At-Home Activities for Teens and Tweens

Alexandra F. said:  Teens can write a story, keep a journal, dive in to poetry, or find their own preferred way to express themselves creatively in writing. Platforms like Google docs make it easy for teens to share their writing with others, too, in case they want to collaborate with a friend.

Alexandra F. said:  Get a challenging puzzle, clear off space on your dining room table, and keep your older kids busy for days. This is always a fun activity to try as a family, too, either as part of a family night or over the course of a week or two, with everyone coming to the puzzle on their own time and at their own pace.

Alexandra F. said:  The Zooniverse platform allows non-scientists to participate in real scientific research across a wide variety of disciplines, with tasks that can include charting stars and galaxies, monitoring animals in the wild, or deciphering ancient texts. Minors will need to sign up with a parent's consent and email address, but teens can dive into their interests from home while advancing scientific research across the world. Volunteers are generally asked to answer simple questions about documents, images and/or videos provided through the platform to help scientists further evaluate the data.

Alexandra F. said:  YouTube has plenty of tutorials to suit any style and hair type, so next time your teen tells you they are bored, point them in the direction of the comb, hair products and mirror, and tell them to get creative!

Alexandra F. said:  Most tweens and teens should be able to follow a recipe and safely handle kitchen tools and utensils, so share your favorite easy dessert recipes and send them off to bake the family a yummy treat! If they're into cooking shows, they can challenge themselves to use certain ingredients, make an over-the-top confection, or really focus on presentation.

Alexandra F. said:  It's fun to have a trick or two up your sleeves to impress friends or family members, and this easy card trick does not require any sleight of hand or illusions, so total magic newbies can get it down with just a bit of practice. Best of all, it really is impressive!

Shila said:  TV offers a window of entertainment for all ages! Pick a weekend to enjoy a movie marathon (i.e., Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc.) or binge-watch an entire TV show season. Start by browsing parent-to-parent recommendations of TV shows to watch with your tweens and teens, then press play and enjoy! You can also divvy up the screen time by watching one or two episodes a night for a week to spread out the excitement.

Shila said:  Above making money from chores around the house, entrepreneurial teens will love pocketing profit from their own business ideas, products, and/or age-appropriate handy work.

Shila said:  Pitch a tent in your backyard and encourage your older kids to enjoy an all-nighter under the stars. Enhance this "out wild" experience by bringing along flashlights, chill music, and a favorite book.

Try your hand at some creative s'mores recipes that can be made over a firepit or inside an oven, too.

Shila said:  Invite your teen to plan a garage sale. It's more than a single-day event, the foundation of a good sale requires another few day's worth of pulling the right inventory from your home, advertising, setting up tables, and running a precise cash register.

Other options to purging and reselling household items can include managing the job via social media like Facebook, reselling platforms like eBay, or approved online consignment sites like Poshmark (to name a few). Teens can manage the job safely by uploading photos and tracking the sale details online.