If my daughter could watch television all day, she would. Her antsy fingers are constantly drawn to the remote controls for the TV, radio, or video game console. The minute she doesn’t have one of these buttons to incessantly click, her go-to phrase is “Mommy, I’m bored.”
Once I begin naming all the things she could be doing to tackle her boredom, she quickly says, “No, I don’t want to do that.” My reply is typically, “Well, I guess you’re not really that bored.”
With summer upon us, if you’re anything like me, I want to keep my daughter engaged in activities that have less to do with buttons and more to do with memories. The challenge is choosing activities our fickle teens will actually want to do.
Try this list of summer boredom busters for teens of all ages:
Plant a Pizza Garden
Plant tomatoes, basil, oregano, and parsley. Shop for the seeds, plant them, and watch them grow. Use your homegrown garden toppings for a weekly pizza night!
Rock Painting
Using rocks and paint pens, you and your teen can have a design night to decorate stones with positive messages. Once decorated, plan another day to deliver them to random places in your community for people to find. You can even include a hashtag for people who might want to post pictures of the rock and tag it on social media.
Have a Magazine Date
Head to your local bookstore, preferably one with a little coffee shop. Get a few treats and choose a bunch of magazines of interest to look through together.
Bake Dog Biscuits
Find some bone-shaped cookie cutters and bake homemade dog treats. Deliver them to your local animal shelter or neighbors with pups.
Birdwatching
Find a birding book or list of birds in our area. Make a checklist of different types of beaks, feet, wings, etc. In your travels this summer, try to identify birds by their traits and record them in a book. You could also build a nest or house with your teen and hang it in your yard to enjoy frequent flyers.
Geocaching
Geocaching is a type of global treasure hunt of people looking for caches, or hidden stashes of objects. You can download an app that shows you where to find your prize. Many local parks have them on their campgrounds. It’s a fun way to use technology and still get out and explore nature.
What activities have you tried that your teen has enjoyed?
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About Adrianna and Ryan Walden
Ryan and Adrianna Walden have been married for 14 years. The two met when she was working for an arena football team in Norfolk where he was playing football. Ryan is a service coordinator with the Chesapeake Early Intervention Program and Adrianna is a Licensing Specialist for Children's Programs. Both have enjoyed teaching CHKD’s "Happiest Baby" class together for the past eight years. Together they have one daughter, who despite early health issues, is now a thriving and happy school-age child. The Walden's also lead a weekly community group through their church for married couples and their children.
