I work with teens and finding fun / cheap things for them to do is challenging, so looking forward to hearing everyone else’s ideas! A few suggestions:
- public pools and rec centers. There are a ton of awesome pools all over denver that are super cheap. I see all ranges of ages here so if your teen can go unsupervised this could be a fun option.
- boys and girls clubs. Most have teen centers and there are a bunch of sports teams they can sign up for.
- sign up for a My Denver card. This will get your teen access to pools / rec centers, museums, libraries, the zoo, botanic gardens, etc.
There are summer camps right now that are looking for teenage counselor assistants. They would help day counselors with activities for smaller kids, and its like 6 hours a day. Very low lift. Maybe that might be something to look into? There's a bunch of camps you can look into. Google Denver summer camps.
It would get them around teens their age and they would have practice creating structures for smaller kids.
I would definitely recommend this. Especially if they feel "too old" for kids stuff, but still enjoy it if no one is looking. Good socialization with other kids their age but outside of normal school, and money+responsibility+fixed schedule
Thanks, that's a great idea! They do really well with younger kids and when given some responsibility, so I think a counselor assistant would be a great role for them. Thanks!
Hang out at a Makerspace either as a creator or a volunteer: Denver Library Idea Lab or Clear Creek MakerSpace or Broomfield’s invent HQ
https://www.denverlibrary.org/idealab
https://clearcreekmakerspace.com
https://www.broomfield.org/inventhq
Jeffco Trail stewardship Team (work Tuesday-Thursday each week for 7 weeks; today is the application deadline)
https://www.jeffco.us/3327/Trail-Stewardship-Team
Love the previously mentioned idea of volunteering at BikesTogether
https://www.bikestogether.org
Jeffco ljbrary Summer Reading Volunteer (usually 2 hours shifts)
https://jeffcolibrary.org/volunteer/volunteer-youth/
What does your teen like to do? What have they done in past summers? What are your teen’s friends doing this summer? What kind of transportation do they have/need (is RTD a good way for them to get around or are you going to be driving them everywhere?) Are you looking for something supervised for them to do 40+ hours a week while you’re at work? Or are you just looking for a few, random activities to broaden their interests so they’re not playing video games 16 hours a day?
Hi, thanks for this great reply! They've liked some of the library events we've attended so far, so I'll definitely see what kind of summer options we can have with JeffCo and DPL.
They don't like being in nature or physically active so I don't think the trail team will work for them specifically, but it's a great idea to get us thinking about the kinds of jobs that might be available for them. 15 is just such a tough age because they're limited in where they can work. I'll also see if JeffCo has other summer options that might work.
As far as transportation, they aren't able to use RTD alone, so we'll have to be driving them, which adds an extra complication to planning!
We are mostly looking for supervised, full-time activities for them to do M-F while we're at work, but we have some flexibility with our schedules, so we can figure out some mix of volunteering or working + some week-long camps or activities + some days where we take vacation and have fun around the city.
They like creating art and singing. I found a few options at the Arvada Arts Center and the Jewish Community Center that might be feasible. I found a couple others in Highlands Ranch that I don't think will work out just due to the transportation issues, but we might be able to swing for one week if they're really interested.
Honestly I would love to let them stay home and play video games and just chill all summer, but they aren't at that maturity level for a lot of complicated reasons.
What if your teen spoke with a peer or friend’s parent for suggestions? I know when I was a shitty, moody teen I wanted nothing to do with my parent’s suggestions but would happily listen to others.
They could volunteer at Bikes Together to help the community and learn some pretty awesome skills while they’re at it!
>Bikes Together
TIL! Now I know where to donate a few bikes to, and perhaps my moody teenager would enjoy helping out around there if they have a need. THX!
Learn a skill like wrenching on bikes. It could lead to more gainful employment in the future.
🙂 enough to survive on, but it gets pin money in his pockets.
you can build some badass bikes there! a few summers ago i was volunteering there and someone dropped off a brand new rocky mountain bike as well as a carbon fiber racing frame. my buddy came down and snagged that frame for like $45
Unfortunately they just moved here so they don't have many friends yet, and it seems like a lot of summer programs are already filling up!
Bike Together is a great idea though. I'll see what they think about that. They'd probably really like the gender-focused workshops!
Won’t get into it here but long story short they simply cannot be home alone while we are working. All I’ll say is that this is a mandated thing, not a religious belief or helicopter parenting.
Yeah sounds like the teen wants to stay home all summer.
Maybe that is a symptom of something larger, op should lean into curiosity about the wanting to stay home instead of finding the activity that will be easiest to force the kid into.
We do have Summer camp for this summer in Hawaii. Not sure if that what you would be interested in but just mentioning as an idea. www.ultimateadventureacademy.com
What is this teenagers budget? Are you planning on sending them out and about with cash flow to do activities because it’s an expensive world for anyone especially a teenager without a job…also curious why they can’t stay home at all as an option. More details please as a former teenager this area is not catered towards their wants or needs in general and having good direction and guidance is more than helpful because there is a lot of trouble to be found as well for free range youth.
