Teenagers getting bored

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Buy some 'water soaker guns'.
When they look bored........soak them down
This will usually get their attention and could be the start of a fun filled family water war game.

Take them on a hike and show them the different vegetation/birds etc. Engage them in learning about nature.

And when all else fails........'Get up, get out, get going...'

Leaving 2 teens 15 & 16 home alone.....hahahahaha

Double ditto.
Kayaking or canoeing are both great ideas too.

rode2nowhere wrote:
I have 2 teens, 16 and 15.....when we go camping all they do is lay around because they have no internet for their games or youtube videos. Any good ideas for something I can do or bring to occupy them or should I leave them at home?

Buy them a Boy Scout Handbook and a fishing rod for each. By that age we had permanent shelters built and stocked all down the river and local lakes. At night we built a fire, threw some foil-wrapped veggies (corn, potatoes) on the coals, and fished all night.

We all got drivers licences that year, and joined the army at 17.

we still fish the old spots.

Bringing friends along is always a plus. My parents allowed us this and it made all the difference.

For myself and my girlfriend, we like to set up camp and relax, play cards, cook and such. This would thoroughly bore my kids (15yr son and 7yr daughter) .. We only do this when their mother has the kids for the weekend.

When I bring my kids with me, I let my son plan the entire thing, and he fills it with stuff he likes to do, and everyone has fun. Not relaxing though :) I often go to work on the Monday to take a vacation from my vacation. :h

I even have him plan and cook one of the meals.

I really don't think they want to go anymore,,,,maybe horseback riding....

We do a lot of hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, etc... We also bring along their bikes on most trips.

They bring along lots of books on the readers (Kindle PaperWhite - charge lasts weeks) and spend time doing that during down times.

How about letting them bring a couple friends? At this age, they aren't likely to want to do things with their parents, but throw another kid or two in the mix and you might find they have a blast again.

getting bored is sometimes an excuse for not wanting to go. I tried that when I was a teen (and we didn't have video games and internet) but thankfully my parents didn't give in. Don't give up on taking them camping. They need more than video games and internet! Ask them to help plan the trip, maybe somewhere new and interesting?

They're getting to the age when camping with the folks is out of their radar. :)

One idea would be for you to set the limit of miles from your home for your trip. Also, you'll probably need to set a daily allowance of how much the family can spend!

Then let them jointly or individually plan the whole trip. They can do research on the net for places to visit along the way or when they get there. They can research prices for attractions. Give them an amount on how much you're willing to pay for a campsite. This would be a good learning experience for them on how to budget money. Kids don't have a clue how much things cost.

You might have some interesting trips!

Board games for the bored.

-Tom