, as well as an alternative for those without. Finally, a glue stick or tape may be useful after travel, if your child wishes to attach photos or small mementos to pages such as “Frame It”. 
  • Does my child receive anything for completing activities? 
    • That will be up to you! You may choose to challenge your child by establishing some playful incentives for activity completion. For instance, after completing some activities, your child might earn the ability to: 
      • Navigate in the car, in the airport, or on a hike 
      • Pick a song for adults in the travel group to perform 
      • Choose a restaurant or picnic location for the next meal 
      • Act as a tour guide at one of the locations they’ll visit 
      • Choose their seat in the car 
  • Should I help my child complete the activities? 
    • Depending on the age and abilities of your child, you may occasionally find it necessary to review the directions for an activity with them. Some of the activities, such as “My Fellow Traveler”, “Pop Quiz!”, or “Fill-in-the-Blank Story” prompt kids to seek out the participation of someone in their travel group, so you may be called on to play along! 
  • Will the activities require my child to do anything dangerous or risky? 
    • The safety of your child (and mine) is of paramount importance to me as I design activities. Although travel often involves stepping a bit outside the comfort zone, many activities include reminders where necessary about physical safety, such as not wandering off alone, or engaging in an activity in a dangerous place, such as in the street. Consider previewing the book with your young traveler, and you can discuss these reminders and set expectations for your travel. 
  • My child damaged/lost their book. Will you repair it or replace it? 
    • I am sorry to hear that! Unfortunately, repairs and replacements are not offered. 
  • I have photos or stories of my child using the Journey Jotter Book. Where can I share them? 
    • I’d love to hear about your child’s travel with their Journey Jotter Book! Give me a shout on Facebook or Instagram by mentioning @JourneyJotterBooksLLC in your post, and adding #JourneyJotterBooks is great too! Alternatively, you may email hello@journeyjotterbooks.com with any stories you wish to share. As a parent and concerned citizen in the digital age, it matters to me that children’s privacy is safeguarded online. When you share images with Journey Jotter Books, on social media or via email, please consider sharing images that depict your child (if you are comfortable doing so), but not other children, who are unable to offer their consent. A great way to do this is to submit images of a completed Journey Jotter activity your child is particularly proud of! Please make sure it doesn’t include information you don’t wish to have shared. I will always request your express consent in order to use shared images for marketing purposes, and you are always within your rights to refuse it - no harm done!