50 Fun Activities For Teens To Do When Bored

Being the parent of a teen can be definitely be challenging, especially when they are feeling bored. There’s no more sweeter sound than hearing your teen complain about having nothing to do. Because, when it comes down to it, there are plenty of activities for teens to get involved in.

Teens can fill their time and days in a lot of ways, but they might not know where to begin. These 50 fun activities for teens is a perfect place to start, and should keep them pretty busy (although I can’t promise they won’t ever complain again).

How do you entertain a teenager?

Even though they are becoming more independent and may often be busy, it’s so important to spend quality time and bond with your teen.

Believe me, I understand that their social schedule, extracurriculars, school and much too long showers (unless that’s just my teen) can make finding free time with your teen challenging, but take all the opportunities you can get.  

Now, you really shouldn’t have to entertain a teenager, but sometimes they might need a little direction. This is where you can help. Having a list of both outdoor and indoor activities for teens is a great way to open up their mind and imagination in ways they might have forgotten.

Let me give you a word of advice though, when it comes to parenting teens, even if your ideas are amazing, be prepared they may reject some at first.

Once you give them a little bit of time and space to get over their “teen attitude” they might just admit how good your suggestions actually are! 

What can bored teenagers do?

When teens are bored, that can either lead to them being productive or possibly destructive (I’m sure you would rather have the first one). Being bored can create negative energy, so you want to make sure you have positive self esteem activities for teens to participate in.

Instead of them starting to feel depressed or unmotivated, teach your teen to take the initiative of getting creative and using their imagination a little, when it comes to finding something to do. 

50 Activities For Teens:

This list will give your teen 50 great ideas for ways they can keep themselves, and their minds, busy when they feel stuck or like there is nothing at all to do. 

Deep down inside they’ll be thankful you’re helping, and who knows, they might even discover a new hobby or two. 

1. Read a book
2. Take a hike
3. Wash the car 
4. Teach your teen how to drive (my son will be 16 in a month, so we have been doing a lot of lessons in empty parking lots lately)
5. Bake, cook or grill something delicious (they could try this DoubleTree cookie recipe)
6. Rollerblade or skateboard around the neighborhood
7. Take the dog for a walk (or offer to walk someone else’s dog)
8. Video chat with friends (put up a funny background)
9. Make dance videos using TikTok
10. Organize their room (let them get creative and make the space their own)
11. Help clean the house 
12. Write their own book
13. Create a comic book or graphic novel
14. Paint a picture 
15. Hold a cooking class for the family to attend
16. Challenge family members to play some fun board games
17. Workout (my teenage son loves to go for a ride on my Peloton, or use the app to join a class)
18. Go for a run (even if its a short one it helps to clear the mind)
19. Channel their inner creativity and play with siblings (drawing, legos, sports, video games and more)
20. Create their own dance moves (you never know if it might take off)
21. Write letters to people in nursing homes or kids in hospitals
22. Learn how to sew
23. Challenge your family to a water balloon fight
24. Have a movie marathon (use a projector to make it even more exciting)
25. Take a nap outside in a hammock
26. Start a blog
27. Set up a tent in the backyard and have a unique vacation at home
28. Download audiobooks from the local library
29. Organize their closet and find clothes to donate that they no longer need or want 
30. Write their own cookbook full of their favorite recipes
31. Set up a homemade spa or sauna 
32. Work on creating their own bucket list for future fun
33. Go outside and plant flowers
34. Help to start a garden for the summer
35. Learn a new language (there are some great free apps for this)
36. Play sports. My son loves to work on his shooting, dribbling and passing skills in basketball.
37. Write down some of their favorite quotes and hang them around their room
38. Redecorate their room
39. Go on a scavenger hunt
40. Have a blindfolded test taste for various food items
41. Take a virtual tour of zoos, aquariums and museums (my son loved seeing the Rijksmuseum online, which we visited during our Amsterdam trip)
42. Work on giving themselves a new hairdo
43. Set up an epic domino obstacle course
44. Challenge someone to a game of cards
45. Set up an indoor art gallery, then let them try and sell some of their art pieces
46. Create a plan for a future business idea
47. Make a YouTube video of them working out to share with other teens
48. Challenge parents to a dance-off (Just Dance for Nintendo Switch is a great way to do this)
49. Create a digital vision board
50. Use a drone to create a map of the area

As you can see, there are so many great options for teenagers to find interesting things to do when they are bored. All they need is just a little encouragement to make it happen.

Maybe then you’ll find them checking off most of the items on this list! 

What should teenagers do in their free time?

If your teen is still dragging their feet and not wanting to do any of these fun activities in their free time, give them some space. Being bored is a feeling no one really likes so it’s not something teens will want to feel for an extended period of time. 

You can also use this list of fun things for teens to do as a way to get them to think outside the box. Sometimes a little nudge to be productive could be just what they need! 

These activities for teens are a great way to get their minds turning about all the fun things there actually is to do.

Even though teens might have the urge to leave the house and spend time with their friends, this is proof that they can have hours upon hours (or days upon days) of fun right in the comfort of, or near their own home!