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50 Indoor Family Fun Activities Your Teen Will Actually Enjoy

Remember when your kids were little and they wanted to spend every single waking second with you? They begged you to play with them and jumped at the opportunity for any kind of “family fun” activity. Something happens when our kids turn into teenagers and the roles are suddenly reversed. Friends, jobs, sports, and screens all seem to take a far greater spot on our kid’s priority list than we do and we are left longing for more time with them. Getting teenagers involved in “family fun” can be a significant challenge. Really, doing anything that requires them to put down their phones and step away from behind closed doors can be difficult. We know family time is important, and we long to spend quality time with our kids, but it can often be a struggle to know what to do that won’t elicit groans or complaints. If you are finding yourself stuck in a rut and you’re unsure how to engage your teen with the rest of the family, check out this list packed full of ideas for teen-approved fun that will entice them to join with a smile! From deeply bonding moments to silly adventures that are sure to bring lots of laughter, these ideas will bring some new life into your family relationships!

50 Ideas For Amazing Indoor Family Fun

  1. Join them in their favorite video game.
  2. Find an indoor rock climbing wall.
  3. Go laser tagging.
  4. Find an arcade and play games.
  5. Play pool or ping pong.
  6.  Go to a movie of their choice (given you’re okay with it)
  7.  Attend a classical concert or the theater.
  8.  Get a makeover at a cosmetics counter.
  9.  Get or give a manicure, pedicure, or foot massage.
  10.  Watch old family movies and reminisce.
  11.  Share old photo albums and sweet memories.
  12.  Make their favorite dessert together.
  13.  Cook a favorite meal from start to finish.
  14.  Visit a museum.
  15.  Read jokes from a joke book or play Madlibs.
  16.  Enjoy a jigsaw puzzle over several days.
  17.  Play music, dance, and videotape each other—(only be aware, they might find it so funny that they Snapchat it to their friends, just like my daughter did!)
  18. Paint pottery at a local pottery store.
  19.  Play cards or a board game.
  20.  Create Vision Boards (cut images from magazines that you like and paste to poster board, then share them with each other. You can create your dream house, dream wedding, dream car, etc)
  21.  Watch a TV series.
  22.  Ice skate or rollerblade.
  23.  Take a cooking class.
  24.  Work out together.
  25.  Pick an adventurous destination for a day trip.
  26.  Stargaze (make it really fun and download the Star Walk app)
  27.  Dine at an ethnic restaurant of their choice.
  28.  Play indoor mini golf (look for Glow Golf! So fun!)
  29.  Play karaoke.
  30.  Learn to do something new together.
  31.  Help at a homeless shelter.
  32.  Volunteer at an animal rescue.
  33.  Visit the elderly.
  34.  Check out your local library for special programming. Our’s offers all kinds of craft lessons, book clubs, and special events.
  35.  Visit a thrift store and have a challenge to create the ugliest outfit. If you’re brave enough, model your outfits and post the picture to social media to have your friends vote. 
  36.  Have a scavenger hunt at Walmart to see who can find the most expensive item. 
  37.  Go bowling.
  38.  Window shop at the mall (make sure to ooh and ahh with them over things that interest them, even if they have no appeal to you!)
  39.  Visit your downtown and browse the local shops.
  40.  Ask your teen to teach you something they are good at it (a video game, crafting, make-up, painting, whatever their hobbies are!)
  41.  Pull out an old classic family recipe and cook it together.
  42.  Discount shop! (the new craze that is popping up everywhere is “bin stores”, your teen will have a blast browsing the eclectic collection of items and you may even score some great finds!)
  43.  Go to a coffee shop and treat your kid to a coffee and some great conversation.
  44.  Work on a project together- organizing the garage, sewing a quilt, crafting a home decor item, woodworking, etc.
  45.  Read the same book and sit down each week to talk about it with each other. 
  46.  Let them give you a makeover.
  47.  Take them to a football game.
  48.   Ask if you can watch their favorite YouTuber or Tik-Toker with them (and try to avoid rolling your eyes too much!)
  49.  Listen to audiobooks as a family.
  50.  Create your own “cooking show” challenge by collecting an assortment of random ingredients and each creating a meal out of it. (Watch “Chopped” on the Cooking Channel for inspiration. 

You can share this list with your family and choose a few things you would like to do together. Be intentional to schedule ahead of time and include your teen in the decision-making process. Word of caution, remember that creating family fun is a time for us moms to relax, enjoy, and not feel the need to make “fun” happen which I have been known to do on occasion. Your teens can smell “forced” fun a mile away and will want nothing to do with it. It’s also not a time to bring up their grades, your disagreements, or your concerns. Simply go with the flow, have fun, rediscover how much fun your kid is, and remember to laugh often!

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