Inexpensive Activities To Do With Your Teenager

This post is sponsored by Conagra, but all opinions expressed are my own.

If you’re looking for inexpensive activities to do with your teenager, you’re going to love these simple and fun ideas. When you’re feeling as though you need to make your budget stretch a little bit further, who says that you have to spend a bunch of money to have fun?

As a parent, it’s literally as though we blinked and our children just grew up in front of our eyes…and more times than not, the teenage years are upon us in what feels like a matter of minutes. But don’t break down crying just quite yet, because there are many ways to have fun with your teen for a fraction of the cost.

How do you spend time with your teenager?

This answer is going to vary from parent to parent, but no matter what it is you do, spending time with your teenager is important. Even if it’s just sitting down after they get home from school and talking about their day, communication is so vital in creating and keeping that bond. 

If you’re looking for an even more engaging way to spend time with your teen, why not plan a “mom/teen” date night each month?

You can keep it budget friendly by going to Walmart, stocking up on popcorn (choose ACT II Butter Popcorn for the best value and taste), picking out a movie and even some unique popcorn toppings or mix-ins. 

Recently I felt like a mini supermom hero when I used Walmart’s Online Grocery Pickup, and my 15 year old son and I quickly drove over to pick up our goodies for movie night without ever having to get out of the car. Talk about a safe and healthy way to travel right now. 

That was a big win, especially since my teen usually doesn’t feel like shopping and wants to skip straight to the fun. 

What we bought at Walmart for our mom/teen movie night:

• 12-count box of ACT II Butter Popcorn 
• ACT II Xtreme Butter Microwave Popcorn  
• Spider-Man: Far From Home DVD
• Movie themed party favors

How do you entertain a teenager?

Now this can be tricky…because…well, think back to your teenage years. There’s a good chance that if you didn’t want to be entertained, you weren’t going to cooperate, right?

And honestly parents, who even says that it’s your responsibility to entertain your teenager? 

However, doing activities with teens can actually be a lot of fun.

If you’re looking for some more cheap ways to hang out with your teen, these activities and ideas might be the perfect solution.

Inexpensive Activities to do with your Teenager

• Get outside and explore nature

There’s just something awesome about getting outside and exploring. Fresh air and hiking are great activities to do with your teenager.

Turn the fun into a little friendly competition with a scavenger hunt. 

Pack up a homemade picnic lunch, don’t forget the ACT II Butter Popcorn, and enjoy the day. 

• Find a hobby you both love to do

You and your teenager might have a lot more in common than you realize. Why not sit down and talk about all the things you each like to do and see if there is a hobby you can do together.

Some ideas to think about are:

• Biking
• Kayaking
• Running
• Reading and talking about the books (my son and I did this with a book we bought when we traveled to Amsterdam together).
• Cooking — create a brand new dish to try, or stick with making a favorite food you both love. 
• Traveling — did you know you can vacation right at home?
• Playing sports 

The activity options are endless. Once you find something you both love to do, you’ll realize how fun it is to spend time doing those activities together, like movie night. 

When it comes to inexpensive activities to do with your teenager, the little secret parents may not understand is that spending time with their teenager doesn’t have to be anything over the top for them to think you are their superhero.

Simply show them you’re there for them, that you’re listening and you appreciate them, and they’ll give you that same respect right back.