The summer holidays are almost here, meaning an abundance of free time for your teenagers! Even though the school bell will have stopped ringing, it’s important that your teens continue to learn and expand their skill set, rather than sit in front of a screen 24/7. Here at Tutor Doctor, we know how beneficial it can be to tackle a few summer projects, as they not only stimulate learning and development but can also be enjoyable and enriching summer experiences. Here are just a few project ideas you can suggest to your teens now, so they can start planning for the weeks ahead!
Summer jobs
Why not encourage your teenage son or daughter to look for a part-time summer job in your local area? This will help them learn to take responsibility, get them out the house and build up confidence levels. Even better they’ll have a whole new sense of independence as they’ll be earning their own money!
Re-decorate
Learning how to paint a room or a piece of furniture is a skill worth having. Have a look around your house and see if there’s a space that needs fresh lick of paint or an old chair that can be up-cycled. Work together with your teen or as a family, teaching them how to paint correctly and prep the space. If there’s an item of furniture that needs an uplift, ask them to check out YouTube for some ‘DIY How To’ videos or browse Pinterest for inspiration and design ideas aplenty. It’s also a low budget project that offers great rewards for your home and your teens!
Clear out
We suspect your teen has a bedroom full of stuff and a wardrobe that’s overflowing. Suggest they make it their mission across the 6-week holiday to clear out and re-organise everything from clothes, old school books and toys. It’s important as parents to get involved at the beginning and offer encouragement, but also to give them space to figure it out on their own. A great tip is to focus on a ‘Keep, Donate, Bin’ mantra whilst sorting through items, as it helps with quick decision making. At the end of the de-cluttering project, if enough stuff has been set aside, you could suggest doing a car boot sale together one weekend, allowing them to keep the earnings for themselves.
Make plans for the future
If your teenager wants to undertake a more serious project this summer, time invested in preparing and researching for their future is going to be beneficial and motivating. If your son or daughter is looking at applying to college or university soon, attending a few open days and ordering some course brochures to browse is a great way for them to see where and what excites them. Alternatively, encourage teens to research careers online that may interest them, find inspiring events and talks they can attend, or look for internships in a particular field. There’s no such thing as bad research, so dedicating some of their summer break to future hopes and dreams, is going to help them start the new academic term with plenty of goals and be much more focused! For more information on helping your teen choose a career, look no further than this blog post!
