Summer Bucket List for Teens: Ten Ideas and Activities

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With Summer holidays looming over the horizon, you may be wondering, “what activities can I do with my teenagers?” Teens aren’t children, they aren’t yet adults and it can be really easy for them to get bored.

Activities that involve the entire family and are still engaging for teenagers can seem few and far between. But opportunities to bond as a family and engage with your teens are still there, both outdoors and indoors. 

Check out this fun Summer Bucket List for Teens. I’m sure there is something your teenager will enjoy during the up and coming Summer months.

Outdoor Activities for Teens

It’s summer. The weather is finally sunny and warm. No-one has to bundle up against the cold.

The Summer is the perfect time to explore the outdoors as a family, when the elements are at their most peaceable. Here are some fun outdoor activities for teens to enjoy!

1 — Beach Activities for Teens

The beach is a literal giant sandbox, a bed of creativity where anyone can entertain themselves.

While the little ones play in the sand, your teen(s) can be off exploring rock pools, looking for shellfish, or simply sunbathing.

The beach is a paradise. Seize the opportunity while it is warm and add a beach trip to your teenage Bucket List.

2 — Fishing for Teens

There is a fascination within all of us for where our food comes from. Take your teens to the pier, the jetty, stream or even back to the beach.

Make a simple handline, get some bait and wait for a bite! Catching and cooking fish could be a fun Summer Goal for teenagers to try out.

3 — Plan a Hike for Teens

It isn’t just warm near the water during Summer. Now is the time to head into the woods and explore the unknown.

Get away from the internet, lose the cellphone reception and find time to bond with your teenager without distractions.

Inspect nature in the way that is impossible in the winter. Whether it is a small day hike or a multi day tramp, hiking is a surefire way to make fun Summer memories. 

4 — What Is Geocaching?

This activity doesn’t involve going bush for an entire day. In fact Geocaching is a treasure hunt. This is treasure hunting for teens and adults.

Caches are located (and hidden) by their geolocation and their GPS coordinates. The challenge ranges from one star (findable within a minute,) to five stars (requiring specialised tools, training and equipment to find.)

The variety of challengers are accessible and engaging to all ages is perfect for a family outing with teenagers. 

5 — Go to the Park and Play Some Footy.

Visiting the Park might not seem to be the most attractive option to your teenager, and this Bucket List activity may require some planning. However, going to the park with your teen is simple and budget friendly.

Gather a group of teens, get a ball, and find an open greenspace. Without the constant grind of school, and the familiar friendly faces of school life, the summer holidays can be deceptively lonely.

Organise with your teenagers, make them part of the planning and help them to remain social during the School Holidays.

Indoor Activities For Teens

Sometimes the weather does not want to play ball. Despite the best laid plans, the weather might simply be too windy, or it may be raining.

Or maybe you just aren’t able to go outside. Either way, here are some fun indoor activities for teens.

6 — Classic Movies for Teens

Why not add movies to your Teenage bucket list. Watch a classic movie with your teen. It wasn’t long since you were their age.

The music, the language of teenagers and yes, the movies they watched have changed. Share with them what it was like for you.

You may remember going to watch Star Wars at the movies , or watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, but they won’t. 

7 — Make a Tic-Tok.

The dances on tic-tok videos can be surprisingly difficult to master. Why not create a tik tok video with your teen.

After bonding and sharing teenage activities of the past, why not bond by sharing some of theirs? 

8 — Writing a Letter

The world is increasingly moving away from print, but print still has its charm. Encourage your teens to write to friends near and far.

Practice handwriting, show you teen the right way to write a letterhead (a skill that is hardly used anymore.) Perhaps you can have a competition with your teen(s) on who can make the fanciest loops in the signature? 

Maybe they can learn Calligraphy or do something random like write a letter to the Queen.

9 — Cooking With Teens.

It is widely recognised that cooking is an essential skill in adult life. It is also recognised that cooking is criminally non-existent as a skill for those that have newly left-home. How about teaching your teenager to cook?

Together, choose something that you’ve never tried before, and make it together! We have 100’s of fantastic recipes here on The Inspiration Edit.

Teach your teens how to make pancakes or something more exotic like how to make homemade sushi.

10 — Board Games for Teens

Your teen (as mentioned in the outdoors section,) likely has friends. The greatest influence on a teenager, and their direction in life, is their peers.

There is no better opportunity to get to know your teenagers friends than through a cut-throat game of risk, or monopoly, where negotiations are from a simpler age: no internet and winner takes all.

Without a plan, the summer holidays can be brutally boring for teenagers. If the activities you plan do not align with what your teen desires, you may be faced with the most stubborn and morose species on the planet, homo teenagus morosus.

If your plans are built with teenagers in mind, then not only will the summer become fun, you will also be able to share a bonding experience with your teen which might just deepen your relationship.

I hope you love this Summer Bucket list and find some fun ideas for teens which both parents and teenagers can enjoy together.

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