Here are some fun things to do as teenager – ideas that will get them excited about spending time with family, flexing their skills, and developing new interests.
As parents, it’s usually pretty easy to entertain young kids. But as kids grow up and become teens, it can get harder to convince them to enjoy themselves without getting a screen involved.
These fun activities are suggested as a low-cost way for young adults and teenagers to spend their Summer days close to home, having a good time, without spending a fortune on entrance to an amusement park or water park.
Macrame
This peaceful activity is excellent for cold winter days – or just crafty teenagers who like to learn new skills and work with their hands. A kit (like this one) can make it easy to try out a new hobby without a big investment in time or money.
This is a great activity your teen can try with a best friend so that they can help each other as they go along.
When you’re done, you can help your teen hang up their creations in their bedroom. There’s nothing quite like the pride they’ll feel after creating something new and using it to make their space their own.
Learn to Longboard
This one takes relatively little investment (you just need a longboard and a helmet!) and is super fun. See if you can borrow a longboard and give it a go in a public park before you invest in one youselves. Not to mention it takes balance, it’s challenging, it’s outdoors, and it’s a great outlet for an energetic teen who’s bouncing off the walls.
The Summer break offers tons of spare time to build up this skill and become proficient.
It’ll also help them feel more independent since it’s a great way to get around without a car and it’s faster than walking. No wonder it’s a popular way to get around a lot of college campuses!
Build a Computer Game
It just takes a few coding lessons to learn how to make simple video games. Your teen might already have all the skills they need. And if they don’t, it’s easy to find free resources and tutorials online.
Building a functioning game will fill them with pride. They’ll be dying to show their friends when they’re done! And it’s never a bad idea to encourage your kids to develop computer literacy.
Indoor Riddle Treasure Hunt
I love this idea for smart kiddos who are great at wordplay and games. This inexpensive activity gets them up and moving, off their screens, and working together. And it’s perfect for rainy days at home when outdoor activities aren’t an option.
If you have a little kids who are too young to participate, recruit them to help you hide the clues!
Making and Decorating Planter Pots
If your teen has a green thumb or wants to learn how to grow plants, this is a great way for them to make the project their own. A kit like this lets them cast their own pot, making their entire garden from scratch. Then, they can paint and decorate them however they want!
After the paint dries, just grab some potting mix and seeds, and they’re well on their way to a little garden of their own. This is a great science project (that will engage the kids without feeling like they’re learning anything). And as their seeds blossom and bloom, they’ll gain confidence in their abilities.
Baking
Whether you’re trying a new recipe or teaching them how to make their favorite dish, this activity fosters independence, teaches them confidence in the kitchen, and gives them a great way to impress their friends (or a future date). It’s an awesome life skill for girls and boys – everyone needs to know their way around the kitchen!
Pizzas are a great way to start. It’s easy to make pizza dough and everyone can add their favorite toppings!
If you like to bake cookies and cakes and prefer to try something sweet, check out our Strawberry Spoon Cake recipe.
Making Miniatures
Miniatures are a craft your kid’s probably never done before, making it a fresher take on a lot of activities you might do a lot at home. Beginners usually want to buy a kit like this one, but you can just as easily look up tutorials online and make your own without a kit using just some glue, household items, and acrylic paint.
This is a really good way to encourage your teen to cultivate the ability to focus on a specific task, foster creativity, and get them engaged making something their own. And it’ll be an awesome creation to display in their room. I’m all about getting kids off their phones, but you’ve got to admit – this project is super Instagrammable.
You could even grow some miniature plants from seed or beg for baby plants from friends and make a terrarium using a large glass jar. These look great in a teen’s room and require little maintenance once set up. They are also great to give as inexpensive gifts to friends.
Go Thrifting
Sure, there’s nothing like getting something brand-new and shiny from the store. But going thrifting can feel like an adventure all its own. And it’s way less expensive than going to the mall or letting your teen loose on Amazon. And thrifting beats out online shopping because it feels more like an activity to sift through the items at a thrift shop.
You don’t even have to buy anything for it to be fun. Take turns looking for the craziest, silliest, or most interesting thing you can find. And thrifting is super trendy right now, so this is a good one to let them invite a friend or two along for.
Buying at a thrift store is great for the environment and your teen can learn to upcycle and repurpose the bargains that they pick up.
Escape Rooms
Most towns have an escape room which are a fun way for your family to work together to solve the escape game clues.
Add online and board game-style escape rooms to your list of good ideas for bored teenagers especially if you live a long way from a town or prefer to stay at home.
Board Games
The best way to choose a board game is to visit a board game cafe where you can try out the different games and see which ones you would like to play again. Legacy games are a new style of board game where the game evolves as grows as it progresses. Sometimes there are a lot of rules and some rules may only be revealed as the game moves on. Our top tip is for all players to watch an online video demonstrating the rules of the game before you play for the first time.
Wingspan is a game that the whole family can enjoy. Suitable for ages 10+, it is an engine-building game that will appeal to more than just bird enthusiasts. However, it’s engaging enough that older kids will be enticed away from too much screen time and will quickly become a favorite game with all family members.
Card games are another option if you don’t have the space for a board game. Older kids and younger kids can play UNO together and still have a great time despite the age gap.
Foster Their Unique Interests
I’ve never met a teen who didn’t have at least one topic they were super passionate about. Whether it’s fashion, skateboarding, the environment, social justice issues, music, or space, pick one of your teen’s interests and let them loose in a local bookstore or the library for some quality time. Let them spend the day delving into books and telling you all about their favorite topic. Give them your full attention – no matter how silly, trivial, or bizarre you might think their favorite topic is.
Read our tips on how to have a happy teenager here.
Indulging their interests will be fun for them and will increase your bond. It’ll also help them feel comfortable talking to you about what they’re passionate about, which means they’ll feel like they can talk to you about less comfy topics, too. Teenage boys, in particular, are more likely to open up when they are doing an activity alongside a parent and the conversation appears not to be the main focus of attention. Most parents find communication more difficult in the teen years and mutual activities are a great place to start conversations.
Have you tried any of these great ideas? Drop a comment below! Do you have any favorite fun things to do as a teenager? Share with the group! We’re all in this together.
What powerful life skills should every teenager aim to learn?
Get a FREE 44 page Summer Planner
Leave a Reply