Weekend Ideas for Teens

As your child ages into a teenager, he begins to widen his social circle and the activities he enjoys. You notice that he's interacting with more kids his age from school and around your neighborhood, and you want to make sure he participates in activities you approve of with kids you know.

  1. Game Room Party

    • Offer to host a daylong game room party for your teen and her friends. Include games like foosball, ping-pong, pinball and air hockey. You can get several extra controllers for your game system. Make sure to have plenty of food.

    Laser Tag or Paintball

    • Round up your paintball guns, buy a large supply of paintballs, get the laser tag vests and laser guns, and have your teen invite his friends, both male and female. Lay in a large supply of water and sports drinks, because the kids will get thirsty running around. If you don't have the space to host this kind of event, reserve a block of time at the local paintball or laser tag range. Provide plenty of adult supervision to ensure safety for all participants.

    Spa Party for Girls

    • Plan a special "girls day out" party at your house for your daughter and her girlfriends. Have a supply of cosmetics, nail polish, polish remover, supplies to make jewelry, and foods the girls enjoy.

    Video Game Tournament

    • Set up a video game tournament for your son and his friends. Make sure you have a large supply of food such as chips, pizza, sodas and water. Invite the boys to bring their own favorite video games, marked with their names. Invite one or two of your own friends to help host, prepare food and supervise.

    Holiday Parent-Hosted Party

    • Discuss your idea of hosting a holiday-themed party--Halloween, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July--with your teen. Choose a day and time for the party, buy and prepare plenty of food for hungry teens, and decorate your house for the holiday. Plan games that teens would enjoy, and make sure everyone participates.

    Bonfire Night

    • Suggest to your son that he invite a few friends over for a bonfire night. Make sure he understands that he can only have an agreed-upon number of friends over, so the party doesn't get out of control. This idea works best for those families who live outside the city limits.

      Make sure you have a good supply of wood and fallen tree twigs, matches and buckets full of water. Buy pizza, sodas, water and marshmallows so the kids can have a marshmallow roast. Invite the parents of one or two of the boys to ensure sufficient adult supervision of the kids and the fire.

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