Are your teenagers on their phones saying there just isn’t anything else to do? As any parent of a teenager knows, finding activities that are fun and engaging for them can be a real challenge. We’ve put together a list of some engaging at-home activities for teens that provide both entertainment and education.
Importance of Healthy Activities and Coping Skills for Teens
We all remember what it’s like to be a teenager, right? There are moods, angsts, growth spurts, and social challenges galore. Having a broad repertoire of at-home activities for your teen beats the boredom blues, but leisure skills are vital coping skills for teens as well. Diverse coping skills help teens avoid substance abuse issues as well as improve general mental health and well-being.
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At-home activities for teens can be done indoors or outdoors, with friends or alone. It’s important to try new things so your young adult can build self-confidence and esteem as they acquire new talents.
Indoor Activities for Teens to Do at Home
There’s no need for your teen to spend lots of money or even leave the house when they are bored. There are plenty of interesting indoor activities that provide endless hours of entertainment.
From crafting to community service, there are literally hundreds of leisure pursuits to keep your teens active and exploring their problem-solving and creative talents. Next time your teen says there is nothing to do, give this a try.
Bake a New Recipe
Baking is fun because it can be done individually or with a group of friends. If your family is a fan of popular shows such as The British Baking Show or Cake, try a new recipe or technique from the show. You can even turn it into a friendly competition. Have your teen try a new technical skill such as getting the fluffiest scrambled eggs or the perfect flaky pie crust. Change out brown sugar with white sugar and see what happens to your chocolate chip cookie. (This makes it educational, too, but don’t tell the kids!) Pineapple Dole Whip is another fun recipe to try for teens.
Pizza Night
Almost everyone loves pizza, but we all have our definite likes and dislikes. Your teen can host a pizza party and let all their friends make their own pizza. I love these pizza pans and supplies. Make smaller pizzas to experiment with different topping combinations and crust styles.
Redecorate or Organize
This might sound a bit humdrum, but approach it with enthusiasm. Give your teen complete creative freedom to decorate a wall in your house or their bedroom. It’s always surprising what a pair of fresh eyes and perspective can bring to a space. Give your teen a few parameters, tell them you have faith in their creative abilities, and let them get to work. They might choose some fun lights, unique artwork representing your love of the outdoors, or a useful organization system.
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Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are a classic past-time for good reasons. This is another educational activity for teens to do at home either by themselves or with friends and family members. Our family loves 3D puzzles for a real challenge.
Journal
Do you have a budding writer in your family? Encourage your teen to take some time to themselves and meditate or reflect on their day in a journal. Give them writing prompts if they need help getting started. New pens and stickers never hurt either!
Time Capsule
Time capsules capture a moment of your life and put it away for a while. Your teen could include things like popular songs, viral moments, their favorite teams, the biggest news stories, etc. They could also write a letter to their future selves. Make your own or use a time capsule kit.
Workout
Keeping the mind and body active are important for overall wellness. Staying at home means your teen can try lots of different styles of workouts by using videos from Youtube. If your teen loves TikTok, try a trending workout. These are quick, full-body exercises that are much harder than they look. A jump rope and set of dumbbells or kettlebells might be all the equipment your teen needs. Invite friends over and practice agility drills or circuit workouts.
Books
In the digital age, it can be easy to forget the pure joy of curling up with a good book. What’s your teen’s favorite topic? Read a new genre or author. In the summer take your book outdoors and stretch out in a sunny hammock. In the winter, opt for a cozy blanket and a fireplace.
Tip: If you’re leaving the house, try Car Bingo and other Fun Road Trip Games
Classic Movies
I know, I know, we’re trying to get teens away from screens. However, watching some classic movies or old TV shows can get the whole family involved. Try watching a movie from the year your teen was born or from a different category than normal. Your teen can host a movie marathon with their friends, too. They’ll be forging connections the entire time.
