Pre-teens and teens can be tricky customers when it comes to keeping them entertained at home.
Here are a few of our best ideas (and some of yours!) for keeping them busy.
Share your own ideas in the thread, and we'll add them to the list.
Strength and honour.
1. Visit the Louvre
Budding linguists will enjoy a virtual trip round Le Louvre. Ooh la la!
2. Take a tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland
Pay a visit virtually to some of Ireland and Northern Ireland’s landmarks.
3. Try out these Stem activities
Stem activities from Network Rail for older train enthusiasts. Follow them on Twitter, too.
Related: The best online learning resources for children and teens
4. Take a dance class
Re-watch Strictly and perfect some new moves or tune into Oti’s dance classes on YouTube. Paso Doble, anyone?
5. Find the international space station
Spot the International Space Station going over. Sometimes it’s good to ponder the wonders of the universe and remember how tiny our planet really is.
6. Try some microwave baking
Make mug cakes in the Microwave. We heard the experts have put together a bit of info on this…
7. Get into conservation
Wildlife, geography, conservation and more with the legendary Steve Backshall.
8. Visit the Uffizi gallery in Florence
Teenaged art lovers will love the bold and colourful pieces in Florence’s Uffizi gallery. Visit it online here.
9. Explore Britain’s secret World War II bunker from your sofa
The Liverpool War Museums closed for now but the virtual tour is fascinating and they’re running some brilliant ‘live history lessons’ from their Facebook page: Western Approaches HQ.
10. Have a movie marathon
The whole of the Harry Potter series should keep them busy for a while. If you had the foresight to stash a box of Microwave popcorn at the back of the cupboard before all this began, so much the better.
Related: Ideas for keeping primary school children entertained at home
11. Try a science challenge
Leave budding scientists in the capable hands of James Dyson for a while with his science challenge cars. (If you’re low on dry spaghetti maybe oversee some of these).
12. Listen to an audiobook
Audible just put loads of its children’s audiobooks online for free. Three cheers for them!
Try Audible for free
13. Take a trip to New York
A virtual trip to New York should always include a look round MoMA. Treat them to a hot dog afterwards and they’ll feel just like they’re in the Big Apple (almost).
...and while you’re (not) there, catch some opera at the Met Opera house, which is currently streaming performances each night.
Exercise classes you can do at home, courtesy of one of the United States’ biggest gym chains.
14. If you have a dog, try to teach him some tricks
“If you have a dog we are teaching our dogs more tricks, I can recommend joining this Facebook group if you fancy learning how to teach your dog some tricks - to do it just for fun or working towards trick titles with DMWYD. Super helpful group, and keeps dogs and kids entertained.”
Related: The best family board games
15. Write a novel
They’re never more creative and less self-conscious about their writing than at this age, believe it or not. They don’t have to show anyone, but then again they might even find time to self-publish it.
16. Start a book club
Or start a grown-up book club with them with books you’ll enjoy too. John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns has a list of discussion points you could use to spring off from.
Buy The Fault in our Stars
17. Go to a stay at home festival
The Cosmic Shambles Network is holding a Stay At Home festival with guests including Robin Ince, Josie Long, Mark Gatiss, Stephen Merchant and more. Check it out.
18. Learn how to DJ
By downloading this free app. You did buy them those headphones, right? Please say you bought them those headphones…
Buy headphones
19. Learn how to play an instrument
Get them to practise their musical instrument. There’s no time like now to get seriously good at guitar.
20. Host a Netflix party
Netflix and chill (well, less of the chill, perhaps, but they can watch Netflix with their friends, here.
21. Host a virtual house party
Meet up with their mates on House Party.
22. Learn a new language
Download DuoLingo to their phone and they can learn a language for free. How cool would it be to go back to school speaking Mandarin?
23. Help them redecorate their bedroom
Or if you can’t lay your hands on any paint, just a thorough declutter and a couple of hours’ rearranging furniture can make it seem like a whole new room. And giving them a space they want to retreat too might save everyone's sanity.
What are your suggestions for keeping teens entertained? Post them on the thread and we’ll add them to the list.
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