Visiting teen and torrential rain - help me please.

[WaterloggedWelly]

I have my niece staying this weekend and all the great ideas I had for stuff we could do are looking decidedly less great now the weather is meant to be torrential downpours all weekend.

So I'm asking in desperation for those of you with teens what suggestions do you have to fill some of the weekend?

I'm ideally looking for stuff that I can also drag a couple of primary aged kids along too which won't lead them to all complaining solidly for 48 hours and ideally not cost me a small fortune.

I fear this brief might be an unobtainable pipe dream but desperate times call for desperate measure so any help would be graciously received.

What had you got planned?

Whereabouts were you?

budget?

Depends where you live doesn't it? If you're in a small village in the Highlands, I'd imagine options are fairly limited.

If you live in London it will be very different!

What age of teen?
What area of the country?
What general interests?
What budget?

Theatre/cinema
Making pizzas at home
Bowling
Film night at home with an old classic like Home Alone or something similar.

Bowling
cinema

I'm in the midlands and happy to travel and budget as I'm happy to throw money at the problem but would prefer not to spend excessively.

We had planned several outdoor events but two have been cancelled already due to the weather.

Cinema?
baking?

how old is the teen?

Niece is 13 and our house isn't huge. There sadly would be space for multiple people in the kitchen baking or cooking.

Cinema listings all look pretty rubbish too.

Freakier Friday?

bowling?
swimming?

Indoor climbing wall
indoor crazy golf

Bowling's a good option but sadly not a huge time filler.

Films are tricky as what she would enjoy the other kids would/couldn't watch. Although I've just checked and freakier Friday isn't unfortunately showing at our local cinema.

swimming, climbing wall, indoor crazy golf, bowling, board games (in the evening).

Bowling
Indoor adventure/crazy golf
Go-karting
Escape room
Birmingham: Sealife Centre, ThinkThank Science Museum, Lush Spa experience (or you can do spa-like stuff at home while watching a boxset).

Museum?
trampoline park?
followed by coffee and cake in a nice cafe
followed by a browse round some shops

Shopping and Nando's

I appreciate all the ideas so far. Unfortunately the climbing wall doesn't have capacity for this weekend and we did our local mini golf last time she visited.

I'll ask if she fancies swimming.

Escape room

Have you got a board games cafe near you? Board games and cake is a good combo

The Aquarium in Brum

Trampoline

Make friendship bracelets
some other ideas here
https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/ideas/kids-craft-ideas/teen-craft-ideas/
pamper party
biscuit/cupcake decorating, buy ready made then decorate at the table

Anythjng at a leisure centre eg ice skating, swimming.

Trampoline park - the ones near us are called Airhop but there may be other brands where you are. Kids of all ages go mad for them. Would book asap before it sells out.

have a wander round a big shopping mall near you. Surprisingly even my younger kids (under 10’s) love doing this esp if theee is a tiger tiger / smiggle / toy shop in there. Get food in the food court and a treat like Millie’s cookies or a milkshake etc. sometimes they have a climbing wall or cinema inside them which would kill more of the day.

is there an imax near you? That would be a cool experience to do with her.

buy nail decorating stuff and do each others nails at home.

buy some crystal art sets, these are good for a wide age range (my youngest is 6 and likes them, so does his 12 year old cousin).

buy hair beading stuff and do each others hair.

not sure what is local to you but lots of teens are still interested in looking around a science centre / museum

Karaoke and dancing in the living room 😁

Film night at home with homemade popcorn, design their own pizza or biscuits?

Clip and climb, trampoline park, shopping centre, lunch out, video games, photography competition where the daftest/best/most unusual photo wins a prize, make mocktails, home pamper day with nails etc.

Oh gosh I think my neighbours would not be impressed 😁.

Home made pizza is already on the menu for the evening it's just looking for something to pass the time during the day.

A shopping trip would be great but she'd much rather do that sort of stuff with her friends now. Apparently it's not as cool to go window shopping with your aunt apparently. 😆

Have a board games tournament ... Some of my happiest memories as a kid are beating the younger cousins hands down a board games.

Bowling
Crazy golf
Board games cafe
Kitty Cafe if they all like cats
Trampoline park
Leisure swimming pool