lllll Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 (edited) .. Edited January 3, 2013 by ksva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Volunteer. Older (16yo +) can do this w/o a parent usually. Not only does it help fulfill those community service hours needed for many scholarships, but you get to meet a lot of really super folks! My dc have worked at the library (college & county), garden club, & sailing club, but there's also the animal shelter, museums, assisted living/nursing homes, hospital. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I think volunteer work is a great way to give back to the community and develop social skills. My oldest is almost 13, and I'm looking at opportunities for him to volunteer with our local library. I'm also going to check on the age requirements for him to volunteer at a museum on the campus of our local university. My oldest also wants to serve as a helper in our church's nursery area next year. He'll probably help out in the 3 or 4-year old room. My husband and 2 oldest sons also volunteer at a local care center associated with our church once a quarter. I'll watch this thread for other recommendations too. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 My dd wants to volunteer at the library but can't unless they have sufficient funds to cover volunteer activities! She can't just come and help out. In our case, the free thing we're doing because dd wants to is going to a different house church about once a week where there are some other teens (we have none in ours.) Her choice. There's no one her age with similar interests in our neighbourhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I wouldn't say 4-H is free, but it's very low-cost for us (no large animals). It opens the door not only to lots of volunteering, but to mentoring and leadership development for my teens. More on 4-H: every state/county may be a bit different, but our 4-H organization provides great financial incentives for active participants. My son regularly earns 4-H scholarship money which can be applied to other 4-H activities. This pays for or subsidizes things like ski trips or teen retreats. Today my son taught a class at our 4-H office. It was a great way for him to give back, but also explore a new 4-H science curriculum that he wanted to check out. The 4-H office gave him a copy of the materials since he was teaching the course. This week, my son and a friend played Frisbee golf at the town's free disk golf course. Ultimate frisbee is a great game that teens can organize at a town's soccer or ball field. (Sometimes groups need to reserve the facility in advance.) Many communities have tennis courts--rackets need not be expensive for teens to have fun volleying a ball about. Teens can explore a town's bike paths, packing a picnic lunch for the adventure. Is there a free swimming facility (lake or beach access) in your community? Go fishing (although that may require a license--depending on the state and age of the participant). Get together with friends to play board and card games. My son does this regularly. They have very serious days in the summer that are dedicated to many hours of a game like Diplomacy. (Not free either--teenaged boys eat a lot. Have each kid bring a snack.) Get together with friends to play instruments and sing. Really. We attend an annual folk sing every summer that brings together almost a hundred people, many of them teens. Are there free lectures or movies at a town facility? Our Rec Center has movie nights for kids. Some communities have free summer concerts in their parks. Obviously much of the above reflects what my son does. His latest craft project involves designing t-shirts using an inexpensive stenciling process and fabric paint. I have a kid who is often looking for things to do on the cheap--he has a tightwad nature. Best, Jane P.S. Most people have garages and storage buildings filled with stuff. Before buying something (like a fishing pole or a tennis racket), a teen could ask a neighbor if he could borrow one. We have loaned out our Lego Mindstorms robotics kit to a family that wanted to explore the product. It never hurts to ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpupg Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Scouting is not free, but it can be very low-cost. Some troops are more cost-conscious than others, so don't be shy about looking around and asking troop leaders how the troop handles expenses. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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