What clubs/activities do your teens do that aren't sport or music related?

[bunjies]

Looking for some inspiration really.

14 year old ds currently does trampolining & table tennis once a week. He's just informed me that he wants to give up trampolining as he doesn't get more than 10 mins tuition in a 1.5 hr session. Fair enough it costs £6 a time so am happy for him to do something else instead. But what? He doesn't want to do drama & he's not into musical instruments. He used to be into footie but not so into playing it any more. He loves making videos for YouTube but there doesn't seem to be anything around for his age group. I really don't want him spending the time he would be at trampolining in front of a screen but we can't think of anything he might be interested in. Any ideas?

Explorer Scouts? They usually develop their own programmes so there are lots of different things they do (not all hiking and camping ).

Martial arts? Great for discipline and confidence

13 y old DS1 goes to Scouts, also a youth cafe at a local church.

astronomy, amateur radio, chess, photography... It's quite tricky, aside from scouting & religious groups and anorackish pursuits there isn't much.

Mine (girls rather than boys) do ballet, gymnastics and Allstar cheer (which is akin to sports acro, eg BGT's Spellbound and does not involve any pompoms!)

Both Allstar cheer and their gymnastics have a lot of ex and current trampolinists, and both have a surprisingly high ratio of boys, so might be worth a try if he enjoyed trampolining.

On a different track, my friend's son just started Boys Brigade and loves it. It sounds like a lot of fun - a bit like scouts or a cadet force without the army aspect. If we had any spare time I'd be tempted to let my DDs try it (its coed where we are, despite the name!)

Another vote for Explorer Scouts here - mine get SO much from it.
There's also Air / Sea / {presumably?} Land Cadets
Duke of Edinburgh Groups
New Youth Centre near here had 101 activities going on - would just need to mooch down and find one to suit (includes things like a recording studio and a computer suite, but also pool tables and youth forums)
An 'outdoor' thing rather thana team sport - kayaking / rowing / sailing / climbing / etc ?

Drama and dance
(Thats ds aged 11)

Climbing, if there's an indoor climbing or bouldering centre near you?

My 14 yr old ds does taekwondo, which he seems to enjoy and has more older than younger children. His friend also does something called parkour, which very cool, although his class in in a gym and not on the streets! Might be an idea for an athletic sort of kid?

Mine does skateboarding. Local skate parks often have lessons/sessions. Or roller-blading sessions?

Young Farmers
Drama

church youth group, she loves it. They sometimes go out en masse bowling or similar, othertimes they are in the parish hall.athis weekend they are visiting a parish across the border in Slovakia - and I am WORRYING, so on MN a lot.

Not regularly but now and again she does art, museum, pc workshops, lego robotics.

Otherwise she does sport, music

she enjoyed geo-caching and also survival in the wildnernis weekends out in the woods

Would your ds like a more unusual sport?

Where are you OP? Our local arts college do a Saturday School from Year 5 to Year 11 or 12.

Hope there could be something similar near you.

Would he be interested in volunteering. My friends 14 yr old has just volunteered for working in sport with disabled children. Probably very rewarding and also good to volunteer if he would like to apply to university etc in future.

HY

Mine does Explorer Scout’s and Cricket in the summer. Most cricket clubs are starting training for the summer about now and most will lend him the equipment if he wants to give it a try although he’d probably want a new box

Coding (programming)
coderdojo.com/

Mine do sports but also explorer scouts. If he doesn't want to play football anymore how about refereeing. DS1 did a two day course run by the local FA and now earns £20-25 per hour per match every weekend for the local junior leagues.

Explorer scouts - absolutely!
My DD does it and gets so much from it.
They plan their own programme and this term has included orienteering, night hike, scavenger hunt, cooking evening, quiz night, craft evening, helping homeless shelter, fund raising, and a chill out night with board games. She's going to Italy this year and the World Scout Jamboree in USA next year for 3 weeks.
It's been brilliant for her - learning loads of new things, meeting new people, organising stuff (the explorers run their own evenings in pairs or groups-the leaders just guide and make sure they're safe)
She's really grown in confidence.
Thoroughly recommend it to any teen!

Doesn't have to be into drama to be a member of the crew, or the ushers/front of house team, as part of a drama production.

13yo DS got a paper round.

OP's DS is old enough for cadets, too. Sea, Army, CCF, Air...

Can I just ask what is wrong with being on devices like I’m 14 I don’t understand why so many parents say that we have to be doing a hobbie or club etc I really jus don’t like sports or any physical activities because I prefer tech I just don’t understand what is wrong with that

Devicelover There is nothing wrong with screens or devices, I'm on one right now 🤣. It's about balance and when devices and screens take up too many hours homework /revision/reading, outdoor/physical/social activities, contributing to household chores/learning to be independent or even sleep suffer and you don't become a well rounded physically and mentally healthy person.

Few children need encouraged towards devices, this is why parents try to address the balance.

......and you should be in your bed by now, school
tomorrow (unless there are holidays on outside Scotland)!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