A Christian Parent's Checklist for Your Next Family Vacation
Summer is here, and it's time for sun, sand, and vacations. Although these are times to relax and spend time together, keeping God as the focus is still important. Are you planning a Christian-centered vacation for your family this summer? Here is a checklist with ideas to help make this the best vacation yet.
Setting Intentions for a Christ-Centered Vacation
It's important to sit down with your family and discuss what having a Christ-centered vacation means. Explain to children that vacation is a time to step away from their daily routine (school, extracurricular activities, jobs) and enjoy some rest and spiritual rejuvenation—a way to reconnect with what really matters.
Since this is a Christ-centered vacation, you will focus on spending more time with God and growing closer to him, enjoying his creation, creating meaningful experiences, and drawing closer to each other.
Here are some ways to help set your intentions for your trip.
-Pray for guidance as you plan.
-Choose meaningful destinations that are significant to your faith, like a historical religious site or a state park, where you can hike and quietly enjoy God's beauty.
-Make sure you schedule devotional time.
-Integrate community and fellowship. You can do this by inviting a close friend or two to join you and visiting a local church where you're staying.
-Look for ways to serve others on vacation.
-Be sure to rest and reflect
Choosing Destinations with Meaningful Significance
Make sure you choose a destination that has meaningful significance. There are many places you can go with Bible-related attractions or spots to spend time in nature and find meaning there. Here are some ideas.
-The Ark Encounter (Williamstown, Kentucky)
-Billy Graham Library (Charlotte, North Carolina)
-Chapel of the Holy Cross (Sedona, Arizona)
-Christ in the Smokies Museum and Gardens (Gatlinburg, TN)
-Creation Museum (Petersburg, KY)
-The Crystal Cathedral (Garden Grove, CA)
-Festival of Faiths (Louisville, KY, held in springtime, different faiths come together to learn about each other. It is a five-day event.)
-Holy Land Experience (Orlando, FL)
-St. Patrick's Cathedral (New York, NY)
-Wycliffe Discovery Center (Orlando, FL)
-Historical Religious Destinations (if you have the funds)
-State parks and nature reserves
Planning Activities that Align with Christian Values
Plan activities that align with Christian values. Being in a new place offers all kinds of new experiences and activities, but they don't always align with Christian values. Here are some ideas for activities the whole family will love.
-Read Scripture together.
-Pray together.
-Get involved with something happening in the community where you're staying. (Examples include a Food drive, volunteering at a local charity, or random acts of kindness.)
-Go on a nature walk.
-Offer to help in a community garden.
-If where you're staying is more rural, do some stargazing together.
-Play Scripture trivia.
-Play faith-based board games like Apples to Apples: Bible Edition
-Do some creative storytelling.
-Go see the latest faith-based movie on the big screen or rent one to watch
-See if any Christian musicians or comics are performing where you're staying (either big names or locals) and see them perform.
-See if the local Christian bookstore has any events you can enjoy. (Author signings, events, etc.)
-Visit a cat cafe.
-Go to the beach.
Packing Essentials for Spiritual Nourishment
In our frenzied world, it's easy for our spiritual lives to get off track. Now is the time to reconnect and refresh. However, you will need some essentials to help get back on track. These include:
-A blank journal or guided journal.
-High-quality writing tools (gel pens, highlighters, ink pens).
-Your Bible.
-A devotional.
-Christian fiction or non-fiction books.
-Family Bible study materials.
-Your kid's Bibles.
-Christian music and podcasts to listen to on the road.
Incorporating Prayer and Worship into Your Schedule
The Bible tells us to pray all the time and without ceasing, and the Lord loves our worship, so here are some ways to incorporate these into your vacation.
-Pray all the time. (In the shower, before everyone eats, before you take to the road, before bed, when you enter a new place, etc.)
-Spend time as a family in prayer before you start your day.
-Spend time as a family in prayer before you go to bed with a thankful heart for what God did for you that day. (It doesn't have to be huge. It could be helping you find a parking spot or keeping your family safe in a crowd.)
