Polls and Tips for Tweens and Teens

My high school guy and his friends like to gift each other snacks, either a big assortment as the main gift or as an add-on component. Nerds gummy clusters are a favorite.

A portable JBL speaker.

A nice neutral-colored hoodie with minimal or no branding on it.

LED strip lights for his room.

Pura vida bracelets are popular with the girls at our middle school, and they make a great gift because you can't really have too many.

Spa/bath gifts like shower steamers, sheet masks, bath bombs, bubble bath.

Gift cards to Starbucks or boba places.

My middle schooler has loved receiving upgraded school supplies from friends. A really nice pencil holder with lots of compartments, fun post-it tabs, mildliners, colorful pens and mechanical pencils, etc.

What did the shark say when it ate the clown fish? Tastes funny.

Why does a duck have feathers? To cover his butt quack

What did the triangle say to the circle? You're pointless.

Why should you never give Elsa a balloon? Because she’ll Let it Go.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~Maya Angelou

You've always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself. ~Glinda the Good Witch, The Wizard of Oz

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. ~Wayne Gretzky

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~ Dalai Lama

Shower caddy for transporting stuff to and from communal showers.

Surge protector

Towels and bedding, probably for a twin XL, which is the mattress size they use at many colleges. I have seen them stock up on these at Home Goods around the end of summer.

Hangers

Treasure hunt is a simple yet always fun swimming pool game. Just throw a handful of coins (or other small sinkable objects) into the pool and have the kids dive to get them. Let them keep the coins as a prize or gather them all to throw in again.

Keepy Uppy is an equally fun game to play in the pool as it is out of the pool! Just keep a beach ball (or two or three) up in the air as long as possible.

Air charades is popular with my kids, especially when they're playing with younger kids and everyone has a different swimming ability. It's a spin on traditional charades, with players acting out an animal, dance move, pose or other easy clue for other players to guess. The challenge? You have to act out your entire clue in the second or two you are in the air as you jump into the pool!

Marco Polo is always the first game I think of to play at the pool! Whoever is "it" closes their eyes and wanders around the pool trying to tag the other players. Anytime the person who is "it" says "Marco?" the other players have to respond "Polo!"

Our Pottery Barn bags were great, and seem to be a popular choice at our elementary school. We never had a chance to wear them out, but they definitely were in good shape after 2-3 years (when grandma wanted to get new ones!). Fun designs and personalization available, too. I wouldn't recommend getting the smallest size (as we did in Kindergarten), as kids outgrow them quickly and they really will last a long time.

I bought my son a Nike backpack two years ago and it is still going strong. It has a front pocket which is great for little items and side pockets for a water bottle. He loves it!

I bought my son a Land's End backpack (on clearance!) when he started first grade. This kid is not gentle with his things at all, but his Land End backpack made it through 8th grade before retiring. It was still in pretty great shape to tell you the truth, but we upgraded to a larger backpack for all his high school books.

Vera Bradley backpacks hold up very well. My middle schooler had hers for 3 years without it getting too beat up.

How to do laundry!

How to grocery shop and make simple meals with the stove and oven - eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, pizza, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, cutting/peeling fruits and vegetables

How to change a tire and jump start a car.

How to budget money without using credit cards, manage grocery shopping on a budget, cook your own meals, avoid eating out, and do your laundry.

Annie! A classic for the whole family, always. Kids were 7 and 9 when we saw it, and we were coming out of an obsession with the movies, which made it extra fun!

I love the stage version of Beauty and the Beast! It's just similar enough to the familiar Disney movie for kids to understand everything, but just different enough to keep it fresh. The extra songs are some of my favorites.....and there's nothing like the magic of watching the beast turn into a prince right before your eyes!

Wicked

Aladdin! The whole family loved it, and it was a perfect first theatre experience for my kids at ages 6 and 8. They keep talking about what they want to see next. I think it helped that they knew the story and the music going into it. The genie, the dancing, the magic carpet - it was perfect!

Try to keep them outdoors as much possible. I try to take my kids to a local libray, outdoor park to play at. Also look up for any family friendly events that are free or vey low cost to keep them busy and less on screens!

When we set screen time limits, we usually limit these to personal devices that they are using for non-school purposes. So, we don't include family movie nights, for example, or family gaming on the Switch. We tend to treat shared screens differently (and more loosely), too. So, we will place fewer time limits on movies, shows or games they watch or play together on our family TV than we do on tablets or phones.

