• For many readers, commemorating vacations is almost as fun as taking them. Members of the Wirths family of Camdenton, Missouri, collect postcards from their destinations and write highlights on the backs. Then they laminate the cards and put them together on a ring clip. "It's exciting to see all of the places we've been, and the cards are inexpensive souvenirs," says mom Stefanie.

• The Fredericks kids of Sacramento, California, have mom Danielle to thank for a photo scavenger hunt that turned documenting their vacation into a game. At the start of the trip, Danielle made a list of items for the kids to find and gave each of them a disposable camera. "The cost of the cameras and processing wasn't much considering the hours of fun my little photographers had looking at their pictures after we returned home," says Danielle.

• The Verdicks of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, collect vacation treasures from their annual camping trips—sand, rocks, mini-golf score cards—in clear plastic popcorn jugs. When they get home, they decorate the jugs and display them in their craft room as a visual reminder of how much fun they had.

Helping kids discover the world is an important part of travel, say a number of readers.

• Whenever they visit a new place, the Schaefer boys -- Nathan, age 10, Nicholas, 8, and Joey, 5 -- of Middletown, Delaware, buy books as souvenirs. Favorites include titles about manatees and dolphins from Florida, a regional retelling of "The Three Little Pigs" from Arizona, and a signed copy of Carmen Agra Deedy's The Library Dragon, purchased near the author's hometown. "This tradition not only expands our library," says mom Lynne, "it also keeps us connected to the wonderful places we've been."

• To help her sons track their cross-country adventures, Jacqueline Martin of Houston gave them pretend passports for the United States. Every time they visit a new state or fly over one, Jake, age 8, and Joe, 6, paste a print-out of its flag (Jacqueline finds them online) in their passport and write down the dates of the trip. "It's a great way for my boys to learn about the United States," she says.