Summer Activities for Teens and Tweens

Summer is a fun time for teenagers, but filling all those leisurely hours can be challenging. As children age, finding summer activities suitable for them becomes increasingly difficult. The options for tweens and younger teens are limited since they are too young to get a summer job or drive with friends.

Many teens would prefer to spend all day playing video games or watching TV. However, it’s essential to establish screen time rules even for older kids. Use this list to help your child find activities that spark their interests, like cooking, hiking, or taking an online art class.

Be a tourist in your town.

Visit a local museum or historic site to learn something new about your hometown.

Learn a new skill

Sign up for an online course, learn a new skill like coding, or photography, or learn a new language.

Start a Garden

Plant a garden full of native vegetables, fruits, or flowers.

Volunteer

Gather your friends and volunteer at a local non-profit or spend the day collecting trash in a local park.

Go for a Hike

Get outside and enjoy nature on a hike. Find a new trail that you’ve never been to and explore.

Paint

Paint a picture, paint your bedroom, paint a rock. Painting is a great way to express yourself and is very therapeutic.

Go Geocaching

Join the world’s largest treasure hunt and go geocaching. Download the geocaching app on your phone and get searching.

Bake

Try a new recipe and bake delicious treats for your friends and family.

Write and Mail Letters

Get out your stationary and write hand-written letters to your loved ones. Handwritten mail is always appreciated.

Plan and Cook Meals

Create a meal plan for your family and cook all the meals for a week or month.

At Home Spa Day

Create a calming and luxurious spa day at home by turning on some peaceful music and enjoying a rejuvenating face mask.

Movie Marathon

Spend the day watching a movie series like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or Harry Potter.

Visit the Library

Stop by your local library to pick out new reading material and check out their summer programming for teens.

At-Home Yoga

Try doing yoga at home with Yoga for Teens YouTube videos.

Get Crafty

Stop by your local craft store to get supplies and learn to crochet or make jewelry.

Build Something

You can purchase simple building kits online to build a birdhouse. Or visit your local hardware store to buy supplies to make a bookshelf.

Create A Time Capsule

Get an airtight container and fill it with mementos from the current year. Bury the container in your yard and note where it’s buried so you can dig it up in a few years.

Try a New Sport

Try rollerblading, karate, or sign up for a local recreational sports league.

Redecorate

Rearrange your room, hang new artwork, or do a complete room makeover.

Go to the Pool

Spend your day lounging by the pool or playing pool games with your friends.

Camping

Go camping at a local state park or camp out in your backyard.

Write a Short Story

Get creative and write a short story, poem or even a book.

Go Thrifting

At the thrift store, you can find treasure in other people’s discarded items. Set out to find the most ridiculous thing in the store or assemble a new outfit from the clothing section.

Learn to Play an Instrument

Learn to play a new instrument like the drums or guitar. It’s relatively easy to find tutorials online to teach you how to play.