Written by team member, Sarah Holt.
Every June, I see the same panicked posts in my mom groups. “Camp is so expensive! What do I even DO with my kids all summer?” And every June, when these posts appear in my feed, I take a moment to laugh. Not because it’s funny but because I’ve graduated from that stage and now look back and smile. It’s more of a ‘been there done that’ kind of laugh, because when I was in the thick of it, it didn’t feel so funny.
Just because my kids are ‘older’ doesn’t mean that keeping them busy isn’t a problem. It may actually be harder, because they all have phones to distract them, which is not the healthiest activity (cheap as it may be).
With over two decades of summers under my belt, I’m still on the hunt for affordable activities, but I also have many positive experiences to share.
To make it easier, I’m breaking it down by age, because what works for my 14-year-old absolutely won’t always not fly with my 19-year-old! Pretending that activities can overlap means you’ll probably end up offending one of them, resulting in the famous teenage eye rolling we’ve all been privileged to experience.
I hope some of these (tried and true) ideas are helpful, and that they help create wonderful memories for all.
12-14: They’re Still Kids, But Don’t Tell Them That
For me, this is the trickiest age. They’re too old for the stuff that worked when they were eight, they can’t easily get places on their own, and it’s embarrassing to be seen with mom. Here are some suggestions for these active tweens:
Start a “business.” Last summer my 13 year old son ran a baseball camp in the afternoons. He’s a serious player, but he realized that (1) parents need activities for their kids in the after-camp hours, and (2) many younger kids don’t yet have a love for the sport because they haven’t been exposed to it. So he opened up a ‘camp’ for an hour a day, running drills and skills for kids who wanted to get an edge before fall ball began. Since he already owned the equipment, the camp cost me nothing and was pure profit for my young entrepreneur.
When my daughter was around the same age, she ran an arts and crafts ‘camp’. This experience was especially educational, because while she was planning, I was also able to teach her about profit and loss, inventory management, and how to find the best deals on supplies. I ended up paying for the supplies so that she could pocket all of the income, but for a few bucks a day, she got a crash course in business and kept herself (and her campers) occupied for hours.
Outside activities, always. When I was a kid, my parents always yelled at me to “go outside.” I’d be gone for hours, and without a cell phone, they just assumed I’d show up for dinner. Though I’m more worried about where my kids are, I’d still rather they be outside than inside, and I make that known. Unstructured outdoor time is genuinely still valuable, and it’s free. Find or make up ways to keep these kids outside. Take them for a bike ride, or encourage them to ride with their friends and explore new things.
In our neighborhood we have several watering holes where kids can hang out (after a 30ish minute walk to get there), which is an activity they never seem to tire of. I’ve also found that when I tell them to go outside, they go with friends then seem to migrate to a friend’s house afterwards, which keeps them occupied even longer than I’d expected.
And of course, if you live near a beach, that’s an excellent way to keep kids entertained all day.
Reading challenges: Every year, the local library in my parents’ neighborhood advertises a summer reading challenge for cash and prizes. When we were visiting my parents, the kids would participate. When we weren’t, I’d run a similar challenge at home. At this age, my kids loved the rewards and were more than happy to spend the hottest hours of the day inside reading. Even the kid who hated reading would find something to read in exchange for a donut or a few bucks. As the kids got a bit older, and a $5 gift card became less enticing, I matched the per book prize and made it more interesting by creating a small competition among the siblings. In the end, we usually had a pizza or ice cream party to celebrate the books they read. It was a small price to pay for them to stay busy with something productive.
15–16: The “I Want to Do My Own Thing but I Need Money” Stage
This is the most difficult age bracket in the summer as these teens are hungry for freedom, starving for attention, and sorely lacking the resources and money to stay out of my hair. I learned to lean into their desire for independence while still keeping the budget low.
Volunteering and free labor: It’s not always easy to ‘sell’ a volunteer gig to any kid but, if planned correctly, this can be a gold mine for these kids. One of my kids spent a summer volunteering with kids. Why? For starters, his school required community service hours. It also will look good on future college and camp counselor applications. He also wrangled some friends to do it with him, so he had a social experience. I call that a win-win-win. He had a place to be that wasn’t a screen, the kids enjoyed his antics, and the framework provided him with some structure. The key to ‘selling’ a volunteer job is having someone else, not you, invite your kids to volunteer. Coming from parents it’s not cool.
