Where do you take your teens where they enjoy themselves and it doesn't cost a fortune?

[elliejjtiny]

I don't mind being told such a place doesn't exist. At least I will know I have tried everything.

I have 2 older teens (aged 17 and nearly 16) and 3 younger ones (aged 13, 10 and 9). Trying to find days out that older 2 will like is getting harder and harder. I look up lists on various blogs on the internet of "top 10 places in X area to take your teenagers" and they don't like any of them. They would rather be at home chatting to their friends on Instagram or discord. I can't just leave them at home as they are both autistic. Ds1 can be left for half a day and ds2 for about an hour or 2 max.

Used to enjoy the viewing park at Manchester Airport. Download the flight radar app and take a picnic.

DD17 likes to go out with friends but will come on a walk now and then. Dd15 likes anything involving coffee & cake, but that can be quite costly really, and doesn't take up much of the day! Unless I include a walk. It is hard to find inexpensive things to do with them.

Depending on your local costs - swimming was a surprisingly great hit earlier this week.
We can still get some mileage out of a beach trip with an ice cream - but we are only 25 mins drive away.
Otherwise, expensive things go down well. We just don't do them very often!

My two love climbing, but that would work out quite expensive for five of them!

We just go hiking! Find a good location which is a bit unusual and it should be fun.