The lazy days of summer are here! What is your teen up to this summer? Is he lying around the house? Is he spending all his days watching TV? Research shows that teens who often are bored may be at a higher risk of using alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs.¹ The fact is that there are many positive activities they can get involved in over summer break.

Here are some ideas:

• Sports. Whether it’s inline skating, soccer, baseball, volleyball, or tennis, playing sports can be a great way to keep your kids busy during the summer. Encourage them to join a local sports team, to go inline skating, or to play a couple rounds of tennis with you. It’s a great way to keep your teen drug free and spend quality time with her. Check out your local parks and recreation department for more information.
• Spectator events. Some teens enjoy cheering for their favorite team from the sidelines. Take them to a baseball field, basketball court, or swim center to see their favorite team. Not only is it great fun, but it also teaches teens about good sportsmanship.
• Mentoring opportunities. If you have an older teen, talk to him about mentoring opportunities. Mentoring is a great way to serve your community and make a difference in both the mentor’s life and younger children’s lives. It shows teens that they can impact the lives of younger children positively by keeping them involved in activities and teaching them to stay away from alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. For more information, visit the National Mentoring Partnership.
• Volunteer opportunities. Another way teens can make a difference is through volunteer work. Encourage them to volunteer at a local community organization, such as a homeless shelter, humane society, hospital, nursing home, or childcare center. Through volunteering, teens learn responsibility while helping others. Plus, many teens have to complete community service hours for school, and summer volunteering is a great way to fulfill those hours. For more information, check out Volunteer Match and Volunteers of America.
• Outdoor activities. Teens have many options when it comes to finding something to do outdoors. Today there are amusement/theme parks throughout the United States that give teens a full day of fun. But there are other, less costly options like fishing, camping, swimming, and hiking. Teens like to do things in groups and they welcome a chance to hang out with their friends. Suggest that they toss a ball or play frisbee in a local park or take a dip in the local pool. Check out Recreation.Gov for ideas and info.
• Places to go. Many places like zoos, aquariums, museums, and libraries combine fun with learning. Urge your child to check out great places in your neighborhood. For more information, visit your State Web site.
• Creative activities. Use the extra free time during the summer months to show your child new creative activities. Help him check out a local chess club, visit a pottery studio or arts and crafts center, or learn to play an instrument. For more information, talk to your local parks and recreation department.

As you can see, there are many opportunities for teens to take part in positive activities within the community. Keeping youth busy in positive activities leads to healthy lifestyles and gives teens better things to do than using alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. Try talking with your teen about the type of activities she might enjoy and encourage her to get involved and stick with it!
Sources

¹ The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. CASA 2003 Teen Survey: High Stress, Frequent Boredom, Too Much Spending Money: Triple Threat That Hikes Risk of Teen Substance Abuse, 8/19/2003, last referenced July 1, 2004.