The art of a side-hustle. The best part of this age is that these kids will do just about anything to earn a buck. They want the cash. Mowing lawns, dog walking, babysitting for neighbors, reselling old games and clothes online. Whatever it takes. At 15 and 16, they have time and no bills, which is the best possible moment to learn the art of hustling. One of my kids made so much money in one summer doing menial tasks that he paid for his own ticket to the 2024 World Series. Two years later, he’s still talking about that game, and he’s still hustling (now as a waiter and working in a print shop). At this age, they’re not picky. They also have a real desire to be out late and then sleep late (a different way to pass the time). Kids can come away from a summer with a nice amount of cash, while also learning the value of time management.
Community activities: Many cities run free or low cost activities for teens. You just need to know to look for them. Where we spent summers, one day a week the bowling alley offered $5 games, and the local movie theater showed ‘oldies’ for $1 in the morning hours when the crowd is thin. The ice skating rink also offered lower prices one session a week. The local community pool cost $4.75 entry (per person), and you could stay all day. Every community has their own version of these affordable activities. All of these deals are geared towards keeping these teens occupied. You may need to drive them there, but it’s worth it for the healthy fun they’ll have.
17-18: Kids with Almost-Adult Problems
I’m not going to lie, this age is tough, especially on a budget. For many parents (myself included), there’s a real conflict between wanting older teens to be productive and wanting them to enjoy the downtime before life gets really serious.
Get a job. Whereas younger kids likely don’t have the attention span to work all day, older teens are more than capable of working, and even enjoying the work. It’s not really about the paycheck, it’s about having something to do: a reason to get up in the morning, be somewhere, answer to someone who isn’t me. Having the kid learn this kind of independence without arguing with their mother, is always a win in my book. Our kids specifically preferred to work in sleepaway camps, to get some independence and meet new people. They didn’t earn a lot, but the experience was priceless.
Camping. Where we live, camping is part of the culture. Kids go camping by themselves, certainly from the age of 16 and up, and I’ve been told some younger kids go as well. If camping isn’t safe or there are no camp sites in your area, consider pitching a tent in the backyard and setting up a fire pit. Encourage the kids to stay outside, far away from their parents’ nosy ears, but close enough to stay safe.
Planning. One of the things we’ve done with our kids is to let each one plan a day for the family. It could be a small outdoor BBQ, a mini staycation, an activity we haven’t tried before, or one that is a family favorite. Each kid took full control of the planning, researching, budgeting (don’t forget this one) and logistics. The lessons are valuable, as are the memories. These are the golden years to teach your kids about frugal living. They’re at the prime age of being old enough to learn these things, even if there are some missteps. A word of advice: don’t overstep. They’ll be fine and I promise you, they’ll ask for advice.
Online Courses. Every teenager has a passion or something they love doing. And if they haven’t discovered it yet, taking a course can help them figure out what they love (or don’t love). Screen time certainly isn’t ideal, but when it’s for a greater good, I can get on board. There are great courses available online for free or cheap. I’ve recently seen ads for a kids’ stock market course, an AI course, and a coding program. One summer my 17 year old taught herself how to do hairstyles from watching hours of YouTube videos. She practiced on me, so we got to spend lots of time together.
Online courses are so much more than the topic being studied. An online cooking class or a graphics design course may yield significant returns. The way I see it, a small investment in a course keeps my teenager active and focused, avoiding a ten-week stretch of absolutely nothing to do.
My Favorite Activity for Kids of Any Age
With a bit of creativity, keeping kids entertained on a budget isn’t as difficult as it may sound. While every age requires slightly different activities, the ultimate goal is to give them some structure, keep them focused, and hold them accountable.
It isn’t always easy. There may be days where it’s pouring outside or just too hot to go outside. The tensions are high. Boredom creeps in. This is when as a parent you have two choices: give them the iPad or make your own good time.
Here’s how we have fun when the weather doesn’t cooperate: Wacky Olympics. No summer is complete without it. The wackier the better. These creative activities have a good mix of creativity and goofiness that are hilarious to play and to watch!
Some of our favorites:
- Toilet paper mummy wraps
- Marshmallow catapults
- Feed your partner pudding while blindfolded
- Potato sack race
These games are silly as much as they are memorable. I promise.
Don’t worry about not being able to afford the fancy, expensive camp. Kids may enjoy it, but they don’t need it (spoken as a parent of 5 kids who never went to camp as campers – and they all survived). As parents, we just want them to emerge from the summer more capable and confident than when vacation started. So don’t let the summer scare you or your children. There are many great, budget friendly ways to keep them busy and happy.
What are your favorite ways to keep teenagers entertained in the summer? What are their favorites? Anything you’d add to this list?
