6 Ways for a Grace-Filled Summer Road Trip
When you pull out of your driveway on a summer road trip, tension and anticipation can be high as you face hours together in the car.
If you are traveling with kids, life can get complicated fast since they haven’t matured to the point where they can control themselves when hunger or exhaustion sets in.
Whether you are going on a road trip with kids or just your hubby, there are some fantastic ways that being together in a tight space can become an adventure.
Since we are looking forward to several summer road trips, ideas are fresh on my mind to share with you.
There is nothing like being prepared so that you can turn a potential disaster into a grace-filled memory of a lifetime!
A Grace-Filled Summer Road Trip
Somehow when you’re stuck in a car for a long time, together might not be the most desired event.
On a road trip back from Ohio, we left the highway for a drive through Cooks Forest in western Pennsylvania.
We went on a ‘practice run’ in March 2024 for our annual summer road trip to northern Wisconsin.
Whether you’re on a road trip with a newborn, toddlers, tweens or teens, life can get noisy fast as everyone wants what they want NOW!
I’ve been on the road with a two-month old infant who wanted more to eat every half hour. That was enough to cause nerve endings to clash fast.
Then there was the time we were headed with a carload of kids to New England and one of them decided a meltdown was the best way to go.
That’s why being prepared with the 6 Step Process for a Grace-Filled Summer Road Trip will help you keep everyone happy.
6-Step Process for a Summer Road Trip
Having a plan is better than none at all. If you have some activities and snacks ready to go, it will help when everyone (including your hubby) get restless.
Don’t underestimate some of the ideas as being outdated. They are ‘tried and true!’
Spotify and other similar apps make it all possible to listen to books that children and adults will enjoy on a summer road trip. And if you happen to be traveling during the winter, these will all be great.
Making a summer road trip grace-filled is when you and those in the car are getting along. We are all sinful by nature and being intentional to keep everyone content and happy goes a long way!!
- Pray together as a family before pulling out of your driveway! We aren’t a perfect family, just filled with imperfection but we have done this for years.
- Listen to audio stories on your device! We often listened to the action-packed story of Pilgrim’s Progress (audio version) when we were on a road trip. Our kids loved it. I am not a fan of letting kids watch videos while driving. They should be looking out the windows at the scenery!!
- Play games that make everyone look out the window! This might be a dated idea with video screens being the norm in cars, but it raises awareness of what’s out the window while driving. Games: the license plate game, counting horses, or other games.
- Make water available in cute bottles located in cup holders throughout the car. Before your trip, buy bottled water or fill bottles up at home before leaving. For a treat, have some fruit-flavored water. Surprises keep kids’ interest high on trips!
- Snack surprises are always a treat! Snacks such as trail mix and chocolates are always special. There are many ideas on Pinterest for celery with peanut butter and cheese sticks that you can search on Google.
- Books on Kindle! I love reading when the scenery out the window is lacking. There are many wonderful children’s books that you can download and read to your kids to keep them happy during the ride.
Watch this Summer Road Trip Video
You will be inspired and prepared for almost anything no matter what your current season. In this video, I share tips from my experiences with a newborn, toddlers, tweens, and teens. You’ll find extra tips not included in this blog post!!
Thinking ahead and being intentional are so important when going on a summer road trip!
We desperately need grace because we are prone to failure. That is why I love thinking about how we are living a life of graced imperfection!
Summer Road Trip Printable
You can take the 6-Step Process for a Grace-Filled Road Trip Printable on your road trip this summer.
Then you can remember the 6-Step Process for a Summer Road Trip to make your time in the car grace-filled.
Get the Printable. Click the Graphic!
What ideas have you found to help your summer road trip be grace-filled? Will you be traveling somewhere this summer?
