Teenagers will naturally have much more time on their hands over the summer months, and you may be wondering how you can help them occupy their time in a useful way. Below are 6 activities you can suggest in order to help your teens escape the summer boredom:
Get Creative
Not every summer day will be appropriate for outside, especially when the temperature increases. But that doesn’t mean your teenager should spend all of their summer holidays indoors staring at a screen. Consider other ways to keep your teenagers busy this summer indoors.
Encourage them to use their creativity to create something and learn new skills such as how to knit, or Tie-Dye, head to the craft store so you can pick up some paint by numbers. This will not only keep them occupied but will also help them get in touch with their creative side.
Learn something new
Similarly, summer can be a great time to learn something new. Teenagers will have a lot of time on their hands. You can encourage them to learn something they are interested in and devoting a summer to learning a new skill. It could be an instrument, craft, learning a new sport, coding or even attending summer schools that aim to teach teens how to start their own business; the possibilities are endless.
Adventures
Exploring the outdoors is an excellent way for your teenagers to spend their summer. This is something you can do together as a family or something that your teenager can embark on with their group of friends. Your teenager can explore different parts of the island including going on nature trails or beach spots that they had never seen before. They can then document each new place by taking pictures of their adventures.
This can help them to appreciate different areas of Malta and Gozo and what the country has to offer rather than always sticking to the same places.
Bucket List
Don’t forget summer should be fun. Everyone needs a break and teenagers are no different. Creating a family bucket list can get the whole family involved when it comes to brainstorming ideas of how to make this summer a memorable one. This can include a variety of activities such as outdoor activities like hikes, picnics, BBQs, swimming and indoor activities like family games nights, eating dinner together, scavenger hunts and redecorating.
Helping Out Around the House
The start of summer holidays does not signify the end of all responsibilities. Teenagers need routine and stability in order to be able to understand the value of responsibilities. Make it clear to teenagers what you expect of them during the summer months. You can provide them with a list of daily tasks that become their responsibility. Whilst also being a huge help to you as guardians, it will also teach them important soft skills and values.
Find a Summer Job
Finally, the summer can also be a great opportunity for teenagers to dip their toes in the working world and start building up their CV. Should your teenager decide to get a summer job, this would be a good time to have a conversation with them about how to build a CV, how to look for a job and write a cover letter, as well as how to be financially responsible.
They may also choose to volunteer instead of finding a summer job.
It is important to also teach teenagers how to maintain a work-life balance. Therefore, their summer should not be all play and no work, likewise it should also not be inundated with summer jobs and chores – finding the right balance will help them learn the value of responsibilities whilst also ensuring that they relax in their holidays.
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Stef Gafa’ is a counsellor with Willingness who has a particular interest in trauma, attachment, domestic violence, and the LGBT community.