The summer holidays should give teenagers a welcome opportunity to slow down after months of lessons, homework, exams and early mornings. In reality, though, it can take them quite a while to switch off. Without the structure of school, many teenagers naturally drift towards their phones, gaming consoles or bedrooms, and before long, the days can begin to merge into one another.
As a mum of teenagers, I know that simply telling them to “get off their screens and go outside” rarely produces the cheerful response we might hope for! I have found that activities are much easier to suggest when there is a reason behind them. A walk feels more appealing when it leads to an ice cream, a café or somewhere the boys want to explore, while spending time outside often works better when we take a ball or something else to do. It is a small change, but it makes the invitation feel less like an instruction from Mum.
Screens are how teenagers relax, keep in touch with their friends and enjoy their independence, so I don’t believe they need to disappear completely during the holidays.
However, summer feels much better when there is a little variety. The right activities can encourage teenagers to put their phones down voluntarily, spend time outdoors, reconnect with family and discover interests they don’t always have time for during the school term.
These simple summer activities aren’t about filling every hour or forcing reluctant teenagers to join in with organised family fun. They’re realistic ideas that give them something enjoyable to do while still allowing plenty of space to rest, see their friends and enjoy the slower pace of the school holidays.
Quick Ideas for Helping Teenagers Switch Off This Summer
If you’re looking for inspiration, try:
- Letting them plan a family day out
- Walking somewhere with a purpose
- Trying an outdoor activity
- Cooking their favourite food together
- Starting a pressure-free creative project
- Setting a summer photography challenge
- Playing cards or more grown-up family games
- Giving them a meaningful summer project
- Helping them meet friends in person
- Visiting somewhere connected to their interests
- Creating a quiet weekly summer ritual
- Leaving room for rest and occasional boredom
You don’t need to attempt everything on the list. One or two relaxed activities each week may be enough to give the summer some shape without making teenagers feel that every moment has been organised for them.
Why Teenagers Can Find It Difficult to Switch Off
Teenagers may appear to do very little during the summer holidays, but their minds are often still busy. School pressures, friendship worries, social media and thoughts about the next academic year don’t automatically disappear when term ends. Some teenagers also feel exhausted after holding everything together at school and need a genuine period of rest before they are ready to do very much at all.
This can sometimes look like laziness or a lack of motivation. Your teenager may want to sleep late, spend hours in their room or reject every activity you suggest. Although boundaries are still important, giving them a few quiet days to decompress can make the rest of the holiday much easier.
The aim shouldn’t be to create a strict timetable or entertain teenagers constantly. Instead, we can offer relaxed opportunities that gently draw them away from their usual routine. Activities are often much more appealing when teenagers have some choice, can bring a friend or feel that they are doing something with us rather than being managed by us.
Let Them Plan a Day Out
Teenagers are far more likely to enjoy a family day out when they have been involved in choosing it. Rather than presenting them with a fully formed plan, ask everyone to suggest somewhere they would genuinely like to visit. This might be a beach, theme park, shopping centre, outdoor swimming pool, food market or a town they haven’t explored before.
If they are old enough, you could also give your teenager responsibility for researching opening times, checking the weather, planning the route or finding somewhere affordable to eat. It gives them a sense of ownership and teaches useful life skills without making the experience feel educational.
Not every summer day out needs to be expensive or carefully organised. Taking a picnic to a local beauty spot, catching the train to a nearby town or visiting somewhere you normally drive past can be enough to break the routine. Letting your teenager invite a friend may also transform an activity they would otherwise dismiss into something they are excited to do.
Go for a Walk With a Purpose
Suggesting a family walk doesn’t always receive the most enthusiastic response from teenagers. Giving the walk a purpose, however, can make it feel much more appealing.
This is something I have noticed in our own family. Saying “let’s go for a walk” can sound rather uninspiring to a teenager, but suggesting that we walk somewhere for a drink or take a ball for a game of pitch and catch gives the outing a completely different feel. The activity doesn’t have to be elaborate; it just needs to offer more than walking for the sake of it.
