Quiver0f10 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 We have been spending way too much time at the computer, Xbox or TV. They do enjoy reading but I would like some ideas for other things for them to do. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 (edited) Trampoline. Baseball. Basketball. Setting things on fire. (No, I'm not kidding.) Longboards. Walk to the park. (It's a local, safe, teen hangout) Climb trees. Make videos (usually involving the trampoline, fire, and trees). They also do a lot of XBox and Kinect though. ETA: They would ride bikes, but they refuse to wear helmets and I refuse to let up on that rule. Edited April 20, 2012 by Jennifer in MI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Play board games - they get into complex long games like Risk Mow the yard/ mulching/ weeding Painting - after working last summer for a painter....ds 17 is mine!!! :) Chores Baking Woodworking Computer programming - my ds17 requested a book on how to make iphone apps Dog training Movie Making- we got my 13 & 14 yo a flip camera for Christmas along with a "how to make movies" book. This has occupied them for hours. They are almost finished with a 28 minute movie which they started working on in Jan. Airsoft Wars Working out - we have a weight bench and free weights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Trampoline. Baseball. Basketball. Setting things on fire. (No, I'm not kidding.) Longboards. Walk to the park. (It's a local, safe, teen hangout) Climb trees. Make videos (usually involving the trampoline, fire, and trees). They also do a lot of XBox and Kinect though. ETA: They would ride bikes, but they refuse to wear helmets and I refuse to let up on that rule. Our boys would have so much fun together! I told them no fires in their movies, and then dh goes and buys ds a swiss fire starter for his birthday last week. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Our boys would have so much fun together! I told them no fires in their movies, and then dh goes and buys ds a swiss fire starter for his birthday last week. :glare: LOL! Sounds like our husbands would get along too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I'm wondering too. Our weather doesn't cooperate for much outdoor time during winter and even spring here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Reading Fencing Swimming Just got a camera so playing with photography Legos...he makes model weapons Pursuing his love of mythology Working on computer programs PS3 games Hiking Relaxing at the park Driving me crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Buy them all ukeleles. :D It keeps our busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Novel writing Lego building Organizing collections (Yugeo? cards, Pokemon cards) Reading Researching comparative religions Writing comics Nerf wars (nerf swords, guns, etc.) Talk with friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 (edited) Teen 1: plays tennis daily - hours of it. Plays x box maybe three hours a week. Plays the guitar a bit. Reads. Hangs with friends. Fishes when he gets the chance. Teen 2: Plays the violin. Works hard on his guitar. Listens to hours of music. Does p90x every day. Reads. Edited April 20, 2012 by Danestress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 The mention of fires reminded me of my brother. He built a potato gun as a teen and in his early twenties started building fireworks. He also did computer programming. As a teen I read, knitted and quilted. All of us play piano and enjoyed long monopoly games with some house rules or scrabble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Part-time jobs, working out at gym, writing a novel (this takes lots of time), writing and playing music (this takes lots of time too), taking walks, going on bike rides, community theater, hanging out at coffee shops with friends, chores around the house, cooking/baking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 My 17-year-old daughter follows a variety of vloggers on YouTube for news and entertainment and participates in the associated forums. She reads. She plans weddings (despite the fact that she isn't dating) and designs rooms. She spends a fair amount of time on Pintrest. She chats with friends on Facebook. She finds and prepares for auditions and, when she's in a show, runs lines and does LOTS of research in preparation. My 14-year-old son builds assorted contraptions in the backyard and designs and makes costumes. He reads a lot. He's helping to brainstorm physical (non CGI) effects ideas and fight choreography for a film a friend of his plans to make. He watches more TV than I'm really happy admitting. That's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 buy them all ukeleles. :d it keeps our busy. don't do it!!!!!!!!! It's a trap'!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 We have been enjoying some great board games. Forbidden Island and Pandemic are cooperative board games. Everybody wins or everybody loses, because you are working together towards a common goal. I think both of them are for 2-4 players. Forbidden Island generally takes about 30 minutes and Pandemic is about 45-60 minutes. I like that the games are long enough to really get into, but short enough not to take up your entire day. