Keeping Young Teens Busy in Quarantine

 If the Coronavirus pandemic has forced you and your family to stay home pretty much all day every day, you may be finding it difficult to keep the young teens in your house entertained. Here are some ideas to help you in that endeavor. You might consider having your child . . . Take an Online Class In addition to keeping up with lessons assigned by your child’s school, this is an excellent time for young teens to take additional classes offered online. There are innumerable sites that offer age appropriate courses, Adventure Academy is  one(Ideal Homes is not endorsing this site, simply listing it as an example) that offers games and videos for reading, math, science and more. Build a Website Your child probably has at least one deep interest. This might be the perfect time for him or her to create a website about whatever that entails. Maybe your young teen is even interested in starting a business of their own, at some point. Why not flex those development, design and imagination skills while they have the time? There are numerous website design options available online. Here is a list of ten of the best website design sites for kids. Start a New Exercise Program Everyone needs to stay physically active on a daily basis. This is especially true when access to pubic gyms and group activities has been put on hold. In addition to taking walks or bike rides together as family members, in areas where a lot of other people are not around, times like these are perfect for learning or simply starting new exercise regimes. You can do these individually or as a family. If you or your youngster has been interested in learning something like Yoga or Pilates, this is an excellent time to start. After all, many folks are finding this to be an anxiety-ridden time and Yoga has been proven to help people relax and stay calm. There are innumerable You Tube sites that can help you and your young teen get started. This is a free e-course (one of many) for learning beginner’s yoga. Train the Dog If you have one or more pooches at home, this is a terrific time for your young teen to teach them obedience and/or new tricks. As long as your child is patient, gentle and loving with your favorite canine, the dog is sure to savor the additional time and attention. In addition, the whole family is likely to benefit from having a better behaved and calmer dog in the house. There are plenty of books and videos on this and other subjects that you or your young teen can download or stream from the OKC Metropolitan Library System. Cook Another activity that you and your child can enjoy together is cooking. This can be a great time for the two of you to bond as you make meal plans and work together to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks the whole family can enjoy. Once you’ve had plenty of time to cook together and you feel you can safely turn one or more meals over to your young teen, let them make the spread on their own.  This is also a great time for young people to learn how to bake special treats -- everyone in the house something to enjoy. Learn New Household Chores If your young teen hasn’t been doing his or her laundry before now, this is a fabulous time for them to learn how.  Everyone needs to become proficient at life skills at some point in their lives, often the sooner the better. As a result, this could be the perfect time for your child to learn how to clean the stove or refrigerator and to vacuum or even clean carpets and to dust or polish furniture. The finer points of choosing and changing light bulbs, how and when batteries need to be changed and so on would also be excellent things to teach and turn over to your age-appropriate child. Miscellaneous Activities For additional inspiration on things your young teen might enjoy, check out these 6 Indoor Activities for Teens and Young Adults. You might also want to refer to these Top 15 Indoor Games and Activities for Teens.