You could walk to get an ice cream, explore a new trail, visit a café, find a geocache or take photographs somewhere beautiful. A sunset walk, trip to the beach or evening stroll with the dog may feel more inviting than simply announcing that everyone needs some fresh air.
Photography can be a particularly good way to encourage teenagers to notice their surroundings. They might enjoy capturing wildlife, unusual buildings, flowers or photographs for their social media. It doesn’t matter if they still have a phone in their hand—the important thing is that they are outside, moving and engaging with the world around them rather than endlessly scrolling.
Walking side by side can also make conversation easier. Teenagers don’t always want to sit down for a serious chat, but they may begin talking naturally when you are walking, driving or doing something together. These quieter moments can become some of the most valuable parts of the summer.
Try an Outdoor Activity Together
Summer is a good time to try an activity that feels a little different from everyday life. Paddleboarding, kayaking, cycling, open-water swimming, climbing or hiring a pedalo can give teenagers something new to focus on and create a shared experience to talk about afterwards.
You don’t need to invest in expensive equipment or commit to a full course. Look for local activity centres, introductory sessions, equipment hire or family taster days. Teenagers who aren’t interested in competitive sport may enjoy being active much more when there are no teams, scores or expectations involved.
Try to let your teenager choose the level of challenge that feels right for them. One may love the thrill of climbing or watersports, while another would much rather have a gentle bike ride or play a relaxed game of badminton in the garden. The aim is not to push them beyond their limits but to help them discover forms of movement that feel enjoyable.
Even something as simple as kicking a football around, playing catch or setting up a garden game can help everyone reset. Short, spontaneous activities often work better than a heavily organised afternoon, particularly when teenagers are tired or reluctant to commit.
Cook Something They Actually Want to Eat
Cooking is a lovely way to spend time together without placing pressure on conversation. Ask your teenager to choose a meal, snack or dessert they would like to make rather than deciding for them. Homemade pizzas, burgers, loaded nachos, milkshakes, cookies and colourful mocktails can all feel more like a summer treat than a household chore.
Older teenagers might enjoy planning an entire themed evening, choosing the music and preparing the food. You could have a homemade takeaway night, barbecue, picnic dinner or dessert-tasting evening. If they have a favourite dish from a restaurant or holiday, see whether you can recreate it together at home.
There are useful skills being learned along the way, including budgeting, timing and food preparation, but there is no need to point that out. What matters is that your teenager has an opportunity to be creative, contribute to family life and enjoy the satisfaction of making something themselves.
If cooking together is likely to cause arguments, give them the kitchen for an hour and offer to be their assistant when needed. Independence can be just as valuable as doing the entire activity as a family.
Start a Creative Project With No Pressure to Be Good at It
Teenagers spend so much of the school year having their work assessed that it can be refreshing to create something simply because they enjoy it. Summer projects don’t need to be productive, impressive or worthy of sharing online. The activity itself is enough.
Depending on their interests, they might enjoy painting, sketching, photography, jewellery making, crochet, model building, creative writing or learning to play a song on an instrument. They could decorate their bedroom, make a scrapbook, design clothes, create a photo wall or upcycle something they already own.
A teenager who insists they aren’t creative may be happier starting with a kit or following a video tutorial. Charity shops, craft shops and online marketplaces can be useful places to find inexpensive materials without committing to a costly new hobby.
It is worth remembering that creativity can look very different during the teenage years. Editing a video, designing something digitally, experimenting with make-up, customising a pair of trainers or building an elaborate world within a game all require imagination. Taking an interest in the things they already enjoy may make it easier to suggest related activities away from their usual screen.
I was reminded of this when we let the teenagers take the lead at Wychwood Festival. Lillie and I enjoyed a calm screen-printing session while Ollie and Albie tried music-making and circus skills. None of it felt like a formal lesson or something they had to achieve; they were simply given the opportunity to experiment. It showed me how readily teenagers can become absorbed in creative activities when there is no pressure to be good at them.
Give Them a Summer Photography Challenge
A photography challenge gives teenagers a reason to get outdoors while still allowing them to use the phone they rarely want to put down. Create a list of things to capture over the holidays, such as a sunset, a reflection, something in their favourite colour, an unusual building, wildlife, a family moment and a place they have never visited before.
