In thinking this (kids and things to DO)

[cleofatra]

AIBU in thinking that there actually isnt that much for tweens and teenagers to do in Britain these days? We are hampered by the weather, for sure.

Those who disagree, really keen to hear what your kids do on weekends, after school etc.

I have 2 teenagers.

Ds1 is 14. He has club football training twice a week, academy football training once a week, matches on Sunday, swimming once a week and athletics in the summer.
I think that's more than enough.
He still goes out with his friends, plays ps3, watches tv etc.

Dd is 15 and has drama twice a week, swimming once and dance once. She has dropped a few things and doesn't go out as much with her friends as she is studying for her GCSEs later this year. And getting ready for prom, which is apparently more important

Mine wander in to town with friends (library etc) attend scouts (v reasonable), build dens in the woodland field next door to sleep in, cook weekly, chill out with friends/siblings, build lego projects, attend karate lessons, swim

Of course there are structured activities - mine does swimming lessons in the week but as far as leisure?

Well the teenagers do the same things we do, don't they?
Go shopping, go to the cinema, bowling, make one drink in Costa last 2 hours, go to the park.
What sort of thing did you have in mind?

Mine do lots of sport. Keeps them busy and active and gives them a great social life as they meet friends from round the country at competitions.

There is not a lot for them to do if you are on a low income

I think it's a shame that they're often made to feel unwelcome in parks, there should be more playgrounds with the outdoor gym equipment stuff suitable for older children, teenagers and adults.

Cadets, cycle rides, the pound shop!

Mine have done a combination of cadets (acf) football, boxing, school clubs (debate club inc regional competition) some community projects.

cadets is a good one. army cadets or they can do police cadets from age 13/14.

all of the above are good for building a social circle.

17leftfeet all of the things I mentioned were done while on a low income.

Why are we more hampered by the weather than the rest of northern Europe? It rains in Denmark too. The climate in Southern Sweden is pretty similar to that of northern England/Scotland. (During my recent Christmas stay it rained pretty solidly all forthnight- yet my hosts kept dragging me out of health giving walks.)

As for my own teens:

dd (17), who has a long commute to college, spends one day of the weekend catching up on her sleep. She spends the other day doing youth theatre and catching up with friends, reading and planning plays, writing essays for college, writing to her penfriends.

ds (13) spends a lot of time roaming the town with his friends, playing football in the park, watching TV, listening to music. He used to hang out at the youth club but now prefers just being with his mates.

other teens I know do scouts, run their own bands, work in shops, volunteer in nursing homes

When I was that age I did similar things to my own teens- roamed the town, listened to music, read books, wrote to my penfriends. I also used to cook Sunday dinner on a rota with my brothers- no reason a modern teen couldn't do that.

The town I grew up in was far smaller than the one my own teens are growing up in, so there was less to get involved in.

Dd 17 goes to a drama group at the weekend for 3 hours, hangs out with her friends here playing guitar/singing, goes busking, goes to the gym.

Ds 14 plays football for a Sunday team, trains twice a week, goes to the gym most days.

We live near London, so they often pop up on the train to mooch around.

my lads as teens did lots of sports, hanged about the town centre, tried to get into pubs.

my dds go shopping, costa endless costa, cinema, sports.

disagree there's lots to do. nowt wrong with hanging out either. it's a social stepping stone.

in my experience teens couldn't give a fuck about the weather, it's us older ones who do.

I agree to a certain degree. Holidays with tweens are difficult. Most of the organised activities (and school obviously) stop for the holidays. And tweens aren't as able to take themselves off to do stuff. It can get quite expensive - swimming, cinema, visits to museums etc. I think particularly if they are not sporty, teh options are limited.
During term time there are plenty of things to do - music, dancing, school activities, scout/guides etc and homework!!

Reading, sports, arts and crafts, computer games (online tournaments etc), gardening, modelling (as in airfix kits etc, not fashion!), swimming, friends' houses, scouts (right up to young leaders)?

But was there more for teenagers to do when we were that age? I think that DD probably has access to more activities than I did at that age, especially as we lived in a village and my mum couldn't drive.

We're in a village now - DD goes riding, surfing, swimming, walks the dog, hangs out with friends either in the local park or goes to their house / they come to ours. There is a youth club that she could go to if she wanted to.

In comparison to my teenage years, in the village, depending on the weather we would hang out around the phone box, a particular wall, the cricket ground, or in the church porch if it was raining. I also had riding lessons, and there was a youth club but we didn't really use it.

Great to hear what things others do. DD is 12 and I feel she mopes about too much. Doesn't seem to fancy anything which is tricky.

She likes writing - has anyone heard of some sort of writing class for kids?

There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.
The uk is surrounded by Coast, is crisscrossed by canels and rivers there are national parks, formal gardens, skate parks, woodland and youth clubs.

I should have mentioned the reading, drawing, writing, tv, listening to music, computer games, cooking, playing with her brother, etc. that she does when she's not roaming the streets... I was thinking more of 'out of home' stuff.

I don't know people think DCs should always be doing something anyway.

I'm not always doing something productive, when I get home from work I like to sit down and piss about on the Internet with a coffee. Same way my ds1 likes to play ps3, or dd likes to watch hollyoaks or whatever.

Sometimes, doing nothing is good.

Frys DD is 12 too - moping is just something that 12 year old girls do as far as I can work out.

Tantrums I'm with you - I don't have to entertain DD every minute of the day. And recently she's started just buggering off to her room usually when DS is getting on her nerves

I agree OP that you have both to have money and be lucky.

There are no decent youth groups and very patchy recreational sports opportunities.

It's OK if you have played a sport, Danced or swam from 6, but opportunities to start at 11-13 are awful. Likewise if you want to continue for fun you can't carry in swimming, they are horrifically, take over your life, competitive. Ballet is all exams.

DD2 is incredibly lucky her gymnastics club are happy to have a group of recreational late starters of secondary age, who love gym, but will never be that good.

DD1 sings, she is solo grade good, and lucky to have a local keen church choir, with primary to OAP members.

DD1 also has another horse riding type price hobby which certainly isn't open to all.

Youth Club! Loads of great low cost/free activities, place to meet friends, informal education on the topics teens really want/need to know about, tuck shops, trips!

not biased at all!

I agree re doing nothing.

or 'chilling'