At-Home Activities for Teens and Tweens

Shila:  Kids may enjoy keeping a diary or a secured journal that can catch and release internal thoughts. Some online journal apps, too, can be so simple and relevant for today's youth to appreciate. Happy Feed Gratitude, for example, is an app that asks you to snap photos of 3 things that brought happiness throughout the day. Its private feed mirrors a familiar look and feel to Instagram. Kids can create an online personal collection of happy photos to reflect on - minus the social media aspect!

Shila:  Adult coloring books are not exclusive to art lovers above the U.S. voting age. Kids can take advantage of them, too! The pictures are more elaborate and may require slightly more precision, but the end result is just as satisfying - some can even be worthy of a picture frame!

Science appeals to all ages! Tweens and teens can get ideas from their science teacher or browse this list of easy science experiments and select an inspiring one to try at home. It's jaw-dropping fun, and educational too!

Alexandra F.:  Yoga is a calming and centering activity for teens and tweens, and one easily done from home thanks to the many free yoga videos available online. If yoga doesn't interest your teen, there are lots of great (mostly free!) online workout videos that will help them stay active and fit, including pilates, kickboxing, dancing and more.

Shila:  If your teen is often clamped in headphones listening to the latest beats and pop hits, turn that musical passion into a plan! Encourage your child to make a playlist for themselves, for a friend or family member, or even for a party or travel. I know that I'd personally love if someone young and cool could make me new running playlists every month or so! ;)

Alexandra F.:  Whether they use polish or not, giving their hands and feet an at-home spa treatment will keep teens occupied and their fingers and toes looking their best!

Alexandra F.:  My teen and tween love to ask our Google assistant to give them Jeopardy-style trivia questions, but they also enjoy going through our many trivia-style board games and pulling up random cards to test their knowledge. And, since they were introduced to the Kahoot platform in school, they'll sometimes create trivia challenges for one another on there, too.

Alexandra F.:  Most tweens and teens should be able to follow a recipe and safely handle kitchen tools and utensils, so share your favorite easy dessert recipes and send them off to bake the family a yummy treat! If they're into cooking shows, they can challenge themselves to use certain ingredients, make an over-the-top confection, or really focus on presentation.

Alexandra F.:  Though it seems like magic to me, thanks to my son I now know there are several algorithms you can learn to solve this classic 3D puzzle, as well as multiple versions of it beyond the traditional 3x3 cube. Teens and tweens can spend an afternoon or many learning these, or even trying to break their own records for how quickly they can solve it.

Alexandra F.:  The explosion in popularity of podcasts means teens and tweens are sure to find one that fits their particular interests, and they are great for listening to while on walks around the neighborhood, working out, doing dishes and otherwise helping out around the house!

Alexandra F.:  Pull up a good list of riddles to keep teens and tweens thinking and problem solving. The TEDEd YouTube channel has some great - and difficult! - video riddles that my teen likes to tackle.

Alexandra F.:  Get a challenging puzzle, clear off space on your dining room table, and keep your older kids busy for days. This is always a fun activity to try as a family, too, either as part of a family night or over the course of a week or two, with everyone coming to the puzzle on their own time and at their own pace.

Shila:  Not only will your adolescents fill the hearts of others, it can fill their own, too. In addition, this experience could come in handy for a college essay or job interview. Teens can look for volunteer opportunities in their own community, such as visiting a nursing home or helping at a soup kitchen or shelter, and even explore ways of volunteering from home.

Browse a selection of some the best books for middle schoolers or books for high schoolers and encourage your teen to get lost in a new book, or better yet, series of books. Help them create an environment where it's most cozy and fun to read, such as on a picnic blanket outside with snacks, or inside tucked in a bean bag chair, warmed by the fireplace, etc.

Shila:  Even novice runners can set a goal and condition themselves by mastering small intervals at a time. For example, if your teen's goal is to run one mile non stop, she can aim for a quarter mile at first, then a half mile, then three-fourths of a mile and finally, the full mile. They will enjoy the runner's high and perhaps sleep better at night, too.