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/65244/forbidden-island http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/30549/pandemic While we have played both games with 3 players at a time, we mostly play 2 at a time. Aside from that, my 13yo spends a lot of time playing guitar and banjo and taking pictures my 16yo spends a lot of time reading fanfic on the computer and reading manga or science fiction/fantasy at home along with quite a bit of time at the park, my 19yo draws or paints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butterflymommy Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 DS-- video games / TV/ movies, cooking, paces back and forth in his room for hours :glare: DD-- draws, writes, plays with younger sisters, cooking, gardens, paces around aimlessly, babysits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 DS13 bike riding, reading, hanging out with his friend, he loves if we head to the provincial park or other natural area. DD12 not officially a teen but close enough, she plays with friends, draws, reads, plays little pet shops still, creates plays with little sis and brother, bakes, writes poems/songs/stories sometimes, creates art. They both spend too much time on electronics so working on that. Hoping to get both into music lessons again soon so they will be spending time practicing again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I answered in your other thread on 7 to 12 yr olds, but my 14 yr old does much of the same. He plays Lego and board games with his brothers. He reads. He plays Minecraft. He goes out in the backyard and hits the tennis ball against the back wall. He is usually happy to spend time with his littlest brother, either playing along in some game the 7 yr old made up, or coming up with some new game for all 3 of them to play. He takes tennis lessons 2x/week, which uses up about 45 mins to 1 hr of his day. (the lessons are in our neighborhood and he walks/bikes there) But, again, breaking up the day helped us a lot. So much easier to fill 2 or 3 hours, twice, than to fill 4 or 5 or 6 hours all at once. (that seems long, but DH doesn't get home until 6:30 pm most nights, sometimes as late as 7:30, so if the boys are up by 8 then we've got 10 hours of a day. Even the oldest getting up at 9, that's still 9 hrs or more, so we have a LOT of hours to fill once school is done....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Teen 1: plays tennis daily - hours of it. Plays x box maybe three hours a week. Plays the guitar a bit. Reads. Hangs with friends. Fishes when he gets the chance. Teen 2: Plays the violin. Works hard on his guitar. Listens to hours of music. Does p90x every day. Reads. This reminds me --- all of mine also play keyboard, so that's some time right there. Plus we have a cooking class (sort of) that I do once/week at the house for the kids, and on those days a friend often stays over, so that takes care of that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Snort...:lol::lol::lol::iagree: don't do it!!!!!!!!! It's a trap'!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Trampoline. Baseball. Basketball. Setting things on fire. (No, I'm not kidding.) Longboards. Walk to the park. (It's a local, safe, teen hangout) Climb trees. Make videos (usually involving the trampoline, fire, and trees). They also do a lot of XBox and Kinect though. ETA: They would ride bikes, but they refuse to wear helmets and I refuse to let up on that rule. That sounds like my boys! My 13 is outside and has a fire going right now. AND he has a scrape on his forehead from falling out of a tree. :confused: My teen girls have learned to stay clear when these thing are going on. A few years ago, now 18yo cooked ants over the fire, told the girls it was something else, and had them eat them. My teen girls also like to make videos (usually pure silliness), play board games, cook/bake, or jump on the trampoline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 swimming and diving, sewing, making jewelry, drawing, playing an instrument, listening to music and reading, biking, playing with our pets, yard work, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasia Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 My 13 year old spends a little too much time on the computer (tumblr and youtube, mostly), but he also spends a good chunk of time reading, running, playing outside with his brothers and neighborhood friends, playing piano, writing songs and listening to music. Also, he's recently started baking a lot and decorating cupcakes and cakes. He's getting really good at it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 My oldest are girls. They cook, knit, crochet, sew, run their own service project, read, sit outside, play with the neighbors, ride their bikes, roller skate, occasional wii. Did I mention cook? Oh yeah, and cook. A. Lot. Our kitchen is always going. We do eat lots of homemade breads and desserts because of dd #1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Thank you all for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 My teen boys' non-school waking hours are primarily spent doing sports and working. They spend very little time on the computer, watch almost no television, and we don't have Xbox or anything or that sort. That leaves, er, working and doing sports.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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