Indoor Activities Your Teenagers Will Love

As a parent, it can be challenging to know how to prevent teenagers from having the rainy day blues without resorting to excessive screen time. Keeping a teenager entertained indoors can feel like a huge challenge. But, with a bit of creativity, you can turn a slow day at home into an opportunity for them to learn new skills, connect, and have fun.

What is the best activity for teenagers?

The truth is, there is no single “best” activity for teenagers. The days of distracting them with construction toys or modelling dough are long gone. The best indoor activities for teenagers need to lean into their interests and what they’re truly passionate about. With that in mind, it really comes down to their personality. Are they an active person, or do they prefer a creative outlet? Do they like working on projects by themselves, or do they prefer a group activity?

The goal isn’t just to fill time, but to find an activity they love because it engages with their skills and passions. These aren’t your typical indoor activities for kids; they’re about allowing teens to explore who they are.

1. Physical activities for energetic teens

Being stuck inside doesn’t mean teenagers need to be glued to the sofa. Finding a way to keep them active by getting the heart pumping can improve their mood and burn off some of their energy. It’s all about finding the joy and fun in exercise that comes from testing your skills and challenging yourself.

• Home workouts: There are thousands of high-quality workout videos on YouTube that are completely free! They are inclusive, meaning they’re designed for every fitness level. They can find anything from high-intensity training to weight training and strength-building exercises they can do in their room.
• Yoga or pilates: Perfect for their mental and physical health, yoga can reduce stress and improve flexibility. Plenty of beginner-friendly apps can guide them through the poses. This could also be a great activity to do with them, as you can have fun together trying to do the poses for the first time!
• Indoor sports: You’ll be surprised at what sports you can play even if you don’t have that much room. A mini-basketball hoop on a door or an indoor curling set can give you hours of active fun that creates a bit of healthy competition.
• Dance workouts: If they use social media, chances are they’ve seen hundreds of viral dance challenges. Now is the perfect time to put that knowledge to the test! Learning a dance workout is a surprisingly fun way to burn off some energy, and could even inspire them to develop one on their own.

2. Mindfulness activities to help teens chill and focus

Teenage years can be full of pressure, from exams to social lives to beginning to consider what you want to do after school. Mindfulness is less about trying to empty your mind and more about developing a way to cope with stress and help you understand your thoughts. These activities can be a small gateway to a quiet, restorative break to help them unwind and relax.

• Guided meditation: Apps like Headspace or Calm make meditation easy and accessible. Even five minutes a day can quickly impact one’s mental well-being, helping them reset and centre themselves.
• Journaling: The simple act of writing can help them understand their thoughts and who they are. Getting their thoughts down on paper gives them a zero-pressure outlet that can help them become more emotionally intelligent by teaching them how to express themselves.
• Art therapy: Creative expression can be incredibly calming and therapeutic. Abstract painting, adult colouring books, paint sets, or even sketching can help improve teenagers’ moods by letting them focus on a project they can get personally invested in.

3. Cooking activities for teen chefs

Getting your teen in the kitchen is a huge win, not just because they can have fun being creative in a different way, but also because it can teach them a valuable, practical life skill that can lead to plenty of delicious rewards! It’s a great way to turn a basic meal into a memorable event.

• Pizza night: Let them create their own masterpiece from scratch. Give them a rolling pin, some dough (or let them create their own) and a variety of toppings, and you’ll have a perfectly tailored, delicious dinner. This is also a great option as a group activity for kids, but make sure they clean up afterwards!
• Bake-off challenge: Challenge family members and friends to a Bake-off challenge to create some friendly competition! Pick a theme, like cookies, brownies or cupcakes, and see who can make the most delicious and creative treat.
• Online cooking classes: If they want to get into cooking, online cooking classes can be an excellent avenue for them to pick up essential skills and learning the basics quickly. There’s also a huge range of classes available, from pasta making to cake decorating, meaning they’re bound to find a class that can teach them exciting new recipes and techniques.

4. Skill-building activities teens will actually enjoy

Boredom can be the perfect avenue to finding a new hobby! These games and activities go beyond simple entertainment – they can foster a passion and love for a craft, helping teens build real-world skills and confidence. It’s about finding ways to use their free time creatively so it feels productive, fulfilling and meaningful.

• Learn an instrument: With platforms like YouTube, it’s easier than ever to learn an instrument. Learning a guitar or piano has never been more accessible. They can learn at their own pace, lean into the type of music they love, and quickly enjoy the rewarding feeling of mastering their first song.
• Start a blog or write: Writing is a powerful tool to express your feelings. They could start a blog about their favourite films or TV shows, write poetry or even begin work on a short story.
• DIY crafts: Upcycling or building something new from old DIY materials can be a versatile and rewarding creative outlet. It can incorporate other elements, such as colouring or painting, resulting in a cool, unique project that is solely theirs.

5. Brain-boosting activities to challenge teens’ minds

Not all screen time should be considered meaningless to a teen’s development. Once you go beyond passive scrolling, these brain-boosting activities actively engage them, sharpening logic and critical thinking skills in a way that can create new hobbies and keep them entertained for hours. These aren’t simple activities for kids, but they actively encourage you to think outside the box and challenge yourself.

• Puzzles and brain teasers: Complex jigsaw puzzles or a book full of brain teasers offer satisfying and rewarding challenges. It’s a quiet, focused activity that improves their problem-solving skills while keeping them entertained.
• Logic challenges: Online logic puzzles, or games like Sudoku, are excellent at exercising the analytical part of the brain. They teach strategic thinking, patience and resilience due to their difficulty.
• Coding projects: For tech-savvy teens, learning code isn’t just a fun challenge; it’s an exciting outlet that can lead to them being able to build their own websites, making it an incredibly valuable skill.
• Learn a language: Apps like Duolingo turn language learning into a fun activity by gamifying it. It opens a whole new world of possibilities for them and can be an activity that only gets more rewarding the more you learn.
• LEGO engineering challenges: LEGO isn’t just for kids – it’s a fantastic way for teens to exercise creativity, logic, and spatial reasoning. Encourage them to follow complex builds from LEGO sets or invent their own creations. They can experiment with structural designs and engineering challenges, or even make mini functional machines. This hands-on activity sharpens problem-solving skills, promotes patience, and can become a rewarding hobby that keeps them engaged for hours.

6. Group fun for teenagers

Many teenagers crave social interaction, particularly when they’re stuck indoors. These activities are perfect opportunities to have fun with family and friends, helping them combat loneliness in person or through video call. It’s all about creating shared experiences that lead to fun, lasting memories.

• Gaming with friends: Gaming lets them blow off steam, helping them strategise and work as a team or just allowing them to connect and chat with friends in a shared virtual space.
• Book club: They can find a few friends, pick a book, and talk about it together on video calls. It’s a great way to encourage reading and let them connect over a shared interest. Is your teen not much of a reader? They can do the same thing with music, games, or any interest.
• Board game marathon: Dust off the family board games for good old-fashioned fun! These team-building activities for kids work for the whole family, and a variety of them can keep everyone entertained for the entire evening!
• DIY escape room: If your teen loves puzzles, turning your living room into an escape room is exciting! You can find free kits and ideas to create a DIY escape room online. Do they want to be more active? If so, scavenger hunts using household items may be something that can entertain and enthral the entire family.

Still looking for ideas to keep your teen entertained? Read our guide on the best toys for older kids and take a look at our toys for big kids collection!

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