You could make it a family challenge, with everyone interpreting the prompts differently, or allow your teenager to complete it independently. At the end of the summer, choose a few favourites to print for their bedroom or turn into a small photo book.
For teenagers who enjoy social media, this can also be an opportunity to talk casually about which images they are comfortable sharing and which memories they might prefer to keep private. Not everything meaningful needs to be posted online.
Photography encourages teenagers to slow down and look more closely at what is around them. They may begin the activity because they enjoy using their phone, but it can gradually draw their attention away from notifications and towards the places, people and details in front of them.
Make Time for Games That Don’t Feel Childish
Teenagers may have outgrown some of the games they once loved, but that doesn’t mean family game nights have to disappear. The trick is choosing something that suits their current sense of humour and doesn’t make them feel as though they are being treated like young children.
Card games, escape-room boxes, murder mystery games, trivia, strategy games and quick party games can all work well. Teenagers may be more willing to join in if they choose the game, invite a friend or take charge of the snacks and music.
A familiar deck can be enough to get everyone started. These fun games to play with UNO cards include several variations that can make the game feel fresh again for older children and teenagers.
Keep it relaxed rather than announcing a compulsory evening of family bonding. Put a game on the table after dinner or take a pack of cards outside with a few drinks and see who joins you. Even half an hour together can be worthwhile, and stopping while everyone is still enjoying themselves makes it more likely they will agree to play again.
On warm evenings, you could move outdoors for garden games, a family quiz or a small fire-pit evening. Add favourite food and allow teenagers some control over the playlist, and it begins to feel like a proper summer occasion rather than another activity arranged by their parents.
Give Them a Project or Responsibility
While teenagers need plenty of downtime, having absolutely nothing expected of them for six weeks can eventually leave them feeling restless and unmotivated. A manageable project gives them a sense of purpose and something tangible to complete.
This could involve growing herbs or vegetables, painting a piece of furniture, reorganising their bedroom, helping to plan a family barbecue or teaching the dog a new trick. Older teenagers might enjoy washing the car, selling unwanted belongings, planning a journey or taking responsibility for preparing dinner once a week.
The project needs to feel meaningful rather than like a disguised list of summer chores. Wherever possible, let your teenager choose what they would like to do and how they want to approach it. Offer help without taking over, and resist the temptation to correct every small detail.
Completing something independently can provide a real confidence boost, particularly for teenagers who have struggled at school or feel as though they are frequently being criticised. The finished result doesn’t have to be perfect. Being trusted to have a go can matter just as much.
Encourage Time With Friends in the Real World
Online friendships and group chats are an important part of teenage life, but they don’t always provide the same sense of connection as spending time together in person. During the summer, teenagers can easily go several days without seeing anyone outside their immediate family, particularly when friends are away on holiday.
Help them arrange low-cost, informal meet-ups rather than assuming they will organise everything themselves. Friends could come over for pizza, a film night, gaming tournament, barbecue or afternoon in the garden. A trip to the park, local pool, shopping centre or café can also give them a reason to get dressed and leave the house.
Younger teenagers may still need help contacting parents, arranging lifts or deciding what to do. They may appear independent, but making plans can feel surprisingly daunting, especially if they are worried about rejection or being the person who asks first.
Try to offer practical support while giving them space once their friends arrive. Knowing they can invite people home without the house needing to look perfect or a parent hovering nearby makes it much easier for teenagers to maintain their friendships during the long break.
Visit Somewhere That Connects With Their Interests
Museums and historical attractions aren’t every teenager’s idea of summer fun, but outings become more appealing when they connect with something the teenager already loves.
A teenager interested in music might enjoy a record shop, concert, music museum or local performance. Someone who loves food may prefer a street-food market or cookery experience, while a teenager interested in cars, fashion, sport, gaming, animals or art will have completely different ideas about what makes a good day out.
