5 Spring Break Activities to Engage With Your Teen

Build a positive connection during this season and have FUN doing it!

Spring is a time of of new beginnings, new growth, and a reminder that winter is over!

Here are 5 activities you can do with your teen that can spur some great conversations!

Yes, I know that we parents are often BUSY with work and other responsibilites, but investing time in making positive deposits into your teen with the fun factor included, is well worth the effort to being that SAFE person that your teen will want to be around and confide in! I am not referring to time chauffering them to activities, being at their extra curricular events, or giving them instructions (which are all important) - I am referring to time engaging with your child while doing something enjoyable together!

Here are some ideas - and these may spur YOUR creative ideas as well! Ask the Lord for inspiration!

Make a VISION BOARD: There are no rules to making a vision board. Basically you write down your dreams and goals for the future and create a collage with words, phrases, and graphics (magazine cut outs or print out graphics illustrating your dreams and goals). There are a number of free graphic sights such as unsplash, pixels, and pixabay. Seek to understand your child's dreams and aspirations, and be supportive. There is no dream too big...and this is a challenge for you as a parent to dream big for your life as well! You can model someone that continues to have dreams and vision for your life no matter what age!

Movie Night: Have a family movie night - watch a movie that has some inspirational message to it, then discuss it afterwards! Have each person share their take-away! Make it special by preparing some good snacks to munch on while watching. Some timeless, great true-story recommendations from me are (watch the YouTube trailors first and note the rating to be sensitive to young children):

The Ultimate Gift / Mully / Radio / I Can Only Imagine / October Sky / Apollo 13 / Lean on Me/ China Cry / Freedom Writers / Remember thet Titans / Men of Honor / Hacksaw Ridge / 42/ Mully / Soul Surfer / HIdden Figures / Mr. Holland's Opus

Game Night: Schedule a board game night

Make your Own Pizza Night: Get a variety of pizza ingredients and pizza dough. Include your teens/children in helping to prep! Create a stack of cards with questions and eveyone has to answer them! (or collect some family conversational starters questions from the internet!)

Have an outing in nature: Here are some ideas:

-Dinner or lunch on the beach or at a park.

-Drive to a scenic area you have not gone to, or have not gone to in awhile.

-Go fishing or hiking in a scenic area.

Keep things light and engaging and make some memories!

Blessings, Michele