Photo Collage
Teens can get creative with this one, using old photos, magazine cut-outs, or even personal items like jewelry to create a unique piece of art. Incorporate paint, nature finds, or small trinkets and toys.
Create a Vision Board
The teenage years are the perfect time for dreaming. Let your teen explore their priorities for education, friends, relationships, and future careers with vision boards. They can make them with poster supplies and old magazines or learn how to make them on Canva.
Spa Night
A spa day is perfect for when your teen needs some peace and quiet and self-care, but it’s also a fun social activity with all the friends. Make bath bombs, use face masks, give each other mani/pedis, or try new makeup and hairstyle trends with the help of Youtube tutorials.
Community Service
Is your teen active in their community? What organizations or causes do they care about? Volunteer work such as phone calls, web design, mailings, and some projects could all be done at home. Gather items for the local foodbank or homeless shelter in your neighborhood. There are many ways to I’ve back to the causes your teen is passionate about.
Cup Stacking
Sometimes it’s the simplest activities that are the most fun. I have yet to meet anyone who can resist a cup-stacking challenge. For teens at home, they can compete against their own best times or involve younger siblings and friends.
Board Games
Speaking of games, ask your friends to bring their own favorite board and card games and host a game night. If everyone brings a game, there will be something new to try. This article with board games for teens has a few of my favorites.
Consider adding some trick-taking card games like Hearts and Spades to your game night. In these exciting games, players take turns playing cards and aim to win specific “tricks” by playing higher-ranked cards. Trick-taking games are fantastic to play with friends as they involve strategy, bluffing, and a bit of luck, making each round filled with suspense and camaraderie.
So, whether you’re trying to “shoot the moon” in Hearts or bidding your way to victory in Spades, these games are sure to provide memorable moments and lively competition among friends. If you don’t have a deck of cards, you can also play Spades online, as well as Hearts.
Video Game Tournament
Do you remember how fun it was when the old Nintendos first came out and we could play SuperMario with our friends? Love them or hate them, teenagers love video games, and when they are a social activity it’s a great boredom buster.
Paint Together (or Alone)
There are tons of “paint with me” tutorials on youtube. Your teen can do this on their own or lay out some snacks and drinks and do it with a group of friends. Katie Jobling is one of my favorites, but there are several styles and artists to choose from
Outdoor Activities for Teens to Beat the Boredom
Kids these days are on their screens a lot, whether it is for school, playing video games, or other entertainment. While at home activities for teens can be indoors, there’s a whole world out there to explore. If it’s been a while since your teen has felt the sun on their back, give these activities a try:
Hike
Do you live in a good hiking spot? If not, most urban areas have trail systems inside city limits. Try a new trail or revisit old favorites. Don’t forget your water and snacks.
Have a picnic
You don’t even have to leave your house for a fun backyard picnic. If you don’t have yard space, meander to the nearest park or enjoy your picnic basket on your balcony. Target always has fun picnic supplies. This will be more fun with friends so invite your teen’s buddies over. After the picnic try another activity or two off this list as a group.
Frisbee Golf
My teen is lucky because we live right next door to a disc golf course. Your teen can create his own frisbee course in your backyard, though, using buckets, cones, or other landmarks. With friends, he can play a whole game. If your teen is on his own, use this time to perfect his throw.
Hula Hoop
Hula hooping is another classic activity that brings smiles to faces young and old. Your teen will love feeling silly again as they try to keep the hoop up. Make it a competition with younger siblings or friends. Who can keep it up the longest? Who can go fastest? Who can use multiple hoops?
Scavenger Hunt
Set up a scavenger hunt for your teen and her friends. Use the cameras on their phones or these old-school polaroids as “proof” they found the item. The scavenger hunt can be focused around your house or even your neighborhood. Include silly items such as a dog wearing a sweater as well as easier seasonal items such as red flowers.