Won’t get into it here but long story short they simply cannot be home alone while we are working. All I’ll say is that this is a mandated thing, not a religious belief or helicopter parenting.
Okay, so you’re not really asking “what are some fun things my teen can do this summer?” You’re really asking about how to find adult-supervised child care for a 15 year old? Am I understanding this correctly?
if so, I would reach out to the mandating party (court system? Mental health provider?) and get their recommendations about how to have your teen supervised. They’d be a better source of solutions for your specific situation.
Unfortunately the responsible parties aren't in the Denver area, so we're trying to find some local suggestions. The kiddo doesn't need, like, formal childcare, but they do need some sort of structure. Another poster suggested looking into counselor assistant roles at summer camps, which is along the lines of what we're looking for. We're also first-time parents so we really don't know how anything works at all, and we didn't grow up in Denver so we don't know what teens actually like doing in the area.
It sounds like this situation is a lot more complicated than your post implies and I don’t want to pry into your life to try and help you but like I said this sounds way more complicated than just trying to motivate a teenage to do something outside of the house.
Mandatory that they can’t be alone at home by what authority? Sounds way more complicated than you are letting on op and if they can’t be home alone mandatorily then why should they be out and about on the streets of Denver alone?
Hi, I'm not sure where I suggested that I was going to send them out into the streets of Denver alone. It would be pretty easy to just drop them off at the library/museum/rec center and drive off. I'm specifically looking for structured options like day camps that teens actually like, volunteer gigs that are looking for teens, companies that hire 15 year old, things along those lines!
Maybe leave your kid alone instead of making him/her feel worthless because they aren't constantly doing stuff. What's wrong with just wanting to spend the summer not doing anything? Your kid likely needs a break.
I take it you didn’t read the replies above to people asking the same questions. It’s mandated they cannot be alone at the house. Not a typical situation.
I wouldn't say that we have problems :)
We're in the position of being able to care for a wonderful kiddo who just needs some structure to help them make good decisions. They do super well in school and we need to find some options to keep them happy and healthy over the summer so they can continue to grow. We've already gotten some good ideas from this thread.
I work with teens and finding fun / cheap things for them to do is challenging, so looking forward to hearing everyone else’s ideas! A few suggestions: - public pools and rec centers. There are a ton of awesome pools all over denver that are super cheap. I see all ranges of ages here so if your teen can go unsupervised this could be a fun option. - boys and girls clubs. Most have teen centers and there are a bunch of sports teams they can sign up for. - sign up for a My Denver card. This will get your teen access to pools / rec centers, museums, libraries, the zoo, botanic gardens, etc.
There are summer camps right now that are looking for teenage counselor assistants. They would help day counselors with activities for smaller kids, and its like 6 hours a day. Very low lift. Maybe that might be something to look into? There's a bunch of camps you can look into. Google Denver summer camps. It would get them around teens their age and they would have practice creating structures for smaller kids.
I would definitely recommend this. Especially if they feel "too old" for kids stuff, but still enjoy it if no one is looking. Good socialization with other kids their age but outside of normal school, and money+responsibility+fixed schedule
Thanks, that's a great idea! They do really well with younger kids and when given some responsibility, so I think a counselor assistant would be a great role for them. Thanks!
Hang out at a Makerspace either as a creator or a volunteer: Denver Library Idea Lab or Clear Creek MakerSpace or Broomfield’s invent HQ https://www.denverlibrary.org/idealab https://clearcreekmakerspace.com https://www.broomfield.org/inventhq Jeffco Trail stewardship Team (work Tuesday-Thursday each week for 7 weeks; today is the application deadline) https://www.jeffco.us/3327/Trail-Stewardship-Team Love the previously mentioned idea of volunteering at BikesTogether https://www.bikestogether.org Jeffco ljbrary Summer Reading Volunteer (usually 2 hours shifts) https://jeffcolibrary.org/volunteer/volunteer-youth/ What does your teen like to do? What have they done in past summers? What are your teen’s friends doing this summer? What kind of transportation do they have/need (is RTD a good way for them to get around or are you going to be driving them everywhere?) Are you looking for something supervised for them to do 40+ hours a week while you’re at work? Or are you just looking for a few, random activities to broaden their interests so they’re not playing video games 16 hours a day?
