Screen time overload is one of the biggest complaints I’ve heard this year from other parents of teens. During school vacations, weekends, or even when the weather isn’t great outside it seems like our teens are instantly bored. How do you entertain a bored teenager? It’s a struggle so I’ve put together a list of ideas that I hope gives you some inspiration.
Fun Outdoor Games for Teenagers
When the weather is nice I’m always pushing my kids out the door to get some sunshine. Luckily we have a number of kids in our neighborhood but they often run out of things to do and get bored.
This Christmas we asked for a few games and activities that they can play outside. I’ve compiled a list of games I found that I think most teens would love:
- Volleyball – 4-way Volleyball – This is a fun alternative to traditional volleyball and just 4 people can play together.
- Corn Hole – This is a popular game that teens love!
- Bocce – We have spent hours playing bocce, it’s a classic game, easy to transport, and fun to play on different landscapes. It can be played at the beach at the campground and in a field.
- Ladder Toss Game – We got this for Christmas this year and I know it’s going to be a great game to bring along to the beach or play in the neighborhood. It comes with a handy storage bag too.
- Frisbee Golf / Disc Golf – I worked at a summer camp for years and Frisbee/Disc Golf was super popular. I had no idea that you could purchase Disc Golf goals.
- KanJam – This is another fun frisbee game that looks like fun! It’s also pretty portable to bring to the beach or to a party.
- Bottle Frisbee – This would be fun for the whole family. You can place a bottle, action figure, or other fun things on top of the stand then knock it off with the frisbee.
- Giant Jenga – This would be a fun game if you have a patio or deck. And who doesn’t like giant-sized games?
- Giant Yahtzee – Another fun oversized game!
Outdoor Activities for Bored Teens
- Go for a walk or hike. Go somewhere new, pack a lunch, and get outside!
- Go on a family bike ride.
- Try Geocaching – Find out how to get started with Geocaching.
- Have a pizza lunch at a local park – or have Door Dash deliver lunch (all the teens I know love ordering from Door Dash). Have it delivered if they are hanging out at a park or beach. Any way you do it delivered food or takeout is always a win for teens.
- Sleep under the stars. Our daughter thought this was so much fun when she was able to sleep outside on a trampoline this summer.
- Camp out in your backyard. Grab your tents, invite some friends, and camp out in your own backyard.
Indoor Activities for Teens
Make Something
Sometimes when you’re stuck inside the best thing is to get creative and make something. From Legos to crafting there are plenty of ways to get your kids creative when they are stuck inside.
- Raspberry Pi – This is a tiny computer that your teenager can put together and it becomes an actual functional computer that can be connected to a monitor and keyboard. This is a great activity for a child who wants to get started learning about computing.
- Legos – There are several awesome Lego Kits for Teens and Adults, so if you have a Lego lover in your house check out some of these fun kits:
- Manchester United Soccer Stadium (3898 pieces!)
- LEGO Creator Expert Roller Coaster (4124 pieces!)
- LEGO Technic Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 (3696 pieces!) this one is incredible!
- Kiwi Co – This is our go-to for creative STEM activities. They have some super creative projects (Their Euraca boxes are perfect for this age group) that any teen or adult would love.
- Annie’s Craft Club offers several great creative options (see below). – Save 50% off your first kit with code: SHARE50
- Crochet
- Knitting
- General Crafts
- Jewelry Making
- Quilting and Sewing
- Papercrafting
Check out all Annie’s Craft Kits by CLICKING HERE
- Outschool is an online learning site with TONS of courses and classes. Check out some below:
- Learn about electronics and programming with this complete starter kit for building electronics.
Take a Virtual Tour
There are so many locations that offer virtual tours or challenge your children to pick a location in the world that they would like to travel to and use Google Earth to explore each place. Connect your phones to your TV (using screen mirroring) and tour each location together. Below are 5 of my favorite virtual tours but you can find a huge list at Mommy Poppins.
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Visit the Palace of Versailles
- Tate Museum (Modern Art) it is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world.
- Tokyo National Museum
Board Games Teens Will Love
I love playing board games with my kids (my husband always needs some convincing ?). We have a nice stash of board games that we really love playing so I put together a list of my favorites along with some that friends have recommended. I hope you find a few new games to add to your collection.
- Settlers of Catan – Want a quicker game try the card game version
- Exploding Kittens – Weird name, fun game. There are several expansion packs that make the game even more fun
- Ticket to Ride – this is one of our family’s favorites. We’re hoping to get the
- Space Team – This is a fun fast-paced card game that I’ve heard is lots of fun (it’s on our wishlist!)
- Throw Throw Burrito – My son loves this game. This one is made by the same people who make Exploding Kittens.
- Klask 4 – Half Foosball Half Air Hockey – This game looks like so much fun!
- Calliope Tsuro – The Game of The Path – This is a strategy and luck game. The board changes every time you play so it doesn’t get boring.
- Wits End – This sounds like a fun trivia and brain-teasing game that teens would like.
- What do you Meme? – This game is so popular with teens. Each card has an image on it and the goal is to create the funniest meme by captioning the image.
- Photosynthesis – This game is really unique it has a focus on science and biology and has to do with the life cycle of trees. It has tons of great reviews and sounds like a fun, unique option.
Bake or Cook Something
Help your teens learn how to cook or give them the tools to learn on their own. Pick up a cookbook just for teens to help them get comfortable in the kitchen. You can also find several great youtube channels that your teens would probably love. Two of my favorites are Joshua Weissman and Cooking with Babish or learn how to bake with Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Perform Random Acts of Kindness
Why not use their boredom for good?
Leave notes, chalk notes, or paint rocks with encouraging words and hide them so they can be found by strangers. Pay for someone’s lunch. Bake cookies for the fire department…
There are so many ways to perform acts of kindness with your teen. If you need a little help getting started you can find 101 Acts of Kindness ideas here.
Thrift Store Surprise
Take your kids and some friends to the thrift store and have each person pick an outfit for their friends to try on. It will give them all a good laugh and they might even find something fun to take home. The outcomes are hilarious!
I hope you found some fun ways to entertain your teens when they’re saying “Mom I’m bored!”
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