Yoga
Exercise is a great way to boost your teen’s mood and relieve stress. Yoga, in particular, is useful for calming the mind while strengthening the body. Take the yoga mat out to your yard or balcony during the golden hour – right before the sun is setting – for the most peaceful hour of the day. My Yoga Teacher has virtual lessons, too.
Nature Sketch
Get creative. Dust off that old sketchpad or let your teen break out the paints and explore their artistic side. Creating something beautiful is a great way to add value to the world, express yourself, and relieve stress. Sketch nature scenes from around your house. If your teen does this regularly throughout the year, they can sketch the same scene in different seasons to see how it changes. Fresh air, sunshine, and creativity are fantastic for the soul and peaceful, solitary at home activities for teens.
Stargazing
If your teen is more of a night owl, take them stargazing. Buy a telescope to use from their bedroom window and follow the stars. The universe is mind-boggling and your teen will love seeing it a little closer. Use space-themed books to help get your bearings if you need to.
Geocaching
This is another one of those educational activities for teens to try when they are bored, but don’t tell them that. Download the free app for geocaching and have your teen go on an adventure using map coordinates to find a “treasure”. I’m just warning you this is highly addictive and soon you will be geocaching every time you have a spare 15 minutes on a road trip.
Be a Good Neighbor
Does your teen have a special skill he can share with a neighbor? If you have elderly neighbors or harried mom neighbors, encourage your teen to help them out. Yard work, simple car repairs, taking the dog for a walk, or even just sitting on the porch for a chat is a great way to put kindness and love out into the world.
Yard Games
Your teen will love setting up a variety of yard games to play with family or friends. Cornhole, Bocce Ball, ladder ball, and badminton are tried and true games to play at home.
Related: Ultimate List of 34 Outdoor Games For Teenagers and 12 Fun Outside Games For Kids
Plant a Garden
If the season is right, let your teen start a garden. Will it be flowers or vegetables? Make sure they have the right garden tools to get started. If outdoor space is limited, use containers on a balcony, or even a countertop garden with a grow light.
Paper Airplane Contest
If the weather is bad, your teen can do this indoors as well, but on a sunny day hold a paper airplane contest in the backyard. There are loads of YouTube tutorials and fancy airplane paper to get you started. Test out different styles with your friends. Try to hit the Guinness World record of 88.318 meters.
Organize a Football Game
If you have access to a backyard or a local park, organize a football game with your teenagers. Other full-body backyard games could be Ultimate Frisbee, kickball, or soccer.
Tie Dye
Who doesn’t love bright colors in swirly designs? Load up on rubber bands and dye for the ultimate outdoor fun for teenagers at home. Do this outside to save on the mess. T-shirts, socks, bags, and hats can all be tie-dyed.
Obstacle Course
Creativity meets physical activity. Teenagers are great problem-solvers and can be daredevils. Let them go wild making an obstacle course for their friends or little siblings.
Waterfight
Break out the super soakers and buckets for an old-fashioned way to cool off in the summer. Teens will have fun ganging up on each other and forming alliances with their friends. If it’s wintertime, change this to a Nerf battle or flashlight tag.
Taking some time for yourself is important at any age, but it’s especially crucial during those teenage years. Whether done indoors or outside, these at home activities for teens are teaching healthy coping skills as well as providing much-needed laughter and fun. Next time your teen is feeling bored or lost, try one of these and see how they feel afterward. Activities that engage both mind and body help your teen stay active and healthy both physically and mentally. There are endless possibilities for things to do at home – it just takes a little bit of creativity and initiative to find them.
What was your teen’s favorite? Drop it in the comments here or share it in our facebook group, too.
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This list is a lifesaver for parents! I remember my teen always complaining there was nothing to do. Baking a new recipe sounds great, like making that crazy rainbow cake I once attempted. And redecorating their room? My kid would love that. Do you think these activities are more effective if parents join in, or should teens do them solo to build independence? Also, any tips on getting teens excited about less obvious ones like journaling?