Look beyond the most obvious family attractions. Independent shops, exhibitions, stadium tours, vintage markets, open-air cinemas and local festivals may feel more grown-up and relevant to teenagers. Libraries and community venues often run free activities during the summer too.
Allow enough time for browsing rather than rushing everyone through a fixed itinerary. Teenagers often appreciate being able to explore at their own pace, and they may engage far more when they don’t feel pressured to demonstrate how much they are enjoying themselves.
Create a Quiet Summer Ritual
Switching off doesn’t always require an exciting activity. A small, repeated ritual can become one of the most comforting parts of the holidays.
You might sit outside with cold drinks in the evening, take the dog for a walk after dinner, visit a café once a week or watch the sunset together. A teenager who avoids formal family activities may happily appear for pancakes on a Sunday morning or a regular evening drive with their favourite playlist.
Audiobooks, podcasts and music can work particularly well during quieter moments or car journeys. They give teenagers a break from looking at a screen without demanding constant conversation or concentration. Reading also counts, whether they prefer a novel, graphic novel, magazine or book connected to one of their interests.
These rituals create natural opportunities to reconnect, but conversation doesn’t have to be the goal every time. Simply sharing the same space without anyone needing to perform, achieve or explain how they feel can help the whole family slow down.
Allow Them to Be Bored Sometimes
When teenagers complain that they are bored, it can be tempting to immediately suggest activities or feel responsible for entertaining them. However, a little boredom isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Constant entertainment leaves very little room for teenagers to notice what they actually feel like doing. Given time, boredom may lead them to pick up a book, message a friend, practise a skill, bake something or wander outside. They may also do absolutely nothing for a while—and that can be a perfectly valid way to recover from a busy school year.
You can keep a loose list of ideas somewhere visible, but teenagers don’t need a carefully planned timetable for every day of the holidays. A mixture of family plans, time with friends, small responsibilities and completely empty days usually works better than six weeks of organised activities.
Try not to interpret every slow day as a wasted one. Rest is valuable, and teenagers need opportunities to make their own choices. Learning how to manage unstructured time is a useful skill in itself.
Be Realistic About Summer Screen Time
Helping teenagers switch off does not have to mean banning phones, games or television. Technology is woven into their friendships, hobbies and downtime, and strict restrictions can quickly turn the summer into a battle.
A more realistic aim is to create parts of the day when screens naturally become less important. Phones might stay away from the table during meals, for example, or everyone—including the adults—could put them down during a game, walk or family outing. It is much easier to ask teenagers to be present when we are prepared to model the same behaviour.
It can also help to distinguish between different types of screen use. Video calling a friend, creating digital art, following a guitar tutorial and endlessly scrolling through short videos do not necessarily have the same effect. Instead of focusing only on the number of hours, look at whether screen use is interfering with sleep, movement, family life, responsibilities or face-to-face friendships.
This reflects the more individual approach encouraged by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Its current collection of screen-time and online-harm resources recognises that technology and the evidence surrounding it continue to evolve. Rather than treating every type of screen use as identical, it is more helpful to consider what teenagers are doing online and whether it is displacing sleep, exercise, relationships or other important parts of their lives.
If your teenager is sleeping at reasonable times, seeing friends, getting outside occasionally and engaging with family life, there may be no need to monitor every minute. The goal is balance, not a screen-free summer—and balance will look different for every teenager and every family.
What If Your Teenager Rejects Every Suggestion?
Even the best summer activity can be met with a shrug, an eye-roll or an immediate “no”. This doesn’t always mean your teenager is determined to have a miserable holiday. They may be tired, anxious about trying something new, worried about looking silly or simply reluctant to stop what they are currently doing.
Timing can make a big difference. Asking a teenager to go for a walk while they are in the middle of an online game with friends is unlikely to go well. Giving them some notice—“I thought we could go out for an ice cream after dinner”—allows them to finish what they are doing and adjust to the idea.
Offering two or three choices can also work better than asking an open-ended question. Instead of saying, “What do you want to do today?”, try asking whether they would prefer to go swimming, visit the shops or invite a friend over. They still have a say, but they don’t have to create an entire plan from nothing.