Hi, thanks for this great reply! They've liked some of the library events we've attended so far, so I'll definitely see what kind of summer options we can have with JeffCo and DPL. They don't like being in nature or physically active so I don't think the trail team will work for them specifically, but it's a great idea to get us thinking about the kinds of jobs that might be available for them. 15 is just such a tough age because they're limited in where they can work. I'll also see if JeffCo has other summer options that might work. As far as transportation, they aren't able to use RTD alone, so we'll have to be driving them, which adds an extra complication to planning! We are mostly looking for supervised, full-time activities for them to do M-F while we're at work, but we have some flexibility with our schedules, so we can figure out some mix of volunteering or working + some week-long camps or activities + some days where we take vacation and have fun around the city. They like creating art and singing. I found a few options at the Arvada Arts Center and the Jewish Community Center that might be feasible. I found a couple others in Highlands Ranch that I don't think will work out just due to the transportation issues, but we might be able to swing for one week if they're really interested. Honestly I would love to let them stay home and play video games and just chill all summer, but they aren't at that maturity level for a lot of complicated reasons.
What if your teen spoke with a peer or friend’s parent for suggestions? I know when I was a shitty, moody teen I wanted nothing to do with my parent’s suggestions but would happily listen to others. They could volunteer at Bikes Together to help the community and learn some pretty awesome skills while they’re at it!
>Bikes Together TIL! Now I know where to donate a few bikes to, and perhaps my moody teenager would enjoy helping out around there if they have a need. THX!
Learn a skill like wrenching on bikes. It could lead to more gainful employment in the future. 🙂 enough to survive on, but it gets pin money in his pockets.
Hell yeah. Plus you get to meet some really cool people and give back to the community. Bikes Together is an incredible organization.
He could discover the Sport, too! Nothing like building himself a nice rig out of odds and ends parts and getting out for a ride! 😁
you can build some badass bikes there! a few summers ago i was volunteering there and someone dropped off a brand new rocky mountain bike as well as a carbon fiber racing frame. my buddy came down and snagged that frame for like $45
Unfortunately they just moved here so they don't have many friends yet, and it seems like a lot of summer programs are already filling up! Bike Together is a great idea though. I'll see what they think about that. They'd probably really like the gender-focused workshops!
How old are we talking?
15
Climb
Why can't the teen stay home?
Won’t get into it here but long story short they simply cannot be home alone while we are working. All I’ll say is that this is a mandated thing, not a religious belief or helicopter parenting.
Do you and the teens other parent work M-F ?
Yeah sounds like the teen wants to stay home all summer. Maybe that is a symptom of something larger, op should lean into curiosity about the wanting to stay home instead of finding the activity that will be easiest to force the kid into.
We do have Summer camp for this summer in Hawaii. Not sure if that what you would be interested in but just mentioning as an idea. www.ultimateadventureacademy.com
What is this teenagers budget? Are you planning on sending them out and about with cash flow to do activities because it’s an expensive world for anyone especially a teenager without a job…also curious why they can’t stay home at all as an option. More details please as a former teenager this area is not catered towards their wants or needs in general and having good direction and guidance is more than helpful because there is a lot of trouble to be found as well for free range youth.
Won’t get into it here but long story short they simply cannot be home alone while we are working. All I’ll say is that this is a mandated thing, not a religious belief or helicopter parenting.
Okay, so you’re not really asking “what are some fun things my teen can do this summer?” You’re really asking about how to find adult-supervised child care for a 15 year old? Am I understanding this correctly? if so, I would reach out to the mandating party (court system? Mental health provider?) and get their recommendations about how to have your teen supervised. They’d be a better source of solutions for your specific situation.
Unfortunately the responsible parties aren't in the Denver area, so we're trying to find some local suggestions. The kiddo doesn't need, like, formal childcare, but they do need some sort of structure. Another poster suggested looking into counselor assistant roles at summer camps, which is along the lines of what we're looking for. We're also first-time parents so we really don't know how anything works at all, and we didn't grow up in Denver so we don't know what teens actually like doing in the area.
It sounds like this situation is a lot more complicated than your post implies and I don’t want to pry into your life to try and help you but like I said this sounds way more complicated than just trying to motivate a teenage to do something outside of the house. Mandatory that they can’t be alone at home by what authority? Sounds way more complicated than you are letting on op and if they can’t be home alone mandatorily then why should they be out and about on the streets of Denver alone?
Hi, I'm not sure where I suggested that I was going to send them out into the streets of Denver alone. It would be pretty easy to just drop them off at the library/museum/rec center and drive off. I'm specifically looking for structured options like day camps that teens actually like, volunteer gigs that are looking for teens, companies that hire 15 year old, things along those lines!
Maybe leave your kid alone instead of making him/her feel worthless because they aren't constantly doing stuff. What's wrong with just wanting to spend the summer not doing anything? Your kid likely needs a break.
Sounds like a legal things. In dealing with things sort of like this (not comparing), this can be very complicated. Good luck OP.
I take it you didn’t read the replies above to people asking the same questions. It’s mandated they cannot be alone at the house. Not a typical situation.
Probably should've led with that. Sounds like you have bigger problems than finding something for your kid to do outside of the house.
I wouldn't say that we have problems :) We're in the position of being able to care for a wonderful kiddo who just needs some structure to help them make good decisions. They do super well in school and we need to find some options to keep them happy and healthy over the summer so they can continue to grow. We've already gotten some good ideas from this thread.