-Play worship music in the car and sing at the top of your lungs.
-Take part in worship service at one of the local churches on Sunday.
-Pray for those around you. (Your server at the diner, the homeless man on the street, the stranger who helped you, your tour guide, etc.)
Creating Opportunities for Service as a Family
Consider creating opportunities to serve as a family. This is a great way to show Jesus's love while impacting lives and learning important life lessons and more about yourself. These opportunities also foster teamwork, communication, and collaboration.
-Research local organizations and nonprofits in the area and contact them about short-term volunteer opportunities. They will be happy to have extra volunteers on hand.
-Research options for service-oriented events hosted by schools, local churches, and community centers. These events are family-friendly and bring awareness to community involvement.
-Look for environmental projects to get involved in, like tree planting, clean-up events, and conservation projects. Your family will feel rewarded and invigorated when done.
-Help local charities with fundraising events.
Establishing Family Communication Guidelines
Let's be honest: Traveling can be fun, but it can also be exhausting and cause us to get tired and cranky. This is when communication breaks down, and that's the last thing you want on your vacation. Here are some tips to help keep the lines of communication open.
-Have a pre-trip discussion. Talk about things that each family member hopes to see or do on the trip. Parents, since you're the drivers, talk to each other about route preferences, travel time, and rest stops. Also, make sure you assign each family member a job, such as navigator, playlist manager, and snack organizer.
-Encourage active listening. Explain to your kids what active listening means and practice it beforehand. Active listening fosters respect and will reduce misunderstandings.
-Establish a no judgment rule. Encourage family members to express their thoughts and feelings openly without judgment.
-Use positive reinforcement to motivate everyone to continue to be open and honest.
-Do check-ins. Take five minutes when you get to your hotel, where you're going to eat, parks and events to see how everyone is doing.
-Keep a family communication journal on hand for members to write their thoughts and feelings in.
Ways to Resolve Conflict:
- Address issues promptly.
- Use 'I' statements instead of 'you' statements.
- Take a break for everyone to calm down if needed.
Finding Family-Friendly Accommodations with Christian Values
Another thing to consider is finding family-friendly accommodations with Christian values. Looks can deceive; the last place you want to wind up at is a seedy motel or a hotel floor that sounds like a frat house. Staying at places that embrace faith values and have wholesome environments is essential. Here are some ideas for Christian lodging on your next trip.
-Christian Hospitality Network. This site is a network of Christian-run bed-and-breakfasts, inns, wilderness retreats, etc., that offer discounted rates to missionaries and church workers.
-FaithStay. This is an alternative to AirB&B, where Christians host lodging for travelers worldwide.
-Stay with Christians. This is a community of believers who share God-centered hospitality.
-NOTE: I don't have experience with any of these organizations, so please do your research so you can make an informed, educated decision.
Documenting the Journey: Faith-Focused Memories
Once you get home, it's time to document the journey and create some faith-focused memories.
-Have everyone look back in their journals and write if God spoke to them and what he said, a Bible verse that spoke to them, or even a prayer or song that touched them.
-Create a scrapbook with journal entries, Bible verses, photos, and mementos from the places you visited and events you attended, such as grains of sand in a sandwich bag or a concert ticket stub.
-If you recorded some video on your trip, edit it into one video for everyone to watch.
Reflecting on the Trip: Lessons Learned Through Faith
Sit down as a family and talk about your trip. Not just the fun parts but also parts that went wrong or when things got tense between family members. Discuss things and skills you may have learned, and how you will incorporate those lessons and skills into your daily lives.
Planning a family vacation can be complex and daunting. However, if you keep the points and ideas from this list in mind, you will be ready to have your best Christ-centered vacation ever.
Related:
22 Christian-Friendly Vacation Destinations Your Whole Family Will Love
Top 10 Christian Sites to Visit around the World
Originally published June 16, 2025.
