S\o-what do your adolescents (ages 12-16) do in the summer?

[Catherine]

I realize many of us school year round. We will probably do more formal school stuff this summer than we have in the past. My 16 yo has a job and will also be doing math and language all summer-his choice.

 

I have a 12 yo who IMO is ready for a bit more than three months of hanging out at the pool and eating pizza with his best friend, and playing Legos with his 7 yo brother. I still want him to have time to play, and he does, but I'm hoping to find something-volunteering maybe?

 

Please tell me what your young teens do all summer.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Volunteer work, "side jobs," light school part of the time (super light school?), exercise, visit grandma for 2 weeks, etc.

 

Mostly, they still keep up their Bible studies (personal, for meetings, interest based, etc) and do the volunteer work.

 

And they spend a lot of time in front of computers as long as behavior is cool. Both get into writing stories but mostly playing certain online games.

 

ETA: Oh, my daughter is taking 2 college courses.

Edited April 27, 2009 by 2J5M9K

[Jenny in Florida]

My 14-year-old daughter will be auditioning for a couple of theatre things, one tuition-based "summer stock" program and one community theatre show. She'll also be taking dance and voice lessons. And she has volunteered to help run the week-long day camp at our church.

 

She may also be taking an online class or two, although I'm trying to talk her out of it.

 

In between, she'll be visiting with friends and going to the beach and sleeping. Oh, and she told me the other day that she needs to sort through all of her clothes, get rid of stuff and replenish.

 

My son's only 11, but he'll be doing two weeks of "junior intensive" dance camp. He's planning to audition for a different community theatre show, and he'll continue tap and ballroom dance lessons. Toward the end of the summer, he'll go for three days of camp with his choir. He's also going to do some math review to make sure he's ready for geometry in the fall.

[Faithr]

I send my kids to camps: church camps, computer camps, music camps. These are just day camps not overnight. They are weekly events sprinkled throughout the summer. So some weeks they are busier than others. We also go on fieldtrips, do chores like weeding, deep clean the house (all summer to get ready for fall) and spend a week or two on vacation. And then there's the pool/pizza/lego thing, you mentioned! When it is hot out I try to have a movie day where we watch a movie with some educational benefit. Also, we always do a reading challenge either with the library or something I make up.

 

This summer I want my 16 yo to learn to drive and my 14 yo might volunteer at a nearby nature center.

[MamaT]

My 16yo will work for his dad part-time, do some very light school, and hang out with his friends a LOT. I never know how many boys will come up from my basement for breakfast in the summer!

 

He is also participating in Junior Olympics this year, so he will have practices 3x week, plus meets.

 

My 12yo and 9yo will continue with dance and gymnastics through the summer, which will mean 3-4 days a week. They are at levels that do not allow them to take summers off. They will also do some light school.

 

My 10yo son will goof off, go to the pool, finish up this baseball season, and play video games (along with some light school).

 

We also will visit family in Florida for a week and go to the beach for a week.

[Perry]

We do lots of camps

Here are our tentative summer activities:

 

Dd14

Drivers Ed

Poms (school team)

Pom camp and competitions

Dance intensive

College 4 Kids (a local academic camp)

 

 

Dd12

Dance intensive

Dance competition

College 4 Kids

Swim team

Golf lessons

One week of overnight camp through YMCA

 

Ds 11

Swim team

Skating lessons

Skating camp

Hockey camp

RAGBRAI with his dad

Week long Nature day camp

 

We always do a little school every day, and will travel some. There still seems to be plenty of time to hang out at the pool and do other fun stuff.

[Danestress]

My children are really involved in their sports. One will play tennis 3 or 4 hours every day that we are in town all summer. He will compete in tennis tournaments once or twice a month. The other swims daily and has a number of swim meets this summer.

 

They both practice their violins every day and will do a week of Orchestra camp.

 

We will go to the beach a couple of weeks and they will go again in August with our friends.

 

They will spend a couple of afternoons a week with grandparents.

 

And they will read a TON.

 

I project most of this will continue through their teen years.

[Laura Corin]

We have a short summer (one month) so I'm quite happy for them to lie around most of the time. We limit TV, so they read and play a lot.

 

Laura

[Stacy in NJ]

We take a 6 week summer break from "school", from mid-June through the end of July. Dss will spend 2 weeks at day camp and do some weekly sports camps. We'll vacation for two weeks at the end of July, probably in Maine. We start school half time on the first Monday in August, but will spend our afternoons at our local municipal pool with friends.

 

We're in the process of buying an old (1891) house, and I'll spend alot of time this summer with contractors. :confused: I'm hoping to get my guys to help with some of the easier improvements like removing old carpet and painting. We'll see how that goes.:D

 

My oldest just turned 12, so I'm not really looking for independent volunteer opportunities quite yet. Although, In the coming years, I'm hoping he'll try some volunteering and easy jobs.

[Plucky]

My 15 year old son will take summer school, go to boy scout camp, church camp, volunteer work, soccer, continue piano and guitar, camp with the family, work for us, work for neighbors, try to sneak in some homeschooling so we can get ahead, and try to spend a lot of time with his friends.

 

My 12 year old dd will go to church camp, drama day camp, soccer, play, swim, park days, read, garden, continue piano and guitar, school lite, and try to spend time with her friends.

[Plucky]

I never know how many boys will come up from my basement for breakfast in the summer!

 

 

Isn't that the best? I go through a lot of food around here because of teenage boys. They are so much fun.

[2cents]

My girls (one is 12 other is 10) will be doing next year math and language arts and a chemistry unit study. They will do a lot of reading and take part in a teen reading club with the library. We're also going to catch-up on our Japanese language program. We'll work in lots of beach and fun though! :)

[AndyJoy]

Technically I don't have a teen, but I will be borrowing one this summer! My best friend's little brother wants to be an engineer, so he's going to be living with us and working for my husband.

 

He will be:

 

working full time

attending youth group meetings

visiting colleges

playing basketball, raquetball, volleyball, etc. at the gym

swimming

practicing his french horn

learning to rebuild arcade machines

learning to solder

eating me out of house and home (his mom says he would drink 2 gallons of milk a week if she let him--he's already 6'3"!)

[Wendi]

We'll do summer school with breaks in between (two weeks of school, two weeks off). We're going camping with some friends for a few days. A friend of ds's is coming to visit from Florida, and will stay with us. Ds and I will volunteer for Vacation Bible School. I'm thinking of signing him up for theatre camp for two weeks (day camp). We swim, have friends over to swim. We'll probably volunteer more at the rabbit rescue.

 

Wendi