It is also worth considering whether an activity could be adapted. Your teenager may not want a full family day out but might agree to come for lunch. They may reject a long country walk but happily walk to a café. They might avoid an activity with the whole family but enjoy doing it one-to-one with a parent.
Try not to take every refusal personally or turn it into a confrontation. Leave the invitation open where possible and continue with the activity yourself. Teenagers sometimes change their minds once they realise they can join in without being questioned, teased or made the centre of attention.
Remember That Switching Off Looks Different for Every Teenager
One teenager may relax by being outdoors and active, while another needs music, drawing or hours spent reading alone. Some want to see friends every day; others need quiet time after a demanding school term. Neurodivergent teenagers may require longer to recover from the demands of school. Sudden plans, noisy attractions, unfamiliar places and changes in routine can also consume more energy than parents realise. Offering advance notice, explaining what an activity will involve and allowing them to leave early can make joining in feel much safer and more manageable.
Rather than deciding what switching off ought to look like, pay attention to what helps your teenager seem calmer, more comfortable and more like themselves. An activity does not need to be traditionally productive or involve the entire family to be worthwhile.
The most successful summer plans usually combine a little structure with plenty of flexibility. Offer opportunities, make it easy for teenagers to join in and allow them some control over their time. They may not thank you enthusiastically for every suggestion, but those small shared experiences can still become the moments they remember.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I encourage my teenager to spend less time on their phone during the summer?
Offer appealing alternatives rather than focusing every conversation on taking their phone away. Arrange activities around their interests, invite them to bring a friend and create a few screen-free moments that apply to the whole family, such as meals or walks. Teenagers are more likely to put their phones down voluntarily when something else genuinely holds their attention.
How much screen time is reasonable for a teenager during the holidays?
There is no single limit that will suit every teenager or family. Consider the bigger picture: are they sleeping well, moving their body, maintaining friendships and participating in family life? Screen use becomes more concerning when it consistently disrupts sleep, responsibilities, mood or real-world relationships.
If evenings are becoming particularly difficult, my guide to bedtime anxiety in older children includes gentle ideas for creating a calmer final hour before sleep.
What are some free summer activities for teenagers?
Free ideas include walking or cycling, photography challenges, picnics, geocaching, library visits, playing cards, exercising outdoors, cooking with ingredients already at home and visiting free museums or local events. Teenagers could also invite friends over, start a creative project or help plan a themed family evening.
How do I motivate a teenager who wants to stay in their bedroom?
Begin with small, low-pressure invitations rather than arranging a full day without consulting them. Offer a choice of activities and consider allowing them to bring a friend. Some teenagers genuinely need time alone to recover from the school term, so aim for a healthy rhythm rather than expecting them to participate in everything.
Should teenagers have a routine during the summer holidays?
A loose routine can help teenagers maintain healthy sleep, meals and responsibilities without making the holidays feel like school. A few regular anchor points—such as family meals, a weekly outing or agreed household tasks—may be enough. Leave plenty of room for rest, friends and spontaneous plans.
Final Thoughts
Summer with teenagers may not look like the family holidays we remember from when they were younger. They are becoming more independent, their friends matter enormously and their ideas of relaxation may be very different from ours. That change can take some adjustment, but it also opens the door to new ways of spending time together.
Helping teenagers switch off isn’t about creating a packed schedule or removing every screen from the house. It is about giving them opportunities to move, create, explore, connect and rest without adding another layer of pressure to their lives.
Some invitations will be greeted with enthusiasm and others will receive little more than a shrug. Keep offering them anyway. A walk for an ice cream, an evening card game or a quiet drive with music playing may seem like a very small thing, but these are often the moments when teenagers begin to talk and families reconnect.
The best summer memories don’t always come from expensive days out or perfectly planned activities. More often, they grow from ordinary moments when everyone slows down long enough to enjoy being together.
A note from Sabina: As my children have grown into teenagers, I have realised that successful family time looks different from when they were small. They need more choice, more independence and sometimes more time to recover before they are ready to join in. The ideas in this article reflect what I have learned from finding activities that suit different personalities rather than expecting one approach to work for everyone.