Once your kids hit their tweens and teens, it can become harder to get them to want to spend quality time together as a family. School, friends, and their hobbies can take up a lot of their time and they may become more reluctant to spend more time with the parental figures in their life.
I get it! I was a teen once and spending time with my parents didn’t rank high on my to do list back then!
Here are some things my husband and I have found to be a good way to spend quality family time with our teens now that they find us a little less cool to hang out with than they once did 🙂
#1 - Family Movie Night at Home
Family Movie Night – We try to have family movie night at home at least once a month. This has become even more of a bigger deal for us all with Covid still going on and us needing something to break up the monotony of the same old day to day routine we have fallen into.
As a family we have enjoyed watching all the Marvel movies. We also have gotten a lot of joy out of watching a lot of classic movies such as Disney ones. That Darn Cat, Snowball Express, and The Ugly Dachshund are a few others that have been a hit at our house!
We have a movie theater type popcorn machine in our basement and we usually pair that with some soda and candy from the store for movie night!
#2 - Family Game Night
Family Game Night – Even more popular than family movie night, is family game night at our house.
This has evolved as the kids have grown. We used to play games like Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, and Go Fish! Now we have graduated to UNO, The Settlers of Catan, and Ticket to Ride, to name a few.
Family Game Night is always accompanied with fun snacks. Sometimes it’s as simple as some chips and dip, while other times we go all out and make some appetizers or a fun dessert.
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#3 - The Drive-In Movie Theater
Take a Trip to the Drive In Theater – This may not work for everyone, but if you are lucky enough to have a Drive In Theater near your home, this is a really great way to make good memories with your teens.
We have been taking our kids to Drive-In movies since they were babies and it’s something they have continued to love doing no matter how old they get.
Although many Drive In Theaters have been torn down over the years to make way for new developments (one I went to as a kid is now a Target!), there are still quite a few that have survived. You can check this site here to see if there is one near you. Many places are also now doing pop up Drive In movies for the summer months.
Another option is to create your own “Drive In” theater in your backyard. Technology has made it cheaper to project a movie onto a screen in your own yard. You may not drive in to see it but you can still enjoy the experience of a movie in the great outdoors whenever you want!
#4 - Plan an Outing Based on Their Interests
Plan an outing doing something they love – Another wonderful way to get in quality time with your teens is to indulge their passions.
With my oldest some that means attending car shows and visiting antique malls for some window shopping.
With my youngest son, that means doing anything related to video games or dinosaurs.
It can also mean visiting a pet store to look at the animals for sale there or going to the park to fly a kite or race some remote controlled cars.
#5 - Visit a Local Attraction
Plan an outing attending local attractions – Zoos, museums, indoor trampoline parks, science centers, historical and living history museums are just a few examples of local attractions that could make a super fun outing for you and your teens.
Bonus tip: There are often ways to get into some of these attractions for free or at great discounts!
Our library offers passes for free or at a discount to attractions in the area. This is the case both here in Michigan and also when we lived in Arizona so I think quite a few libraries might offer programs like this.
Also, Bank of America has a Museums on Us program for their members that gives you free admission to 225 different attractions throughout the country on the first full weekend of each month.
Groupon is another way to find great deals on local attractions. We use this at least a few times a year to find discounted experiences to do with our boys.
Finally, check the website of any attraction you are interested in to see if they offer any coupons, discount days, or free admission days.
#6 - Take a Hike
Go on a hike together – This is an activity that my boys and I have enjoyed since they were little and one that they have continued to enjoy throughout their childhood and into their teen years.
No matter where we have lived in the country, we have always been able to find a lot of amazing hiking locales and trails within a one hour radius of our house.
Getting out into nature to get some fresh air and exercise is an amazing way to recharge everyone’s batteries and also to reconnect with your teens.
#7 - Enjoy Seasonal Experiences
Enjoy the seasons together – Whether it is visiting an apple orchard or corn maze in the fall or sledding or ice skating in the winter, there are a lot of ways to create fun memories with your teens thoughout the seasons.
Sledding, pumpkin patch, apple orchard, corn maze, farmer’s markets, ice skating, snowball fight, build a snowman, a game of soccer or tennis, visit a beach or lake, fly a kite….the possibilities are limitless!
#8 - Visit an Amusement Park, Waterpark, or Fair
Go to an amusement park, water park, or fair – A trip to an amusement park or a water park is always hit with our kids.
The great thing about this is that even if you live in a colder environment, you can still likely find indoor water and amusement park venues that you can visit year round. We have several different indoor water parks that are attached to hotels within an hour or so drive from our home. This is always a favorite family adventure.
Indoor amusement establishments are always hits with our kids. Our favorite one has rides, games, a bowling alley, miniature golf, and laser tag.
We also try to attend a fair at least once a year with our kids. When we lived in Arizona, we attended the state fair every year. Here in Michigan, the state fair is a much smaller event so we attend one our our local county fairs. You can find a fair near you on this site!
What is your favorite way to spend time with your tweens and teens?