Non electronic activities for teen boys

[Jean in Newcastle]

None of teen boys around this area have any trouble finding electronic entertainment, so I won't ask about that. But other than organized sports or skateboarding at the park, there doesn't seem to be as much interest in non-electronic activities. What are some ideas (active as well as inactive, indoors as well as outdoors, solitary as well as group) that do not plug in and would be interesting for teen boys? (Girls seem easier for me to come up with ideas for - perhaps since I remember what I did! and perhaps because they are often craftier).

[Parrothead]

They can build something.

[TechWife]

Have you looked at the BSA merit badges for ideas? They are full of activities for teen boys. You can look here for a list of badges and their requirements - perhaps your son would be interested in learning a new hobby or practical skill if he knew what was available.

 

Has he considered volunteering? Mowing lawns? A sport?

[LibraryLover]

I had a group of 15/16 /17 yr old kids over Friday night and my oldest supervised as they built a fire in our outdoor pit. Boys like fire. :D They also asked me for a jar so they could collect fire -flies. Big hulking boys catching fire-flies. I kid you not. lol They also gravitate towards our drums and marimba. There is a lot of percussion action around here.

 

We also have : basketball hoop, tether ball, bikes, yard work...lots and lots of yard work. ;) Throwing tennis balls and frisbee for the dog to fetch.

 

Indoors...my 16 ds enjoys Bananagrams, Scrabble, Apples to Apples, Guesstures, even Uno still, and right now, don't ask me why, 3 of my kids (two teens, one 11 yr old) are playing Whoville Monopoly... My 16 yr old ds also spends quite a bit of time at the piano (he is not currently taking lessons, but has in the past).

Edited June 20, 2010 by LibraryLover

[m0mmaBuck]

My 18 yo loves board games like Risk, Monopoly, Axis and Allies... He occasionally plays Dungeons and Dragons with some neighborhood kids. He is an Eagle Scout so I second the merit badge idea. He also volunteers at the Salvation Army soup kitchen. He likes leatherworking and woodworking as well.

 

What about odd jobs? Cleaning gutters, mowing/weeding, dog walking...

[coffeegal]

Both my 12 and 13 yos love to play Monopoly, Risk, Clue, and the Mad game. The boys also draw, are working on a model castle, read, write, create comics, and play with legos. The boys and their friends (10-14 yos) at park day play a lot of tag (I had no idea there were so many variations), an invented game called pinecone golf, throw pinecones at each other :glare:, play laser tag, and race. They also play informal soccer, wierd variations of baseball, and kickball. This is somewhat electronic entertainment, but ds 12 received a snap circuit set for Christmas. He's made radios, sirens, flashing lights, and other circuits. My oldest also organizes clubs from time to time.

 

We live in an area with lots of college students. I see the young men out playing frisbee, throwing footballs, as well as playing volleyball, rugby, and football. All the sport games are informal get togethers of friends, rather than organized sports. :001_smile:

 

HTH!

[AngieW in Texas]

There are three graduating boys on my street. Two of them spend hours playing basketball. There are two hoops set up outside on opposite sidewalks. The younger boys on the street play with them too. There are only 6 families on our street with kids and we all live on one end of the street, so it works out nicely. The other graduating boy spends most of his time on the computer. My 17yo spends nearly all of her time on the computer. She isn't interested in anything else, but she will occasionally go to the pool with us.

[AnitaMcC]

None of teen boys around this area have any trouble finding electronic entertainment, so I won't ask about that. But other than organized sports or skateboarding at the park, there doesn't seem to be as much interest in non-electronic activities. What are some ideas (active as well as inactive, indoors as well as outdoors, solitary as well as group) that do not plug in and would be interesting for teen boys? (Girls seem easier for me to come up with ideas for - perhaps since I remember what I did! and perhaps because they are often craftier).

 

My teen son does Civil Air Patrol. Boy Scouts is another option. My boys love Magic Cards, World of War Craft cards, board games like Risk, Stratego, etc. Other than that... I have no idea. Oh, they love nerf gun fights, water gun fights. Even big kids (Dh, 30 yr old nephew) get in the fun.

Edited June 20, 2010 by AnitaMcC

[SilverMoon]

I'll add another vote for Boy Scouts. My ds is frequently out camping, hiking and rock climbing this time of year.

[Rene Austen]

Settlers of Catan!! A really terrific board game that seems to be especially attractive to teen boys, at least in the unscientific sample of "Teen boys I am acquainted with".

[Jean in Newcastle]

Settlers of Catan!! A really terrific board game that seems to be especially attractive to teen boys, at least in the unscientific sample of "Teen boys I am acquainted with".

 

Yes, we have this. Ds finds it endlessly fascinating. (I find it numbingly boring - sorry, but I do. I still play it with him though).

[Peela]

My ds14 plays outside with a df13 and a df11, and they roam around the neighbourhood doing boy stuff. They play imaginative games in the street with other kids (cops and robbers type things), and hide and seek. Recently they all made their own sling shots. They went through a very long bows and arrows stage. They climb trees. They have totem tennis and a basket ball hoop and the friends' front yard. They have elaborate social structures amongst local kids.

The other day dh and I were coming back from a walk, and the boys were walking back from the local bush reserve down the road, coming towards us. Ds had a mask over his eyes, and was holding a stick ahead of him. His two friends were leading him home and he was pretending to be blind.

Ds is a little immture - a late maturer- but I am so happy he can still do these imaginative type games. I get worried about the electronics thing, but am reassured when I catch sight of his outdoor play.

[Rosie_0801]

Boffer combat! As long as they take turns in being a referee, they should be fine. You can't do a whole lot of damage with a weapon made of pvc pipe covered with pool noodle, foam for thrusting tips and duct tape.

 

:)

Rosie

[keptwoman]

J does woodworking, designs and builds model boats from scratch, plays games, goes to Venturers (Scouts for 15+ year olds) and sails.

C makes movies, learns magic tricks (he's pretty good!), does lots of craft activities (right now he is making a marionette, his idea), woodworking bits and bobs and lego/meccano. He is also rather partial to War Hammer that his friends have and is keen to get his own set. He's also in Scouts and sails.

Edited June 21, 2010 by keptwoman