Engaging in quality time with your teen can help promote trust and strengthen your relationship. There are tons of fun activities you can do with each other if you want to to spend some time together.
Spending Time Together
It can be tricky to get your teen to agree to spend time with you, especially if they're overwhelmed with school and extracurriculars. Teens also tend to prioritize their friendships, which is incompletely normal developmentally, but can put their relationship with their parent or parents on the back burner. Planning on doing a fun activity together allows you to connect with your teen and enjoy each other's company.
Check Out a Trampoline Park
Trampoline parks are really fun if you and your teen are both active and don't mind acting a little silly. Trampoline parks are rooms covered wall to floor in trampolines letting you both bounce around and have a great time together.
Take an Impromptu Trip
Day trips are a great way to bond with your teen. Head somewhere where the drive is beautiful and you can stop at cool pit stops along the way. This can include a famous restaurant, bakery, or scenic lookout. You can spend some time loosely planning out your trip together and enjoy the spontaneity.
Explore a National Park
National parks are great places to have picnics, take pictures, and spend time together hiking. If you don't live close to one, you can plan on road tripping and spending the weekend there exploring and having a relaxing time together. This can be a great way to get grounded, unwind, and really connect with your teen without all the distractions of the day to day grind.
Head to a Break Room
Break rooms are fun places to go if you both want to break the rules. Break rooms provide you with plenty of objects to smash, drop, and throw. This can be a great place to go and have fun destroying things together. This can definitely make for a unique memory with your teen.
Build Something Together
If you want to embark on a more long term project with your teen, spend some time thinking about what you'd like to build or fix up together. This can include anything from a computer, to a complex puzzle, furniture, old car, or a bicycle. Doing a project together offers plenty of bonding time, and helps you both work on your communication, problems solving skills, and teamwork.
Go Rock Climbing
If your teen enjoys doing something active, head to a rock climbing gym and spend some time together. Rock climbing is a great activity to do together because it reinforces teamwork and communication. You can either spot each other, or climb side by side. Both ways encourage a joint effort.
Enjoy Horseback Riding
If your teen enjoys horses, spend an hour or so horseback riding together. Riding lessons and trail rides will vary in price depending on the stable, but there are plenty of options available. Spending time with horses promotes relaxation, connection, and emotional intelligence. Doing this activity together is a fun way to let loose, enjoy a relaxed conversation with each other, and bond on a deeper level.
Try Paint Balling
If your teen is competitive, paint balling together can be a great way to team up and burn off some excess energy. Paint balling allows you to create a strategy together and work on nonverbal and verbal communication. These skills can translate well when you're back at home.
Volunteer Together
If your teen is interested in giving back to the community, pick an organization that you both care about and find some time to work there together. Volunteering is a great mood booster and can be very grounding. It offers an incredible opportunity to spend time together doing meaningful work.
Try a Cool Food Truck or New Restaurant
If you and your teen are adventurous when it comes to trying food, look up well rated food trucks or restaurants and plan a day where you can try them out. Food trucks will often send out notifications for their location and it's fun to plan on finding them once they've announced where they'll be stationed. This gives you time to bond in the car ride over, and while you try out your meal.
Get a Visit From a Mobile Spa
If you and your teen want to spend a relaxing day in, have a mobile spa come to the house and spend some time getting pampered together. Mobile spas usually offer massages, facial treatments, and nail care. Having an easy going day at home gives you the opportunity to chat and enjoy each other's company while relaxing.
Enjoying Your Time Together
No matter what you end up doing with your teen, making an effort shows them that you love and care about them. Pick something that you'll both enjoy and have a great time together.
