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School holidays

Find half term and school holiday activity ideas.

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Original poster

What do your teenagers do in school holidays?

34 replies

littlecats · 15/04/2025 22:20

I’m interested in what your teenagers do during the school holidays. My 13 year old has defaulted to playing video games most of the Easter holidays. My husband and I both work full time from home and clearly don’t have as many holidays as the kids do so he has time where he needs to entertain himself. He has tried to meet up with friends but he has a small circle and some have been away. He’s met up with a couple of friends but it seems they still played video games. He’s too young to get a job and he’s not inclined to kick a football around by himself. I need some ideas for the next school holidays please.

OP posts:

EmmaEmEmz · 15/04/2025 22:26

Go to their friends, go the park, play football, computer games, go into town, ones redoing our garden in between the rain, other has washed the car and bikes and is sorting all the tyres and stuff out on bikes for everyone ready for summer

thisfilmisboring123 · 15/04/2025 22:27

Following this thread for ideas as we’re in the same boat with our 13 year old daughter.

Our school only broke up on Friday so only on day 2 of Easter hols here. Have asked her numerous times where she’d like to go, mainly met with grunts of she doesn’t know.
Her 2 best friends are away and she won’t tend to go out with her other friends unless her best friends are also there.

Husband and I are both working but do have a few days off booked over the hols.

planthelpadvice · 15/04/2025 22:33

My yr8 DS has had an unusually wholesome holiday - been on bike rides and long walks, and to the park to play sports. But a lot has been instigated by friends, and if they'd been away it wouldn't have happened. I've also helped him to sort out some old collectables for selling. But he's also watched a lot of YouTube and played a lot of video games!!

thaegumathteth · 15/04/2025 22:34

Dd (14) has been for ice cream with her friends, went on the trampoline with them (and by that I mean sunbathed), had 3 sleepovers, got up to watch the sunrise one day with them and came to the zoo with us today. The rest of the time she’s lay in bed / on the couch playing Roblox with her friends. She’s very sociable though.

ds is 18 and at Uni now but he did much less in school holidays because he needed time to be on his own / at home.

Hoolihan · 15/04/2025 22:39

13yo has been out with friends, to the fair, couple of sleepovers, beach and picnic with me, bike ride with her dad.

17yo has been to the cinema with his friends but otherwise has barely left the house 😔

Frozenpeace · 16/04/2025 14:58

DH and I share a fair amount of the holidays so we can do stuff with them. Or we do half days /take a long lunch break etc.

On the days DS is left to his own devices, he

sees friends
walks the dog for us
games/watches you tube

And then we try and do something with him in the evenings.

But we do try and share the holiday cover so he doesn't have endless aimless days.

He also sometimes does holiday clubs learning things like sailing /rock climbing /ice skating. And air cadets keeps running during the holidays so he is doing at least 6 hours a week with them (often more if they do weekend activities)

Frozenpeace · 16/04/2025 15:00

I do think taking a fair amount of leave as "half days" at this age can work well as the teen can spend the morning in bed /vegetating while you work and then you can both go out in the afternoon

wisebear · 16/04/2025 15:07

My DS is 11 (12 September and starting secondary) he’s an only child and I also WFH but 9-3 DH works full time out the house and I tend to book half days (9-12) and try to do one thing per day when I’m done nothing extravagant but along the lines of:

Monday - pop to a cafe for coffee and cake
Tuesday - pictures 2-4-1 meerkat tickets
Wednesday - pop to see grandparents
Thursday - pick nick woodland walk with the dog
friday - duvet afternoon board game/snacks

something along them lines doesn’t have to be something EVERYDAY but you get the gist - also depends on the kid - im sure when my DS starts secondary he will have more friends to socialise with but does also love to game so he does and I allow him too as it’s another form of interaction with mates - hopefully you get some more ideas I must admit I find it quite demanding to fill the holidays with things to do but try not to sweat the 1-2 weeks holidays as they need the break xx

Noodles1234 · 16/04/2025 15:11

I hear you, it isn’t easy when you work ft.
however, try to engage with parents of his friends asap, I have done this and it won’t be everyday, but every holiday one of us if off at some point. We collect them and take them somewhere, parks to play football, cricket, golf or facilities that do this say trampoline parks, sports centres or venues / golf driving ranges etc - actually these are cheap for a bucket of 100 balls about £6 and that will do them for a couple of hours. Give them food and drinks or some money to buy a lemonade and a portion of chips each etc. Or round someone’s house to play games together.

once you’ve done this a couple of times and they get older they may start to instigate things and meet up on bikes / buses etc.
mot can take time, girls can be a bit more independent quicker than boys, sometimes boys are aching to be let out. Horses for courses.

Pascha · 16/04/2025 15:14

Ds14 did lots of car cleaning and a bit of gardening last week with his mate. Earned some cash, wore himself out and has spent this week mostly holed up playing games and hiding out. His social battery is done for now.

