Need advice please for 13 year old.

[Givemeacookie]

Asking on behalf of a friend. She has a 13 year old ds she is worried he isnt getting out enough and having fun. He goes everywhere with her, doesn't go out to call for friends after school or weekends and school holidays he spends it hanging around with his 10 and 4 year old cousin both of which are girls. His dad isn't in his life at all and his only real male influence in his life is it 85 year old grandfather but his health has been declining for sometime. Poor lad looks bored as anything he's either on his phone or sat infront of the telly.

Can any of you please recommend any extra curricular activiitys or clubs that your ds gets involved in that has encouraged friendships and built confidence? These need to be low cost/free activitys or clubs as my friend is on a low income.

Any advice or recommendations are appricated. We are in the devon area if anyone knows anything specific based here.

Many thanks!

Any sport, scouts, geo cache, book club, summer camp, Google your local area and your library for clubs

Army cadets? DS1 now 15 does cadets through school and enjoys it. He has had some fairly cheap weekends and weeks away doing activities with them too.

As she is in Devon if he is interested in sailing then maybe the Sea Cadets?

Does he have friends at school or locally? What do they do that he could maybe join too?

If they don't do anything maybe try to get them to try something new together ds has done swimming, karate, football, gym, trampolining etc with friends. What is he interested in doing? Joining an activity together can strengthen friendships and get them interacting outside school.

Same as PPs Army Cadets, Sea Cadets, Air Cadets, Explorer Scouts, if you are near the sea you might have Sea Scouts. St Johns Ambulance Cadets, Fire Cadets, Police Cadets. Google what you have in the area and get him to try some out for a few weeks. All of those are quite low cost

and if he is not the sporty/outdoorsy type, drama is a good confidence builder

Yes I suggested cadets but wasn't sure if it cost a bit. He does like football I think as. well but I know the fa definately costs and then there's fines and things.

He has friends in school and since he has been off he's tried to make plans on roughly 4 separate occasions each time he has been cancelled on which is a real shame. He's a good kid but could definately do with toughening up he's got next to 0 street smarts as well the main problem is he spends almost all of his time around 2 girls one of which is much younger then him.

I would second Scouts or Cadets. If your friend can't afford the subs/camp fees etc, there are sometimes local charities that can help.

Our air cadets pay £1 a night - you couldn't get any cheaper. There is extra money for camps etc but even that heavily subsidised, and of course optional.

You couldn't get more experience for less money anywhere else.

Scouting is brilliant for older kids my son is 12. I pay £12 a month, are there any youth clubs he could join

St Johns Ambulance run a cadet scheme it's usually £1 a session with free first aid training and they get to events for free - worth looking into

Brilliant thank you so much for the suggestions I'm seeing my friend again later so i will show her all these ideas be so good to her her son getting out more and having some fun!

Yes I suggested cadets but wasn't sure if it cost a bit. He does like football I think as. well but I know the fa definately costs and then there's fines and things.

The cadet forces are the cheapest "club" you are going to find. A low charge per night (mine charges nothing, some charge 50p/£1 or similar), weekend camps are £10-£20 and a 10 day summer camp for £60. Uniform is free but you have to supply boots. There may be to other expenses such as a decent sleeping bag but I doubt you will find better value for money anywhere else.