While summer holidays may be behind us and your teens are now heading back to school, there are still a number of upcoming weekends where the weather will be warm and your teens will surely be looking for something to do. That is, after they have finished their homework, of course!
While the dog days of summer were filled with camp and family trips, the chorus of “We’re bored!” or “There’s nothing to do!” may soon fill your home as your teens transition into the school year.
Fun things you can do with your teens
Lucky for you, this article will list lots of fun activities you can do with your teens that’ll keep their moans and groans of boredom to the absolute minimum.
1. Take Up A New Hobby
There’s no better time than the start of a new season to encourage your teens to develop a passion, hone a new skill, or learn a new hobby. Whether it’s learning how to play a new instrument or sport or trying their hand at building something crafty, a new hobby could be an easy, cost-effective way to stimulate your teen’s mind just in time for the new school year.
While keeping your teens busy might be your primary incentive to encourage them to try something new, their hobby could very well become something they enjoy for many years to come.
Remember that a new hobby has a better chance of taking root if your teen has enough time to sink their teeth into it, so the beginning of the school year is a great time to get started before the homework starts piling up.
2. Start Reading Books
Back-to-school and reading go hand-in-hand, so this is the perfect time for the student who enjoys reading to read something of their own choosing. If you order books online, you can easily (and economically!) allow your teen to travel to fantastic new places and experience new cultures without ever setting foot on a plane.
In addition to being an enjoyable pastime, reading is the perfect activity to teach burgeoning minds new things and supplement the reading they’ll likely be doing in school.
If you live in a rural area or at a considerable distance from the public library, you can still fill your child’s bookshelf and nightstand with great reads. It’s as easy as sitting down together and placing an online book purchase from heavily discounted book suppliers such as BookOutlet.com.
3. Learn A New Language
If you have an upcoming family trip planned, now is a great time to encourage your child to learn a new language. Enrolling your child in a language course before traveling will help them to better appreciate the place they’re visiting and may even help them communicate with the locals—after all, it’s been shown that children possess an uncanny ability to pick up new languages much quicker than adults.
Of course, the benefits of speaking multiple languages go far beyond those of an immersive family vacation: fluently speaking more than one language opens up more career opportunities in adulthood and additional language classes may supplement what your child is already learning in school, giving them a leg up on other students.
4. Explore Your Own City
Often, we take where we live for granted and don’t stop to appreciate the things right in front of our eyes. If you’re looking for a low commitment activity to fill a Saturday afternoon, why not take the opportunity to enhance your teen’s knowledge and appreciation for their own town? Pretend you’re a tourist and seek out various attractions in your hometown this fall.
Related: Atlanta Bucket List: Top 10 Family Fun Things To Do in Atlanta
It’s the perfect season for farmers’ markets and fall fairs, so there’s likely some events to choose from in your community, or in those nearby. There might even be some scavenger hunts or quest-like events posted online that will help you to experience your city like never before.
5. Explore the Outdoors
If all else fails and you know your teenagers are a second away from proclaiming their boredom, go explore the outdoors! There is an infinite number of inexpensive activities that you can do with your children that’ll ward off their boredom, such as:
- Camping
- Swimming
- Fishing
- Biking
- Hiking
- Kayaking
- Planting trees
- Visiting amusement parks
- Visiting a “pick-your-own” farm
- Flying a kite
- Gardening
The back-to-school season can get a lot of teens down, but you can easily cheer them up with fun activities they can look forward to on the weekends.
With cooler temperatures and colorful leaves on their way, now is a great time to explore new opportunities and engage in exciting activities.
Hopefully, this article has inspired you to come up with some ideas of your own on how to best combat your child’s summer boredom.