Emmz1510 · 16/04/2025 15:17

Mine isn’t a teen she’s 10.5. I’ve had some days off work and some days wfh so she’s had a combination of lazy days at home entertaining herself (talks to friends on FaceTime, watches movies or YouTube on her iPad, does arts and crafts, teaching herself to crochet at the moment, and on the nicer days she’s been out playing in our garden or at friends) and when I’ve been off we’ve had some days out to park, a cat cafe and amusement park. Some of these days out have been with her cousins. She’s also going to a friends caravan tomorrow for a couple of days. Two of her cousins are almost teens (12.5). They have been on some of the days out with us. My nephew sometimes gets the bus into our local town centre with his friends and they like going for food, browsing in the shop, they also have kids gym passes.

leccybill · 16/04/2025 15:19

15yo has revised for upcoming exams, walked the dog, met friends a couple of times, watched a few series and made a few meals/baking.
She's been on screens a fair bit too but I don't feel bad, school is intense and they are directed so much, they need to decompress and do what they like in their own holidays.
We're on holiday over Easter so we'll do hikes and outdoor things.

Radiatorvalves · 16/04/2025 15:20

DS is mainly revising with the odd trip to the gym. I suspect he’s also spending a bit too much time on his phone. He’s eating a lot and not wasting any time tidying his bedroom…

Natsku · 16/04/2025 15:21

My 14 year old and her friend group have been trying to plan an amusement park trip in the summer holidays and there's just a handful of days they are all available so I don't expect she'll be spending much time with friends in the holidays, they're all just too busy so I expect she'll be spending most of her time doing her favourite activity - sleeping. She's applied for summer jobs but hasn't heard back yet so seems unlikely she's got one.

wejammin · 16/04/2025 15:23

Oldest DS is 13. He's come on a couple of Easter trails with his younger siblings, on the promise of ice cream. He's been with a friend to walk her dog a couple of times. Been to a party at a friend's house. We're at grandparents today so he's come out for a pub lunch. We're going to a science museum tomorrow and to a national trust place on Friday.
Apart from that he's been happy gaming and drawing in his room and watching gaming stuff on YouTube.
I think it's easier with younger siblings as we still do the stuff we did before he was a teen.
The general rule is, he can watch TV/game as much as he likes at home, as long as he engages with family days out when we ask him to. This works well for us - he's autistic so needs a solid rule.

sunshineandshowers40 · 16/04/2025 15:27

Game, game and game!

I booked a couple of days off and have been to cinema and mini golf. Had a couple of take aways. Been out with friends once/ twice.

celticprincess · 16/04/2025 15:35

This is our first week. I’m a teacher so off. Usually take them places such as national trust ans English heritage. But they’re getting a bit older now and prefer their own company with their friends.

DD15 has been logged onto school revision sessions for GCSEs so far. Teachers are raining them daily online and some in person. DD12 has gone away for a few days with ex H to see family and when back has already arranged a day out with a friend to an escape room, shopping in town and then a sleep over at mine. Easter weekend we will visit family. Next week not so sure as of yet. She did spend the first weekend in PJs watching TV. Probably more of that next week.

DiscoBeat · 16/04/2025 15:37

DS17 has been fishing, shopping, cinema and lunch with friends, also some studying and video games. DS14 has mostly been playing video games but also playing musical instruments (he's learning 3 so it keeps him occupied) Both of them have been cooking a bit too.

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 16/04/2025 15:40

Down the skatepark with her friend(s), a bday party, cinema, shopping with me , another cinema trip with friends tomorrow, helping out in the garden, sorted out her bedroom,clothes, desk,toys(took 2 days) , some revision /homework ,hanging out with me watching telly or doing jigsaws and yes, lots of screen time, sometimes on her own or with her friends.

Californianpoppy · 16/04/2025 16:25

15 yr old has been to school for a revision session, then holed himself up in his room, gaming or arguing with pro lifers online, because he's 15 and knows everything. I've used him to help with garden aid a couple of times, which he's fairly uncomplaining about. I'll see him on Easter Sunday when we make him come on a walk.
13 yr old dd has been to a sleepover, cinema and shopping, interspersed with little trips with me and ping ponging around friends' houses.

Both have fed themselves and almost cleaned up after themselves. I love, love, love the teenage stage.

Californianpoppy · 16/04/2025 16:30

For comparison:
At 15 I mooched about with friends and spent a lot of time holed up one of our rooms, listening to Nirvana and waiting for life to start properly. Probably went shopping and man- watching in our nearest city. Sadly, none of the men ever watched us back. Which was why we felt our lives hadn't properly started😄

summershere99 · 16/04/2025 16:35

DS 13 has been to the cinema with friends, had a sleepover, played a couple of football matches / tournaments, had one day at a holiday football camp and gone to a friend’s house a few times. He’s also gamed a lot (sometimes with friends sometimes without), washed the car, been on the trampoline, made brownies and played darts on the new dart board. We’ve also had a family bike ride. It is getting harder to think of things he can do / we can all do that doesn’t involve screens.

ffsfindmeausername · 16/04/2025 16:43

Mostly on screens. Moan that they bored but pull their faces and say no to any activity suggested. Then shrug their shoulders and say they don't know when asked for ideas of what they want to do or where to go etc!

Tusktusk · 16/04/2025 16:44

My 13 year old DD, left to her own devices, would stay in her room watching videos on her phone. She has needed encouragement, opportunities and downright bribes to get her going. But so far these holidays she has managed to:

rearrange her bedroom
build flat pack furniture kit
baked bread
museum visit
art gallery visit
trip to the tip
visited grandparents

I won’t say she did all of them completely willingly but she has been fairly open to guidance.
She does need time on her own too. Unfortunately she seems unable to make arrangements with friends and at her age I don’t feel I can step in and do this for her any more.

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 16/04/2025 17:13

DS is 15, he’s been revising, working, playing golf and been on 2 weekend cadet camps. He’ll be going back to school for a rest!

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