Make a zine

All that’s really needed to make a zine (essentially a self-published booklet) is paper, drawing/writing instruments and a copy machine/printer.There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to bind a zine, which can be done by folding and cutting a single sheet of paper or other creative methods. Teens can pick a topic or theme and work on it by themselves, or collaborate with family or friends. Distributing the zine and seeing how people react is another part of the fun.

Visual arts

Pick up some supplies from arts and craft stores for drawing, painting, collaging, calligraphy or oragami. You can stretch a little investment into hours of entertainment and expression.

Scrapbooking or junk journaling 

Save those old photos, ticket stubs and receipts, because they have the potential to become a work of art.

Music

Tin whistle, ukelele, harmonica—these are some examples of cheap instruments that are great for teaching music’s fundamentals. Music stores also offer affordable rentals. Here’s where those YouTube tutorials will come in handy. If they practice, then you can consider investing in an upgrade and/or lessons.

Gardening

If you have yard space, a little soil and some plants can go a long way. It’s fun for teens to pick out the plants they want; home improvement and landscaping stores and local nurseries offer great options at affordable prices. As they experiment with growing, they’ll probably want to return to the store to get other equipment like shade, trellises, etc. Who knows? Maybe it will be the thing that gets them out of bed early.

Watch a movie together

Pull the curtains, pop some popcorn and bond.

Cooking

It’s a wonderful way to bond and pass down recipes. You’re also teaching your teen to be more independent. Just be sure to supervise when they’re handling knives and hot things.

Family book club

Allow teens to choose a book. You can plan for regular sit-downs, maybe with tea and treats,to discuss the book chapter by chapter. Offer rewards for finishing books, like a meal that matches the theme of the book, or an outing to a place they’d like to go. 

Fiber arts

People who knit and crochet say if offers relief for anxiety, so that itself is a reason to try it. If your teen wants to use their skills to make an impact, consider connecting with The Mats Project. The local initiative  from the Crochet Class nonprofit (crochetclass.org) creates plastic-film yarn “plarn” that can be used to crochet insulating mats for the homeless.

Board games or puzzles

Ticket to Ride, Catan, Dungeons & Dragons—there are so many options to engage teens’ imaginations. Puzzles and LEGO sets are other great options.

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