Most high school students look forward to the summer vacation — a period of rest, sleeping in, and hanging out with friends — but a few weeks into the break, they may start to get bored and just spend the rest of their vacation staring at electronic screens. If that doesn’t satisfy them, they may be tempted to try illicit activities such as underage drinking, smoking, and using prohibited substances.
If you’re worried about your teen being too bored in the summer, suggest some fun and productive activities for them to try. Explore non-academic endeavors that can benefit them academically, especially if they are maintaining straight A’s, or at least aiming to score above-average in all their subjects. Keeping your teens busy in their break may help them beat learning loss, particularly if they engage in something closely related to their academics.
Here are some fun and beneficial activities for them to try:
1. Start a Business
If you’d rather have your teen be their own boss instead of work on a summer job, encourage them to start a small business, such as dog-walking, lawn care service, or retail. A business will help boost their sense of responsibility, especially in managing their money.
2. Volunteer Work
Like working, volunteering will also improve your teen’s sense of responsibility. Other than that, they may discover that they enjoy acting out good deeds. Ask the hospitals and organizations around your city or town if they have volunteer programs.
3. Read
If your teen is a bookworm, then they’d most likely spend their entire summer break with their nose in a book. But if you want them to get a little social, encourage them to participate in your local library’s summer reading program or to join a book club. On the other hand, if they’re not into reading or haven’t read in a long time, inspire them to pick up a book by taking them to the local library every week or so, and challenge them to finish a book each week.
4. Music Lessons
Piano lessons may come into your mind first at the mention of music lessons, but your teen may be invested in another genre of music, like alternative rock, and so piano may not be their first choice of musical instrument. They may prefer exciting drum lessons in Sandy, Utah or other metropolitan areas, so find out what your teen likes. Their summer will be extra thrilling and productive if they can manage to make music, too.
5. Arts and Crafts Projects
Summer break is the perfect time to let your artistic teen immerse in their creativity. If they’d like to try making some crafts as well, encourage them to sew, knit, or make a few easy DIY woodworks. If they’re more into writing than drawing, let them compose songs, poetry, or write a novel.
6. Family Responsibilities
If you think the best activity for them would be to fulfil their family responsibilities, such as taking care of their siblings and helping out with chores, that’s also just as productive and beneficial as the activities enumerated above. It also gives your family opportunities to spend quality time together, especially if you go out from time to time for a picnic or swim. You may also squeeze in other interesting activities that also counts as a family responsibility, like gardening.
As parents, keep in mind that you’re not obligated to make your teen do any summer activities because letting your teen decide what they want to do with their time, even if it’s just doing nothing the whole vacation, is also absolutely fine. Some parents believe that boredom helps teens figure out what they want to do with their life, so if that works better for you, don’t be pressured to put them to work. The most important thing is ensuring that your teen stays responsible over the summer break.
