Finding stuff for teens to do can be a big challenge. Depending on age, family activities can cease to be in any way appealing. Definitely not cool to be hanging out with your parents after a certain point in time!

So I've tried to put together a list of potential diversions that might interest them and give a break from screen time and maybe even get them to go outdoors :)



My main tip for doing anything with teens is BRING A FRIEND! This has been a lifesaver for us over the years. My two have a 6 year age gap so their interests are quite different and my 21 year old doesn't really want to do family holidays anymore so we've almost always included one of our 15 year old's friends on holidays. Alternatively, you can go with another family which can work out really well and economically especially if you opt for self-catering. Two places I can really recommend are Parknasilla in Kerry and Waterford Castle Lodges. I availed of Pigsback.com offers for both of these and when you are sharing with other people it can be such good value.

These were both short breaks for us and buying in your own food saves money. You have the flexibility of being able to head out for a stroll as adults if the kids aren't interested.
When they have company they are happy to hang out with their friend and you can set them up with a movie and popcorn at night if you want to relax and have some adult time and a little glass of wine maybe :)

Another suggestion, as recommended by a friend who stayed recently, is River Valley Camping in Wicklow.  I haven't been but had a look at the website and there's a huge range of activities for kids, both indoor and outdoor from Badminton and Basketball to Crazy Golf, Archery and Tennis. Sharing a tent is probably the cheapest option but they also have more luxurious Glamping options which would definitely appeal to me.

If you are travelling on the road anywhere, I definitely recommend bringing a picnic. Roadside food can vary from bland to absolutely disgusting and eating in anywhere can work out quite expensive so we always bring food with us (having a teen with food allergies, this is the safest option anyway).

I normally do up some couscous and pasta salad in a big tubs, bring some rolls or bread and a few treats and you should be sorted for most of the day.

Pasta Salad with Sweetcorn and Peppers

Couscous Salad with Chives and Peppers

A day out idea is to go on a Bargetrip - Bargetrip.ie do fantastic options from an hour long cruise to a two and a half hour morning cruise, setting off from Sallins in County Kildare.  I ran this idea by the teen and she seemed pretty keen - it's a lovely way to spend some family time together and we did it ourselves last weekend. You can read about our trip here.  The cheapest option is to buy a family ticket for the Leinster Aquaduct Cruise. A family ticket costs €40 which is great value and I love the sound of hearing all about the canal history and just relaxing and taking in the scenery. We did the Digby Lock Cruise, this is the longer cruise and according to Ger, the skipper, it gives the best experience.




If you want a little break from your teens (so unlikely I know :) ), you could consider summer camps or workshops. I have to say, I found it very hard over the years sourcing interesting camps for the teen years. There are so many for younger kids but the options become very limited as they get older.
One I can definitely recommend from personal experience is Songschool. If you have a musical teen, these workshops are absolutely brilliant. Our eldest did a couple and I was blown away by the high standard and the end result was so professional. They learn about music technology, song writing and above all, play and sing and work together.

This seems so long ago now but here is my daughter at her end of workshop performance with her group. They wrote the song just before they went on so she had to look down to read the words :)


(Upcoming Songschool is from 17th-21st July and price is €150).

Florence and Milly in Clane do lots of workshops - those for teens include Junk Sculpture and Screen Printing. Perfect for the teen who's not into the more sporty camps and there is also a portfolio preparation class which would be great for anyone thinking of applying to Art College.

Another one I thought looked pretty interesting was this Summer Media Camp for 13-17 year olds. I have no experience of this one but the schedule looks pretty cool, especially for teens interested in getting into media.  The downside of this one is the price - €595 (excluding food) seems pretty steep for a 5 day course and would certainly be beyond my budget.

If you are at home with your teens, my best tip to keep them happy is just to invite their friends over. I like to think our house is pretty welcoming, if a bit chaotic at times, but honestly, a little bit of mess doesn't matter once they are occupied and content.
We don't have a huge house so if the teens friends are coming to stay or sleeping over, we usually just give them the sitting room and it's pull out couch bed and sleeping bags all the way.
They can make their own popcorn and watch tv or just hangout and as long as they clear up afterwards, we just leave them in peace and everyone is happy.

I was asked to work with Provident on their ‘don’t break the bank holiday’ campaign to advise families across the UK/Ireland on what to do, but on a budget.

Check out the some of the other fabulous tips here - Don't Break the Bank Holiday

Have you any tips for entertaining teens or any workshops you can recommend?

It's getting in to Summer season and one of the things we love to do is get out and about and visit places especially in nature. I had to write a post about our outing this weekend because I'd really recommend a Barge trip with Bargetrip.ie. I am currently writing a post in collaboration with Provident UK on things for teens to do, featuring a barge trip as one of the possible activities but I thought that the trip merited its own post as we really enjoyed it and I got some lovely photos en route.

We opted for the Digby Lock Cruise which is a morning trip, starting at 10.00 a.m. We were really lucky with the weather especially as rain hit in the afternoon!

We headed to Sallins - the canal is really colourful and pretty at the set off point with lots of boats bobbing merrily and the bright reflection of the water.