When your child is too old for day care, but too young for a job, it is difficult to keep your teen busy for those summer months. Here are some activities that will allow your child to use brain, become more responsible, and to share quality time with you.


Start a book club. With the popularity of Oprah’s Book Club, it’s the time to get your teen involved in reading. Make it a club for two, or add a few of your child’s friends and their moms. Set aside one evening a week to get together and discuss the book. Let your child choose the next reading selection, and encourage her to spend some time at the local library. Even children that get bored with reading can find a book that they will enjoy, whether it’s a mystery, a love story or a horror thriller, let them experiment, until they find the genre they like.

Since summer is vacation time for most families, have your teen offer her services as a “pet sitter” or “plant waterer”. Make sure, though, that this is done only in your local neighborhood with people you know and are comfortable with. This gives her an opportunity to earn some pocket money and learn responsibility.

Plan a “local trip of the week.” Demonstrate your trust and confidence in your young teen by scheduling a trip for them each week. Again, get other parents involved so that it’s a group outing. Perhaps a trip to the local art museum, science exhibit, or state fair. The kids will enjoy being treated like an adult and will have a great time without realizing they’re learning, too!

Many communities offer a summer Parks and Recreation program. While these programs are usually geared toward younger children, some activities, like swimming, basketball, volleyball, etc. may work. It is also possible that your teen can participate in some of the activities for the younger children as an helper, gaining valuable experience working with smaller children.

In today’s society, with increasing drug use and juvenile crime, it’s easy for teens to stray. The best thing we can do as parents is stay involved in our kid’s lives, even when we’re not physically with them. By keeping them busy, we are showing our children that we trust them and respect them. They, in turn, will respect us and themselves and will enjoy the little challenges we assign then over their summer vacation.