Fun Things for Teens That Are Free

Borrow DVDs, CDs and Even Books at the Library

• Libraries offer so much more than books and a quiet place to study. Your teen can go to the library and bring home some of her favorite movies and music without spending a dime. In most metropolitan libraries, the selection is vast and varied, with offerings for your teenager as well as the whole family. Ask her to create a weekend film festival by finding something for herself and for each member of the family. The movies can also serve as a way for her to entertain her own friends. She can create a movie club; each friend can check out a movie and they can gather weekly at someone's house to watch together.

  The CD selection is also stellar at many libraries, so instead of buying that new CD, have your teen reserve her favorite title until it is available to borrow.

  Encourage her to stop in the book stacks while she's there. While the library offers much in the way of multimedia entertainment, remind your teen that nothing replaces her own imagination.

Plant a Family Garden and Landscaping

• If you have some seeds ready for planting and a bored teen, ask him to help you plant and tend to the garden. Invite his friends over to help, too. Gardening is hard work that yields visible rewards of which a teen can be proud, such as staying physically fit and having a crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, or anything else that you choose to plant.

  Your teen can mow the lawn and trim the hedges at this point too, so the work doesn't end at the edge of the garden. While your teen may view this task as a "job" and not be excited about it, he also might enjoy getting to finally work with yard equipment and being outdoors.

Start a Running Program

• Your teen can start a running program. If you or other family members enjoy running, this could be a good chance to spend quality time together. Encourage your teen to seek out other runners since she shouldn't run outside alone. Even if she runs with friends, make sure she takes her cellphone. This will be a good social outlet that also encourages physical fitness.

Start a Recycling Campaign

• Your teen can make a difference in your community by building a team of friends to promote recycling. This effort can be as simple as word of mouth from one teen's family to the next. The kids can email one another offer to take responsibility for each of their respective family's recycling awareness and action. If you have neighbors without children, the teenagers can offer to help them with their recycling. Make sure whatever the teens do works in consort with the city's recycling efforts.

Learn Something New

• This activity can be done easily and without any funds by, once again, a visit to the library. Your teen can learn a new language by checking out a CD set from the library. If she wants to learn to knit or sew, she can check out a book or DVD for those types of craft activities as well.

  The internet offers a wealth of free learning activities so your teen can explore just about anything they might have an interest in.

Go Window Shopping

• Even if your teen can't afford to buy something new, she can still go out with a friend or two and look at all of the new clothes and gadgets. This might spark ideas about how to create new looks out of what's already in her closet. Remind her that the outing is more about being with her friends and enjoying conversation than the actual window shopping.

Volunteer

• Service is a positive way for your teen to spend his time. Helping others creates invaluable learning experiences and looks great on a college resume. He can choose whatever piques his interest since there is need in so many areas. He can visit a nursing home and help out with the elderly, volunteer as a coach in a local sports league, or work at the local museum or library. If your teenager has an idea about his future career, volunteering is a way to gain knowledge and experience about the field.

Going to the Dogs

• Many parks feature dog specific locations and meeting points for people with dogs. If your park doesn't feature this, encourage your teen to start such a gathering with his friends. His friends shouldn't feel left out if they don't have a dog of their own--they can help out a neighbor by bringing their dog or bring a frisbee or other toy and just join in. This activity is a great way for teens to get exercise and socialize in person, rather than via the Internet, cellphone and text messaging.