Summer holiday teenage activities!
Over on Substack I wrote a personal blog about how overwhelmed I felt at the beginning of July about having the summer holidays stretching ahead of me, and my worries about how I would juggle work, home life and the mum guilt with any time for myself! You can check out that blog here.
Feeling totally stuck and a bit down, I did what I love to do when I am struggling… I turned to Instagram to share my woes! In my reel, recorded at the side of my late husband’s grave, I asked for advice on what others do with teenagers in the holidays, and how they manage the mum guilt, especially if their kids are likely to spend tons of time on screens.
Here some of the suggestions that I got for summer holiday teenage activities (and a few of my own ideas!)…
Camp Sleepovers and Friends Over
One of my gorgeous Insta followers suggested that the kids invite some friends over for garden camp sleepover. If you can guarantee dry weather… we discovered in June that the camping can be made even more fun with the addition of a screen and projector that transforms your garden into an out-door movie theatre, complete with cozy sofa, cushions, blankets, drinks, popcorn and sweets!
If you have a garden that you could safely use, it’s tons of outdoor fun, and (except for the cost of tent, projector and screen) there is minimal cost for those who are used to a bit of camping and outdoor adventure!
Walks and Puddle jumping
This may be a difficult one for those who are perfectionists… but going on wet walks can be made so much more fun if you join in with the kids and do a bit of puddle jumping yourself. Not only do you reconnect with your own inner child, but the kids find it really amusing to see an adult getting wet and muddy!
In order to combat some of my own perfectionist tendencies, I started a saying in my family… I would ask the kids “what’s a happy kid?” and the children would reply “A happy kid is a mucky kid!”
Day Activities on the Lake
Another lovely Insta recommendation was to see if there are any water activities like kayaking and sailing in the area. Possibly even day or week camps, where you can drop the children to learn new water-based skills and head back to the office or home to work!
As well as learning new skills and reducing screen time, time outside doing physical activity results in tired children who just need to shower and chill guilt-free when they get home!
Room Organisation and Selling Items
One of my APDO pals suggested encouraging the children to sort their rooms out, with a particular mission to see what unwanted items they could sell. I’m also keen for my kids to sell some of my old clothes on Vinted too, and I’ve agreed to split the profit with them!
Not only does this mean that the teens declutter their rooms, but it helps them to learn the value of money. And, if you are feeling particularly kind, you can put your profits towards funding a treat day for everyone.
Day trips
As a bit of an adventurer, I loved the advice from another online pal about planning day trips. I love the sea and particularly as, other than transport and parking, it can be a free day out… pack a picnic, take a few towels, swim suits, bucket and space and maybe a football. If you don’t mind splashing out a bit, the kids might want to body board, surf or go rock pooling.
One thing I love about the seaside is that it’s a leveller, kids can go with grandparents and everyone goes bare-foot and enjoys just being in nature.
Indoor fun and craft Activities
Thinking about craft activities, baking and games reminded me of a lockdown thing I did… I gave the kids a day each to organise… and it was fascinating what they came up with for us to fill the day with!
As well as spicing things up with the kids imagination (are you prepared for that!?) the activities can be surprisingly varied and sometimes even involve falling in love with old hobbies!
Get the kids gardening
We all know that getting our hands dirty gardening is good for us, and it offers our kids a healthy outdoor activity that encourages physical fitness, creativity, and a sense of accomplishment as they watch their efforts bloom, especially if they have a vegetable patch.
Gardening over the summer holidays also provides children with a hands-on lesoons about nature, responsibility and the life cycle of plants.
Small Jobs for Pocket Money
A Cornish follower of mine suggested that teenagers are of an age where they can do small jobs like mucking out stables, car washing, or working as an ice cream server and actually earn some money of their own.
As well as earning the money, I love that little jobs start to instil responsibility into the children. In addition to which, I find it fascinating how much more careful they are with spending their own money, in comparison to pocket money or parents cash!
Unplugging and Rediscovering Old Toys
This suggestion from a yogi follower reminded me of when we moved into our new home and there wasn’t any wifi… she suggested temporarily cutting off the broadband to encourage the children out of necessity to find other activities. I really loved the first few days we had without wifi and the true 121 time the girls and I spent together.
This obviously hugely reduces screen time, but also creates space for creativity and rediscovering past hobbies.
Creating a To-Do List
Whatever you do manage to do… I’d love to know (please feel free to tag me over on Instagram and maybe even share the hashtag “RainbowMoment”) and don’t forget to make a list… or put the ideas into a jar, then when you are stuck for ideas another time, you can have a lucky dip!
Whatever you do or don’t manage to do, the most important thing is to go kindly on yourself. Parenting is a really tough gig… there’s no rule book because every child is so beautifully unique. If, like me, you’re in a neurodivergent family, there can be other challenges that make some of the ideas above tricky.
My final tip is to plan well and work out what time you have to spend with the kids and to use it wisely!
And remember, the kids are unlikely to remember the things that you buy them… but the memories of fun times together that you create will be remembered forever.
If you enjoy “RainbowHunting”…
Go to my Instagram where I am running a “RainbowMoment” challenge in August 2024.
Go Rainbow Hunting… because what we focus on grows!