25+ Things Teens Can Do This Summer

With so many jobs, camps and sports cancelled, many of our teens are wondering what this summer is going to look like (and you may be wondering how you are going to keep them off a screen nonstop!). Today’s post includes things teens can do this summer for a fun, active and maybe enriching summer!

Learn A Skill or Hobby

This summer is a great opportunity to pick up a new skill or hobby. My teen daughter is taking an online photoshop class virtually through a local university. My tween daughter is going to take virtual guitar lessons. Many of these are things you can do with your teen!

Brit and Co – Online classes for sketching, hand-lettering, intro to coding, cake decorating, iPhone photography and iPad illustration. I’m sure your tween or teen would love this class on nail art, too! 

Online Classes – Check your local university or Alma Mater. Southern Methodist University offers camps and classes for 7th-12th grades including coding, photoshop, crafts, etc. 

Outschool – Virtual online learning for K-12. 

Typing Pal– My daughters are taking an typing class this summer through Typing Pal. 

Masterclass – an online resource where you can learn all sorts of hobbies from the best of the best. Take a makeup tutorial from Bobbi Brown or set up a with a basketball lesson from Steph Curry, or take a cooking class y from Gordon Ramsay. Fun family activity, too. This is a subscription service that can be cancelled at any time. 

Online stitching classes or order a project here. 

Virtual Guitar or Instrument Lessons – Fender Guitar has free guitar lesson videos right now. Check your local area. Gray School of Music in Dallas is offering all online. 

Babbel –  an online program for learning different languages and right now they are offering free access to all students (including college students!). 

Cookie Decorating: Practice decorating cookies with these fun kits from Le Gourmet! They can be shipped right to your home and delivered to Dallas locals. 

DoSayGive’s Virtual Manners Class for Teen Girls – Click here to be notified about registration. 

Paint by Number/Watercoloring – See our Quarantine gift guide for our picks.  

SAT and College Application Prep– Your teen’s college counselor can advise you on the best ways to use this time to prep for taking college entrance exams and for applying to college. 

Exercise Social Distance Style

Whether exercising or improving skills in a specific sport, these are options you may not know about:

Virtual Golf School: Me and My Golf offers online golf classes taught by PGA coaches. They have beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons and you can do a 7-day free trial to try it out. 

Virtual Pilates Class – Try two classes for $29 at Beyond Pilates Frisco. 

Virtual Soccer One-on-One Training 

CorePower Yoga is offering a selection of online classes for free here.

Nike Run Club is a free resource offered by Nike to track your running and receive coaching that adapts to you.

Gold’s Gym has classes online offered for FREE during this time. 

Peleton Classes– Even if you don’t own a Peloton bike, you can still take their virtual workout classes in the Peloton app. The first 30 days are free! 

Bike rides with friends while being socially distant. 

Tennis/Golf – Might be fun for the whole family to pick up a new hobby together. 

Home gym equipment. Might be a good time to get a weight set or a pull up bar or a treadmill that the whole family can use. 

Air Track – Serious gymnasts and cheerleaders can maintain and practice skills with these popular home tracks. 

Trampoline – I have so many friends with teens who have bought trampolines this spring! 

Top Golf – will have more spread out playing. The Colony in Texas location is open. Others opening soon.  

 

Work/Volunteer

Even though their summer job may have been cancelled, teens can get creative to find other ways to earn money. The tried and true outdoor summer jobs like mowing yard and power washing can still be done. Many golf courses and tennis courts are open so they could check with local country clubs for openings. 

But teens can get creative with offering a skill or service they may have and still work from home. Some ideas that come to mind:

• Many small businesses (maybe even your own!) need help with their social media. Have your social media savvy teen practice their communication skills and reach out to family and friends to see if they could offer their services by creating graphics or posting content or engaging on their social feeds. 
• What local businesses could benefit from your teen’s photography and editing skills? Product based small brands and Etsy shop owners might need help styling and shooting new products. Tip: When your teen reaches out for these types of opportunities have them be specific about how they can help. Not: “Can you give me a job?” But “I am really good at taking photos and editing them. Would it be helpful if I photographed your new products and uploaded them into a dropbox folder? I am also happy and eager to learn how to upload onto your website and learn Shopify.” Even if they don’t get paid very much, having any experience is better than nothing!
• There are still volunteer opportunities available and the needs are so great right now. Have your teen call/email local nonprofits and charities and find how he/she can help. Tip: Even if the answer is no to all these things your teen is getting good experience with communication, phone skills, and other realities of real life!
• What big projects do you need done this summer around the house? Get your teen involved in learning how to paint or repair something. 

What ideas can you share below?