What are some fun ideas and activities for teens to do in the summer? Please keep in mind: I am 15 years old, so there isn't much transportation or money available. My friends and I are trying to think of some different things that would be a load of fun.
By Gabriela from Portland, ME
I like the idea of doing nature walks with a camera and sketching trees and taking rubbings of their bark and trying to draw pictures of what you see. I love this kind of activity. You could also do paint by numbers and that kind of thing. I like doing things related to nature, picnics, dog walks, etc.
Have you thought about a summer camp of some sort, like from Church. Does you church have any sports activities to join or participate in? Have fun! Have fun!
You and your friends should write a play, practice it and perform for your families. Make them pay something to see it and spend the money on something you couldn't afford to do before.
How about getting folks to give you stuff for a giant garage sale and donating the money collected to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross for the victims of Haiti's earthquake? Or, if you community has a recycling center for which they pay money for items brought in, you can collect soda cans, etc. from your neighbors on a regular basis and turn them in for cash to donate.
If you have access to a piece of land someone will let you dig up, how about trying your hand at gardening? It's more fun to do with friends! You can either supply the veggies to your families, sell them, or grow them to donate to a food bank. Seeds aren't that expensive and your parents might pay for them. You can get books from the library about gardening if it is new to you.
Remember "fun" is in your attitude. What others call work can be fun. I have a friend who has this quote in his work area, "Do what you love and you'll never have to work." Think about it!
Hey I'm 15 too and here are some ideas that my friends and i want to do this summer:
Have a massive food fight (get drenched with nasty condiments and crap) and take hilarious pictures of it
Water fight, if you have some of those intense water guns they're actually so much fun
Backyard camp out as long as one of you has a tent
Sidewalk chalk, may seem immature but with friends its fun, draw exaggeratedly ugly pics of your friends of w.e
Heres something that i did just last weekend. I did a mass text to all my friends saying lets go ice skating. I told them where, when, cost, and to tell all your friends. Then the day before i sent another one to everyone reminding them that its going to be a lot of fun and that i would see them there. I thought it was really fun, although not a whole lot of people showed up, it was a blast! (There is no stress on you, because u just show up!)
You and your friends could make some money and have fun at the same time. I used to help mow yards, baby sit, and do oddsy endsy things for people. As far as free stuff and not having to try to find money, well, I used to and still do go to the beach, libraries (some offer free things like live music, movies, etc.), museums at times are free or for a donation, go to various parks that are within walking distance.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have a teenage son with a disability living in New York. His disability limits the amount of walking he can do. I do drive. I wanted to know what fun activities he can join or do during the summer.
By Milly
Nature walks can be done in small time frames; research beforehand the kinds of trees and flowers in your area and whether or not they are "native" to the area. Download some pictures of trees, leaves, flowers, or other nature-related things for him to look for, then take photos with him and the "found" items.
How about taking him to a place where he can swim or row a boat? Can he ride a bike or could he get a scooter or "hoveround"-type vehicle to ride on?
My friend and I are 15 and 16, we are looking for fun ideas to do during the summer with our friends (boys and girls). We have access to some driving. We would appreciate any ideas! Thank you.
By Anna Sloan from Mesa, AZ
Picnics in a local park, swimming, going for walks/hikes, just get together at somebody's house and sit around visiting, listening to music, dancing, playing board games. You don't need to drive in order to have fun. You can do all kinds of things within walking distance.
When I was young fun basically consisted of the kids walking the street on Saturday night. This was usually in groups of 2-4. Occasionally there was something else to do, but at that time Kids were kept so busy they didn't have to worry about having fun.
None of the kids had cars where I lived. It was very rare when they had access to the parent's car. We were also good at making our own fun, on our own, without being with any of our friends. Fun is whatever you make of what you are doing at the time. Just don't do things that will get you into trouble. In other words "look before you leap."
Check out opportunities to do fun "work"! Things like helping at Vacation Bible School, community projects like planting flowers and painting curbs can be lots of fun for teenagers (especially if you get to squirt each other with a hose), hold a car wash to raise money for your band/cheerleaders/charity etc, volunteer to read to kids at the local library and put on skits for them with your friends, organize a block party in your neighborhood.
After each one of these activities, have a jammin' picnic in a local park or pool, playing your own music (surely someone has speakers for their i-Pod!) and dancing, shooting hoops etc.
When you do have a car, visit some nearby "tourist" thing, attend fireman's carnivals and community days, go to free movies where you take a blanket and sit on the grass.
Most of these things are very low cost and can be a blast for teens who are good friends and like to hang out. Have a great summer! (and don't forget to spend a little time reading - that's a great get-away!)
My friends and I are 17 (girls) and we're looking for more things to do. We have access to a car.
By Taylor H.
Bowling, sign up to volunteer together one day a week or month at a hospital or nursing home, volunteer at the library in a reading program, go horseback riding at a nearby stable, adopt a section of highway to clean, during the summer help at the local senior center or volunteer for meals on wheels.
My friend and I both have two sons ages 13 and 11 and we are looking for some inexpensive ideas to help them enjoy their summer break without breaking our purses. Please help!
By A. Rachel
Well I know boys tend to love going to the lake and fishing! Poles/rods may be a little spendy but they will last for a long time! Or even getting a few kids from the neighborhood and having a fire or a cook out once in a while is always fun! Or you can just go camping with some friends of theirs! Even the friends parents can come which will fun for all of you! Hope I helped!
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What can a teen without money, transportation, or local friends do for fun during the summer?
