Jul 3

Jul 3 6 Summer Projects for Your Tweens & Teens

Discipling Children, Fun For Kids, Hospitality, Parenting, Teens, The BetterMom Updates

This summer is the perfect time to connect with your tweens and teens by intentionally building their own skills and your relationship at the same time. Empowering your kids to tackle new projects and practice new skills is the perfect way to connect with your kids this summer.

How to Connect With Your Kids Through Summer Projects

Are you a mom who dreads the summer months with your teens, fearing the unscheduled time and worrying about them being on their screens too much? Do you feel anxious about the rhythm of packing and unpacking for camp drop-offs and pick-ups in between family vacations? Imagine being the type of mom who looks at the calendar and sees a blank canvas ready for doing life together, especially with your tweens and teens.

That’s what I’ve asked the Lord to do in me this summer, recognizing that I only have a few years left with my tween and teen at home. I’m so keenly aware that now is the time to make life-time memories, while also seizing the moment to train them up with the skills I’d like to see them take into their future.

Six Summer Projects for Tweens and Teens

Rather than letting a summer pass without purpose, I’ve come up with six summer projects that I can do with my tween and teen that will enable us to connect while expanding their skill set.

Summer Project Idea #1: Teach Your Teens and Tweens to Paint

Learning how to paint a room or a piece of furniture is a skill worth having, so look around your home — or maybe a grandparent’s place — for a small space that can be painted in a day with a gallon of paint. This is a low-budget project that offers a great reward! Work with your teen, teaching them how to pick out the paint and supplies as well as prep the space: clearing out the room, getting the walls ready (Spackle, sand, etc), taping edges, cleaning the floor before painting, etc. And then do the job with them, showing them how to roll, cut in, etc. If painting isn’t a skill you have, watch some tutorials on YouTube and do the research together before you start.

Summer Project Idea #2: Teach Your Teens and Tweens to Cook & Meal Plan

How about having your tween or teen plan the family’s menu for a week, or for an upcoming trip, and prepare all the food? Offer them a budget as well as assistance in the shopping and food prep time. Use the process to teach about how to select produce and meat, what unit price really means, shelf life for food, how to determine quantity, measurements, etc. Depending on your son or daughter’s maturity, let them handle as many of the responsibilities as possible. You could even toss in an incentive for an older teen, such as “Here’s the amount we spend on food per week. If you can fix our meals for less than that amount, without us eating bread and water all week, you can keep what you save."

Summer Project Idea #3: Teach Your Teens and Tweens to Organize

I’m guessing that you have a closet, storage room, garage, or cabinets that need some purging and reorganizing. Maybe even your tween or teen has a personal area that needs some TLC — like their dressers, bedroom, or old toy room. Let them pick one space to totally purge and reorganize. Be involved in the process in the beginning, but also give them space to figure it out on their own. You can keep it simple and have them focus on “keep, give, toss” for the space. If there is enough to give away, considering letting them organize a Yard Sale and keep the proceeds for themselves. Or, if your budget allows, you can let them redesign the area, including painting and creating organizational systems.

Summer Project Idea #4: Teach Your Teens and Tweens to Plan a Party

Since everyone doesn’t have the gift of hospitality, learning how to put on a party or small gathering is another skill worth developing. Consider hosting a party for a birthday, anniversary, or a milestone celebration, or put on a small “themed” gathering for your tween or teen’s friends or your own friends. Have your son or daugther organize the details, including the invitations, menu, decor, party schedule, and setting up the house as well as clean up. Offer a budget as well as working with them through each step.

Summer Project Idea #5: Teach Your Teens and Tweens to Plan a Project

Is there a project your teen would like to work on, but needs your approval, input, and budget help? Maybe it’s learning a new instrument or developing a new skill, like how to paint with watercolors or write an app for a smart phone. Take your tween or teen out for ice cream and ask them, “What is one thing you’d like to learn how to do this summer?” Help them brainstorm and offer your support in the process, making a timeline and setting attainable goals.

Summer Project Idea #6: Teach Your Teens and Tweens to Plan for the Future

This one is definitely the most serious of projects, but worth the investment of time. Have your tween or teen begin the process of preparing for their future — specifically their college years — by creating for themselves a College Bound Checklist & Portfolio (CBC&P). They can do this either in a binder or notebook, or online using Google Docs, which they can share with you. Their CBC&P can be divided into sections based by grade-level, with a “to do” list for each year. We’re using the Countdown to College: 21 To Do List for High School as our guide. Your teen can also include in their CBC&P a list of college scholarship opportunities (something that can be researched throughout the summer), college picks, and a record of their volunteering, work experiences, and awards throughout high school.

What summer projects are you doing with your tween or teen?

How are you using side-by-side experiences to connect with your teens while they are still at home and train up skills they’ll need in their future?

Looking for Other Fun and Free Ways to Connect with Your Kids This Summer?

Check out these popular posts from The Better Mom to help you have the best summer with your kids!

13 Summer Boredom Buster Ideas for Kids: Write fun summer activities for your kids on slips of paper and have them pull ideas out of the jar when you hear the inevitable sigh of “I’m bored!” Busy hands and busy minds keep children out of trouble and this jar might just save your sanity this summer.
50 Summer Bucket List Ideas for Kids: In this post, you will find 50 ideas to have the best summer ever with your kids. Cut out the options and put them in a bucket and pull out one each day. Or pick your top ten favorite things to do before summer ends. Be diligent to use these ideas to connect with God in nature and connect with friends and family. As you do you're creating wonderful summer memories!
5 Screen-Free Summer Activities: If you are struggling to peel the iPad out of little hands or encourage your kids to play outside instead of on the Playstation, this post will give you fun and easy ways to encourage a screen-free summer!
5 Practical Ways to Serve with Your Kids This Summer: While summer is a wonderful time to slow down and soak up family time, it’s also a great opportunity to look around and see how we might bless and serve others. Here are five practical ways to bring our children alongside us as we seek to love and serve this summer.

Shine Bright,

Elisa