For my teens in particular, I will sometimes have them leave their devices with me, and then come to me to request permission to use them for a particular purpose (to message friends, play a game, etc). Here, my goal is to help them be thoughtful about the time they spend on their phones, rather than to keep them from doing the things they enjoy on there. It is too easy to move mindlessly from one thing to another on our phones, so this helps them have a specific (and somewhat time-limited) purpose for being on their phone.

We've tried setting hourly limits by day, which the kids can (generally) use whenever they want during the day. For example, 1 hour a day on Saturday and Sunday, and 3 hours a day on weekdays (when we are working). This can be hard to monitor, though, and we often find ourselves needing to make exceptions to the general rule. If your kids are old/responsible enough, there are timers you can give them to track their own hours (or just have them do it manually, or on their phone's timer function, if they have one).

Groundskeeper for local baseball/softball organizations. Concession stands at local pools.

Internship or volunteer work to build their resumes and gain experience.

Academic tutoring. If a teen excels in a particular subject, they could help younger students by offering tutoring services.

Summer camp counselor

Special behind-the-scene museum/zoo/aquarium adventures or animal encounters. (E.g., shark feeding, penguin painting, etc.)

museum membership

Afternoon tea time at a fancy hotel. Enjoy a decadant three-tiered array of goodies! But, you may want to confirm if the service offers a children's tea menu should you have a picky eater.

Art class

I put together little gifts (think Dollar bin) wrapped up in bags with a time on them. My kids look forward to these gifts and it helps to pass the time on long trips!

It's always a good idea to keep a spare "barf bag" or two in the car. Make sure you know where they are and can access them quickly. My kids don't get car sick, but we've had the occasional stomach bug pop up while on the road...and the end result is the same! I've seen blue bags specifically for this purpose on Amazon.

Download an audiobook and/or pick a podcast that's appropriate for your kids' ages and would be interesting to the adults, too.

My kids love trays that go over their car seats. You can find at Michaels or Amazon. Great for meals, coloring, legos, etc.

If you live near a big city, an outing to the city can be a fun birthday party idea for tweens or teens. When we lived near Chicago, my tween requested a day trip to the city with a few friends. We ate at a fun restaurant, visited an attraction or two, then rode the train back home. She loved it!

Last year for my oldest daughter's birthday I threw her a surprise slumber party and decorated our entire place with some of her favorite colors and had the cutest backdrop for pictures with her friends. We had cool foods and homemade glittery pouch drinks. I set up a cute make up station and did all of the girls makeup which they all enjoyed so much. We played different games and a special "Do You Know The Birthday Girl" game which she really loved.

Murder mystery dinner party. You can choose from a bunch of different game options and themes online (we've gotten a couple from Amazon) for a really fun and creative birthday party for teens. The games are usually for about a dozen players, though they can be modified for slightly more or less, too. Just be sure to read through the instructions in advance, as you'll need to do a little preparation before the party. My teen has requested these 2 or 3 times, and we've enjoyed each one!

An escape room and dinner is a hit for my tween!

First day of school photos on our front steps, and couple more in front of the school too.

My husband and I will usually take the day off work (when we can) so we can be there for drop off and pick up on the first day, which makes it feel extra special for all of us.

First day of school traditions in my house include a pancake breakfast and upbeat music. I usually include a special treat in their lunch boxes, too. When the kids return, a large after-school snack awaits them at the table to help unwind the exciting day.

We have our daughter do a quick video of how her first day of school went and what she is most excited about for the year. Also, of course the first day of school sign.

My 6 year old loves his running program and I see a fair number of kids who don't love team sports there. They do individual activities, like quick sprints and longer jogs, and the coaches have them work together and build team spirit in other ways.

I am a huge fan of martial arts. I love that they provide great physical exercise, but also promote and support important life skills like discipline, confidence, and respect for self and others.

Ninja Warrior/ Boot Camp/ Kick Boxing/ Cardio Classes. Unique kids schedules are often found at specialized, local adult gyms now.

Girl Scouts or Book Club

Take a tour of a local firehouse. Many offer free tours if you call ahead and ask.

Sit around backyard campire (firepit); toast up s'mores; catch and release lighting bugs; stargaze

Cook together! This is an activity my kids have loved at every age from toddler to tween, and the bonus is you end up with a yummy (usually!) meal or treat at the end of it.

Many pubic libraries either have play places or offer free activities for kids.

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?" – Pirates of the Caribbean

"When one can see no future, all one can do is the next right thing." – Frozen 2

"Love is putting someone else’s needs before yours." – Frozen

"She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within." - Beauty and the Beast