Activity ideas for a teen homeschool group in VA?

[cseitter]

I volunteered (silly me:tongue_smilie:) last night to head up the Teen Group for the homeschool group that I am part of. I was trying to come up with some good ideas for things for them to do once a month.

 

Can you give me some ideas outside of like bowling and skating that would be fun a as co-ed group? We live in the Richmond area of VA.

 

Thanks!

[Susan C.]

I have one teen and one college aged, and the thing they like to do the most when friends come over is to get in a great big "huddle" and talk. Maybe a game like Apples to Apples, but we have worn that one out. If we go to the beach, they get in a big group and walk and talk. If they go to the movies, afterwards, again, talk. If we watch a movie, they talk. Even at the coop and dance class, they just wanted to talk.

 

So, my best idea is to get some good munchies (favorites are rotel cheese nachos, chicken wings/tenders, pizza, ice cream, fruit (grapes disappear), etc.) and let them enjoy being around other teens. Homeschoolers do school mostly by themselves, so maybe that is why our group just wants to hang out.

[CO MOM]

We have done a few events over the past year and are planning to try to schedule once a month this year. Some things we've done or are planning: the always popular game and movie nights; service projects - last year we did this in December (food bank); this year we are going to do it in November and link it with Veteran's Day and do something in support of the troops, then watch a war movie; bike ride (we have a trail that runs about 15 miles between two towns, so will do that and provide ice cream at the end); frisbee golf; open gym night at a local school or church; photo scavenger hunt; amazing race type thing; mystery party; a hike; swimming at an indoor aquatic center with slides/wave pool.

 

One lady and her husband in our area put on a Civil War Ball every year which is a big hit. They live in a former country school, so have some fairly big rooms, and she divides the kids over two nights. They all come in costume, and she teaches them different dances.

 

One of the most popular events we did last year was a 20's night. We used TOG curriculum last year, so borrowed some ideas from their unit celebration ideas. The kids all came in costume (from "flappers" to "gangsters" to Old West), everyone brought food that came from that era (we gave them a list to choose from), we hired a girl to teach them dances such as the Charleston, watched Charlie Chaplin silent movies, played board games. They had a great time and it really wasn't that hard to pull together. This year we are thinking of trying a 50's and/or 60's night. We were also thinking of doing an international night, but haven't tried that yet.

 

We always have things well chaperoned, and parents are always welcome to attend. Especially if they have younger teens or just don't know people well, we usually have some moms or dads that come and stay besides the organizers, so that is helpful and we haven't had any behavior/discipline issues. We keep everything low budget (most costumes are homemade or concocted from thrift store finds) and at most ask families to bring food to share and maybe $3/person if there are other expenses.

 

Hope you have a fun year. It seems like a lot of work sometimes, but we are always glad we have done it afterwards!

[Chris in VA]

I'm thinking of our youth group and the fun things they do--

 

We host a Super Bowl party every year, using a projector to put the game up on the wall (a 9 foot screen, anyone? In HD, too!:D)

 

You could go to Poe's house on Halloween and then come back for treats.

 

You could host a caroling party. Come back to a house for hot chocolate and cookies.

 

Check that old theater in Carytown, the one with the organ. Maybe some sort of film festival. Oh, and VCU hosts a French film festival that's a big deal in the Spring--maybe something connected with that? Or show a movie at someone's house, with a cartoon in the beginning and a lot of popcorn!

 

Progressive party--move from house to house, eating one course.

 

All Night Party--do fun things like bowling, rock climbing, movie, eating out, laser tag. Start about 7 and go until breakfast (eat that at IHop or something).

[Blue Hen]

My boys are in a homeschool social / community service group. Here's what's on their schedule:

Swim Party

Hay Ride

Bowling

Assemble Samaritan Boxes

Ski trip

Spend a day cleaning a few elderly homes (names are obtained from one of the local churches)

Costume Party

Game Night --- everyone brings their favorite board game to play

Trip to local Minor League Base Ball Game

Canoe Trip

 

We've also done laser tag, frisbee golf and Alka-Seltzer shoot-out. For the last item each person has an alka-seltzer pinned to their shirt and each person has a water gun. Goal is to hit the other person's alka-selter tablet with water.

 

Carole

[romeacademy]

Our teen group enjoys just getting together to hang out (they call it "game night"). They've also had a couple of bonfires.

 

I think another good idea for teens is service projects. Our group has packed food at Feed My Starving Children and done a group leaf raking project for a family where one of the parents was having health problems.

 

My dd and a group of her friends also attended a dance held by another local group. It was a Hoedown theme and they brought in someone to teach the kids square dancing. It sounded like a lot of fun.

[jewellsmommy]

For Oct. there is a corn maze in Charles City that is awesome. We go to the moonlight ones. Our church youth group loves it. The drive from Richmond wouldn't be that long.

 

http://www.renwoodfieldsmaze.com/

[Pam B]

I volunteered (silly me:tongue_smilie:) last night to head up the Teen Group for the homeschool group that I am part of. I was trying to come up with some good ideas for things for them to do once a month.

 

Can you give me some ideas outside of like bowling and skating that would be fun a as co-ed group? We live in the Richmond area of VA.

 

Thanks!

 

Are you wanting activities or class type things?

[Pam B]

I volunteered (silly me:tongue_smilie:) last night to head up the Teen Group for the homeschool group that I am part of. I was trying to come up with some good ideas for things for them to do once a month.

 

Can you give me some ideas outside of like bowling and skating that would be fun a as co-ed group? We live in the Richmond area of VA.

 

Thanks!

 

I just thought about this- I found a book at a garage sale today (25 cents-awesome!) It's called "Keep 'Em Talking" Real-Life Dilemmas that Teach, by Mike Yaconell. Says it's the perfect youth group resource. You could check into it. It might be a real interesting thing to have discussions of real-world predicaments. Maybe you could be some what of the discussion starter?? Then let the kids chat it up and discuss life's "stuff". You could also have these discussions at different places.

[cseitter]

I am lookin for mostly activities and if it is a learning experience too that is great! thanks for all the ideas everyone. I love the idea of going to Poe's house for Halloween. Now that is scary. LOL

[Tina]

You've gotten some great ideas. Ours have movie nights, and bi-weekly sport afternoons: soccer, softball, hockey, etc.

 

If our family has the kids over for sports at the local park by us, they come back for snacks and chatting.

 

We also have a bunch over a couple times a year to play video games. Of course, some bring a game system and they are usually in several rooms.

 

You could have a game night where they bring various board games--group ones.

 

And then there's the annual drama/comedy production. :D

[Chris in VA]

There's also a corn maze at Belvedere Plantation, about 1.5 hours from you, I think (could be more, I'm not sure).

 

How about holding a coffee house as a fundraiser for an agreed-upon charity? Think talent show--and serve coffee (Starbucks will donate) and snackies the kids make the day before as a group or bring from home. Invite the neighborhood, the homeschooling community, the parents...Have 7 or 8 acts if possible. It's really fun. We do it at our youth group--people bring their lava lamps and we set it up with funky mugs and serve hot chocolate for the kiddos. See if a local church will donate space and seating and coffee urns.