Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate Program links are included in this article. If you purchase the item, there is no increase in the price. Thank you for supporting Tranquility Moms - we appreciate you!

When I was a kid, our family would go to Sanibel Island, Florida, on spring break. It was so exciting to jump on a plane from cold Chicago and arrive in the heat and palm trees of the Gulf coast. Shorts and bathing suits were the new attire. I remember walking the beach and finding seashells, they were the best treasure!  For one week on spring break, we got to recharge and spend some great time together. 

So, now as parents of 2 kids, we book a trip as often as we can over spring break too. It helps to break up the stretch from winter break to summer vacation! Do you have a trip planned over spring break? Maybe an overnight stay locally or some day trips planned. Are you driving somewhere or flying to get to a different climate? Some spring break trips for families are to the mountains or to the ocean. Are you visiting loved ones? Is the trip about relaxing or is the agenda full of exciting adventures? 

No matter what your spring break plans are, you have an opportunity to connect as a family, to recharge yourself and bring back those positive vibes to your family! I’ve got 4 ways you can sprinkle in some quality bonding time, get back to the benefits of nature and refresh your spirituality on your family vacation. 

Plan a Family Connection Activity

“L” in our GLOW model is for Love Connections

Vacation is when we leave the stress at home and take a break from the usual routines. Truly, to “vacate” our day to day life. We want to unplug and unwind. These are key to recharge ourselves - our battery has been drained for long enough. One of the best ways to mend the family ties is by planning a family connection activity. 

Now, as soon as I wrote that title, I could picture my 9 year old rolling his eyes. So, you have to decide if it is an official title or you just sneak it into the trip!

These may be activities that you have done before but you are taking the steps to be intentional. You are setting up a plan. You have a desired goal in mind - your family to be closer and happier. 

I love puzzles as a top way for families to connect verbally and mentally on the trip. Whether you chose a traditional jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table all week at the cabin or buy some crossword puzzle or word search books, it’s a great time to cuddle up on the lawn chair together on the hotel balcony and find the answers together. Any activity done working as a team and finding answers together builds trust and communication. (And you never know, some words in the puzzle may spark a conversation you wouldn’t have otherwise had!)

Here is a great Puzzle Book for Kids: 101 Awesome Bible Puzzles for Kids (Take Me Through the Bible) on Amazon.

Maximize your appreciation of the outdoors

“O” in our GLOW model is for Outdoor Nature

My happy place is the beach. I love the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun on my face and my feet dug deep into the cool sand. I am so relaxed, my breathing is calm and my mood is tranquil. Wherever you go, there will be new nature to explore. 

Sometimes we’re distracted by amusement park plans or what restaurant we are eating at next that we miss the great beauty around us. God’s masterpiece at it’s finest.

“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.”

- Psalms 23:2 NLT

Allow yourself to pause and share in nature with the family on this spring break family vacation. If you have toddlers, let them take the lead, they love laying down on their bellies and watching the ants crawl by - stop and do it with them!

  As I saw ants crawl up the wall, I noticed that no matter how busy they are, they will stop and communicate with each other. I hope we can be like them.

- Unknown 

If you have school aged kids, point out what you see and then ask them what they observe. Away from home, there are new trees, flowers and small animals to check out. Our son loved watching the little lizards on our last Florida trip. It turned into an interest of his. He studied Bearded Dragons and now, our family is happy to welcome Pablo, his first bearded dragon to the family. He’ll tell you all about him!

Lastly, my favorite outdoor tip - always stop and watch the sunset, it is truly a spectacular backdrop to nature. All is going to be well, as you watch together on how big this world is and how small this moment is. 

Add wellness into your travel

“W” in our GLOW model is for Wellness

Are you familiar with Wellness Travel? I had no idea that Wellness Tourism was sought out by so many travelers. And, it’s not only for the rich and famous. Sure, we did a couples massage on the beach on our honeymoon. However, now with kids, our travel is so different. 



