The summer should be about fun, but that doesn’t mean your teen can’t develop their skills at the same time. Without the pressure of managing school and homework, the holidays are an ideal time to try something different that might become a new interest or hobby, while also developing character and skills. Here are our top suggestions of things they can do this summer that are both enjoyable and worthwhile.

1. Go for a day trip

Wherever you’re based, there’s always somewhere within easy reach for a day out, a change of scene and a new experience. Whether it’s a trip to the coast, a visit to a castle, or a new town they haven’t tried before, it’ll be easy to find something that appeals. A change of scene is great for the mind, forging new connections in the brain, and it gives them something to talk about outside their usual frame of reference.

Choosing somewhere to visit, arranging travel and planning their day flexes their skills in logistics, organisation and time management, and demonstrates curiosity. It’s something they can do with friends, family or even on their own. It also builds in being active, particularly good if your teen isn’t keen on sports.

2. Listen to five or six TED talks to expand their knowledge

An absolute blessing if your child has a short attention span, most TED talks are no more than 15 minutes long, covering diverse subjects from science to business to global issues, and featuring some of the most eloquent thought leaders of our times. It’s a great place for your child to develop their interests without a huge time commitment. Search by topic, speaker, most viewed or length (some are as short as six minutes). There’s also a wide variety of teen speakers, so great role models of their own age. Not only is this a great way to discover new ideas or explore their passions, it can demonstrate diversity and balance (hearing a range of speakers with different viewpoints on similar subjects) as well as honing their listening skills.

3. Pick a subject they’re studying in the autumn and read a book related to it

Whether it’s interviews for jobs or further education, interviewers are very interested in what your teen does outside the formal curriculum to demonstrate their passion for subjects they’d like to study or roles they’d like to pursue. The book doesn’t have to be directly related. For example, thinking about business studies, rather than choosing a business area to research, why not select a business expert they admire and read a biography or autobiography to find out how they became an expert and role model? This should be interesting for them (because it’s about someone they look up to) and give them a different perspective from most of their peers.

4. Plan and prepare dinner

At some point, teens will leave home and need to fend for themselves. Two essentials are being able to cook and manage money, and the best time to learn is while they’re still at home. Depending on their age and ability, get them to plan and prepare a balanced dinner for the family: choosing a menu suitable for everyone, making sure there’s a good combination of fresh ingredients, buying the food within budget, preparing it from scratch and serving up with all components ready at the right time. This demonstrates a range of skills, from consideration for others to time management, planning, organisation and budgeting. If planning dinner is too ambitious for younger teens, start small with a family treat, perhaps homemade snacks.

5. Try out a new sport

If your teen loves physical activity, that’s terrific, because being active is an essential part of mental and physical wellbeing. If they’re less keen, could it be they haven’t yet found a sport that suits them? Schools offer a great range of activities, but there are even more options in the community. Get them to check what’s available in your local area to see if anything appeals. It could be ice skating, surfing, rock climbing, mountaineering, fishing, martial arts, boxing, fencing or dancing.

6. Pick a new release and head to the cinema... alone

Socialising is good for wellbeing, but it’s also good for teens to strike a balance and be comfortable in their own company. If they’re used to being surrounded by people, going to the cinema alone can be a winning way to try some time by themselves without the pressure of relying on themselves for entertainment. They’ll also get to choose exactly which film they’d like to see (within age restrictions, of course). Not only can this encourage self-reliance, it’s a good fallback in adult life when they want some downtime and an escape from over-thinking.

7. Help out a family member or neighbour

Doing things for others is proven to contribute to personal contentment as well as making others feel good, so it’s a terrific lifelong habit to develop. Why not start close to home? Whether it’s walking the dog, doing some cleaning, getting some shopping or helping in the garden, there are lots of jobs that might just need an hour here or there but could make all the difference to someone else. It also helps them learn about the commitment and responsibility of looking after a home, a pet and themselves.

8. Make a new playlist of summer tunes

Music is one of the fastest ways to affect mood. Not all teens can play an instrument, but any of them can put together a playlist of their favourite tracks. Get your teen to create a playlist that will remind them of this summer, then find a chance to share it with the family, whether at a summer barbecue, a celebration, or some time you set aside for just the two of you. They’ll need to think about what to include and why. 'What' and 'why' is a typical formula for pretty much any interview question they’ll ever be asked, so practising this technique (even without knowing it) is great preparation for later life. Once the weather turns and the evenings draw in, this playlist could also act as an immediate pick-me-up.

9. Get a job

There’s no substitute for first-hand work experience, and the holidays are a great chance to try to get a job. Whether it’s one morning a week or several days, all work experience is beneficial. Being in real-life situations, communicating with other people, working to genuine deadlines and simply turning up on time and showing reliability all build valuable skillsets. Teenagers can lack awareness of the cost of living, so earning some cash (and understanding how long it takes to earn it) can help them start to connect cost and spend. If getting a paid job is a struggle, they could try volunteering; it builds similar skillsets.

10. Create a pin board

Hopes and dreams can be a great motivator, getting teens to do something they’re not keen on now (short term) with the aim of achieving something they really want in future (long term). Whether or not you believe in the power of attraction, thinking about the things you want is the first step to getting them. So why not get them to create a pin board (a physical one for their room, a scrapbook, or something virtual on their phone) with what they’d like to do in future? It could be pictures of people they’d like to meet, bands they’d like to see, places to visit, activities they’d like to try or things they love.

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