Cheering things to do with teen DD around London

[Teenynotbopper]

My DD has had a lot to go through recently with her health. Lots of friendship issues to boot have left her feeling very lonely

Her 15th birthday is coming up and she is at a loss. Doesn’t know what she wants to do and how to spend it. My suggestions are met not so much with scorn but sorrow that her deeply uncool mother is making suggestions rather than the fun, tight knit friendship group she envisaged she would have.

We live on the outskirts of London and I’d love suggestions for how to spend it. Can do London, Herts, Essex, Surrey, Kent, Sussex. Ideally things to do during the day before coming home for a traditional dinner with extended family (which she is looking forward to).

she likes

• beach (but weather doesn’t look great)
• doing things with her hands like pottery
• pottering around pretty shops
• sweet things and baking
• Six is her favourite musical but she’s watched it a lot
• The usual suspects when it comes to music: Sabrina carpenter, Taylor swift, Conan Gray etc
• reading - mostly crime

she doesn’t like too much noise, heights, isn’t desperately outdoorsy or a thrill seeker.

if anyone has any suggestions their teens loved please throw them my way!

Spa day? With facial and mani pedi!

Escape room?
Bonkers acrylics and you get them too?
Shopping competition in department store?
Ear piercings

What about a craft day? My mother is doing a fused glass workshop tomorrow, and there are allsorts of jewellery and other craft workshops if she likes doing things with her hands.

Whistable - lovely little seaside town, nice shops, walk along seafront.

The Mousetrap in London

Witness for the Prosecution play in London

(Not sure if kidsweek is still running whereby you can get kids tickets for free)

Taylor Swift cover concert
https://www.ticketnation.uk/shows/taylormania.html

Sabrina Carpenter cover concert
https://www.ticketnation.uk/shows/sweet-and-sour---the-ultimate-tribute-to-sabrina-carpenter-and-olivia-rodrigo.html

Whipsnade zoo - zoo experience

www.whipsnadezoo.org/plan-your-visit/zoo-experiences?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10839574717&gbraid=0AAAAAC_qYfAqHqu3BchaGm_DKRO06w5EO&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvbEBhApEiwAKUz6-_dThPofshd_DFrMZW3DBz-xMuKuP9PRcQm5yuRqJxk-hykao2aF5hoCe6wQAvD_BwE

How about a nice lunch and a trip to Moco:

https://london.mocomuseum.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=sc_nbrand&utm_campaign=325292_lon&utm_content=754515787084&utm_term=keith%20haring%20exhibition_b&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22601586698&gbraid=0AAAAADGO9U_ZOkjxNZAJF8kJVzXUivmfn&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvbEBhApEiwAKUz6-1sXwzgfOEtVOQN-QswHOAdUjlqTp0oxvTD8-LhfB7wliPD1N_qgfRoCCIMQAvD_BwE#gad_source_1

We bought tickets on a whim a few months ago and unexpectedly loved it. There’s also an excellent gift shop.

Camden Town in London?

how about an alpaca experience @Teenynotbopper

also on insta

You sound like such a lovely mum. I’m sorry your DD is having a hard time.

Some things that come to mind are

• cooking/baking class. I know Leith’s and Gordon Ramsay do them but there are loads out there. (This one looks nice but would take a lot of the day https://saucebylangham.com/product/classes/sous-chefs-class-baking/)
• afterboon tea somewhere lovely
• a mooch around Liberty

i hope she has a lovely day.

I took my daughter to London for her 15th birthday (we live ooop North!), we did the bus tour which went down surprisingly well but was expensive. We went shopping along Oxford Street which culminated in a 'look' around Pandora (again expensive!), oh, we also spent a fortune in the rather large Primark!
My daughter had a bit of a rough year at school so she absolutely loved being away from home spending mums money, I hope your daughter has an amazing day 💕

What about afternoon tea in a nice hotel as part of the day?

Thank you for all the suggestions, I will share with her.

that class looks great @Rainallnight but I might be doing something wrong, I can’t see availability. Liberty a good shout. I mooted afternoon tea and was derided but might just take charge and organise- she usually quite likes that but for her birthday she usually has strict ideas of what she wants to do so I was kind of sad she had nothing in her mind.

She likes animals but isn’t super brave around them @beetr00 and @Silverbirchleaf - I’ll check though! Whitstable might appeal, or possibly the WftP. Thank you.

Camden has been overdone I think, she used to love it.

Moco looks good, thanks @MayaPinion

@Unexpectedlysinglemum can you recommend a spa that takes children?

@mismomary what is a shopping competition? Sounds expensive! Ear piercings are too terrifying I’m afraid

@Latenightreader yes I had thought of something like that. My only concern is it being full of older people. She’d love something cool but aimed more at teens so she didn’t feel more lonely I think

So I had a young relative have a tough time recently, took her out for the day when we visited London. I gave her a budget of cash took her to Shoreditch and borough and said ok we are going on a TikTok foodie trip today and for that money you’re going to find us a drink, a meal and something sweet. She absolutely loved it and actually took her friend back later that year. We walked the back streets so she could see all the street art (Hackney’s a good one like this too) and it was a stress free non-west end day so a change from the usual. She loved seeing all the young people going about their day, fashions, hearing the music as we walked around. You could visit the new V and A and handle some objects, or London museum docklands, see if there anything on at Stratford.
Maybe something like this?
or if out of London, Margate’s great, also Hastings.

@Teenynotbopper sorry to hear of your DD’s troubles, that is shit for her. I think @Ohyoudodoyou may have it - teens love to visit a TikTok famous restaurant - my own DD went to some random place in Shoreditch recently for that reason. Kids also like a bit of responsibility- so give her a budget and ask her to devise a day she’d like and for her to work out the route.

The Jamie Oliver cookery school is great value - lots of variety - as is any class at Fortnum and Mason (they offer these via Eventbrite) and they do younger people classes at this time of year.

Mine loved the ghost bus tour at that age too. And a trip on the boat on the Thames.

Hope you have a great time, you sound like a lovely Mum.

Take her into Central London to buy a new outfit - Covent Garden or Oxford Street, or Camden town/Spitalfields if she is edgier in her taste.

A matinee (if her birthday falls on a matinee day) of Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall would be a great idea.

I feel for her. Friendship issues at that age are so painful. They feel defining - no or few or weak friendships can make a teen feel like they will never make friends. DS2 went through this. He now has several strong friendships groups. Totally transformed. But from about age 9 to age 17 he had a long and very lonely struggle. I feel for her.

One thing he enjoyed was a course where he made handmade chocolates. A birthday present from a relative. It was really enjoyable. And the chocolates were out of this world. There are a few around London and Home Counties. The one in Woking looks good and affordable and takes people from age 14 so may be other teens on it too.

Have you thought about taking her to all the 'posh' shops like Harrods, Fortune and Mason's, Harvey Nicholls. Maybe treat her to afternoon tea and a gift (but give her a limit obviously). You could take her to Covent Garden, China Town, Camden, etc.

You could get her animal experience, if you have a local wildlife park near you. You get to spend time with the animal and learn so much (I've just done one, I'm a big kid at heart and loved it!).

I’ve not been to any of these but as she likes reading crime what about the Sherlock Holmes Museum then either a Sherlock Homes or Agatha Christie walking tour?

She sounds just like my 15yo DD! We did a theatre trip and a fancy picnic (went to a deli and she chose the food).

Thank you all