The benefits of nature, travel and togetherness are healing, slowing down, calming down and feeling stronger. With wellness in your trip plans, you can recharge your body and mind. Check out my BEST Wellness tips video for your vacation.

Wellness Tourism Association states Wellness Travel is “travel that allows the traveler to maintain, enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle and support or increase one’s sense of well-being.”

Local fruits - are you visiting an open market or eating at an All-Inclusive resort? Fresh local fruit is all around. Enjoy the great vitamins our body and mind needs from these grown fruits. Check out my Healthy Eating video describing an easy tool - Traffic Light Eating

Walking - walk to the local store for additional snack foods for the RV. Take the time to explore and look around you. Be present and relaxed. Check out my Best Walking Tips video to learn simple ways to enhance any nature walk alone or with your family!

On our last Florida trip, we went with my extended family…so 17 of us! In the morning, I went for a walk to start off the day calmly and alone with my thoughts. I reflected on the trip as it was happening instead of mindlessly getting to the end of the trip. Which reminds me, do you keep any type of vacation journal or scrapbook? My daughter and I designed this palm tree Tranquility Journal Notebook and it’s for sale on Amazon for $5.33. I would sit as the kids jumped in the pool and jot down sweet memories or what we saw or where we ate, to look back at and keep the vacation alive!

Bring God with You

“G” in our GLOW model is God-centered Living

Now, God is in you and always present, so my words are a little deceiving. I mean to have an intention about how you and your family are connecting with God, your faith, spirituality and love on this trip. 

As I talk about the benefits of vacationing for our body and mind, it certainly recharges our soul, as well. 

Our sustaining joy will only come from a place of a refreshed soul. Sometimes, we need to slow it all down and get away to put it all back together in the right order. 

“Joy fills hearts that are planning peace.”

- Proverbs 12:20

Some families focus on the experiences we can have on the family vacation. I would love for more families to focus on the spiritual possibilities of the trip. You and your family can find faith, hope and love. I believe that if we water the seeds of our soul, they will grow and blossom for a long time. 

Have you read Candace Cameron Bure’s devotional? 100 Days of Joy and Strength (check it out in our Tranquility Moms Shop)

Let’s consider how you can deepen the faith-focused time on the trip. You could incorporate the power of the Holy Spirit into conversations during a walk. You can read scripture about nature and look for what God has made. You can say a prayer at bedtime that lets everyone share their favorite part of that day. You can verbalize your gratitude for the time together, such as the ability to have a family vacation over spring break. As you hug your little one, whisper, “I am so grateful for you. God loves you so much.” Praying together is a way that we connect and trust that we are never alone to handle our problems, God is always with us.

At bedtime prayers, I like saying, “Thank you God, for our health, our wealth and each other.” The kids hear how much we have to be grateful for and how blessed we are to be with one another. It strengthens our hope and love together.

I hope that your spring break trip is a time of great renewal, deep connection and so many fond memories. My mom put together seashell display boxes for us after a trip to Sanibel Island. I smile each time I walk past it on the mantle - my heart can connect right back to those cherished memories!

Upcoming book in 2022 by Kathryn Gardner ~ Find Tranquility on Your Family Trip: Rest, Recharge and Connect on Your Family Trip. Plus 100 Christian Family Travel Activities

So glad you are on this journey with me to go from stressed to refreshed! Find your tranquility today! 

Be well and God bless,

Coach Kathy

Kathryn Gardner, mom of 2, police wife, and Therapist specializing in the wellness of moms & Certified Health Coach moved with her family to Tampa, FL to be near the ocean and explore the health benefits of nature. Her passion is helping stressed moms find tranquility! Check out TranquilityMoms.com for the latest blog post and YouTube video. She posts encouraging messages on Instagram and Facebook.

More articles you may like:

• Daily Reset for Mom’s Calmness (in as little as 5 minutes!)
• Just a Quiet Moment for Me in the Minivan
• Walking on Sunshine and Feeling Happy and Healthy
• Get Away to Bring Your Family Back Together