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  1. #1
    JustMe is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default Any ideas of what to do with tweens/teens to hang out at home?

    So, I have a soon to be 10 and 13 year old. Since I am single when they were younger, we had to do a lot of errands on the weekend. This is still true, but somehow I feel we could have more downtime at home these days. I am looking for ideas of non-screen time things we can do together at home..and preferably things where I don't have to buy specific things each time we do it (like in the case of baking or crafts..I dont want to have to plan and/or spend money specifically on the activities on a regular basis, although I know I may need to buy something initially). They always want to go places on the weekends. I think we could use some at home relax time, at least in the winter--it is different when the weather is nice. Neither kid really reads for pleasure, so not really an option there.

    Are their board games your tween/teen likes? They are willing to do this, and even ask for this--I just know they have lost interest in anything we already have.

    What else to you do to just hang out/relax with your tween/teens that does not involve screen time. FWIW, its not that we are fighting over screen time, just having a hard time coming up with what to do.
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

  2. #2
    SnuggleBuggles is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Jigsaw puzzles
    Games: Munchkin, Settlers of Catan, Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Sorry, Dixit, Apples to Apples (with just 3 players, people put down 2 cards), Forbidden Island

    Haven't bought it yet but Exploding Kittens looks great.

    I know you said no screen time but a Wii U has oodles of fun games and some get you up and moving.

  3. #3
    JustMe is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by SnuggleBuggles View Post
    Jigsaw puzzles
    Games: Munchkin, Settlers of Catan, Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Sorry, Dixit, Apples to Apples (with just 3 players, people put down 2 cards), Forbidden Island

    Haven't bought it yet but Exploding Kittens looks great.

    I know you said no screen time but a Wii U has oodles of fun games and some get you up and moving.

    Wow, I have never heard of the newer games you listed. Thanks!
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

  4. #4
    SnuggleBuggles is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by JustMe View Post
    Wow, I have never heard of the newer games you listed. Thanks!

    They used to be hard to come by and you'd have to go to specialty stores but now they sell them in Target. But,if you have a specialty game store, you can almost always discover great gems!
    Bonus is that many take a good while to play and will eat up some time- all while having fun!

  5. #5
    toby is offline Gold level (500+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by JustMe View Post
    So, I have a soon to be 10 and 13 year old. Since I am single when they were younger, we had to do a lot of errands on the weekend. This is still true, but somehow I feel we could have more downtime at home these days. I am looking for ideas of non-screen time things we can do together at home..and preferably things where I don't have to buy specific things each time we do it (like in the case of baking or crafts..I dont want to have to plan and/or spend money specifically on the activities on a regular basis, although I know I may need to buy something initially). They always want to go places on the weekends. I think we could use some at home relax time, at least in the winter--it is different when the weather is nice. Neither kid really reads for pleasure, so not really an option there.

    Are their board games your tween/teen likes? They are willing to do this, and even ask for this--I just know they have lost interest in anything we already have.

    What else to you do to just hang out/relax with your tween/teens that does not involve screen time. FWIW, its not that we are fighting over screen time, just having a hard time coming up with what to do.
    My 11 year old loves Stratego. You also might look at some of the single person problem solving games by Think Fun that are like Rush Hour...one example is Serpentiles

  6. #6
    baymom is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by SnuggleBuggles View Post
    They used to be hard to come by and you'd have to go to specialty stores but now they sell them in Target. But,if you have a specialty game store, you can almost always discover great gems!
    Bonus is that many take a good while to play and will eat up some time- all while having fun!
    Or Barnes & Nobel and Amazon. We love all the games that SnuggleBuggles listed earlier (kids are 9.5 and 11) and they also love to play various card games. We just rediscovered Yatzee which is nice because it's such a short game. Also Blokus gets a lot of love. DD loves to just sit with a cup of tea and one of us with a big jigsaw puzzle and chat and work on it. Also, we sometimes all just sit together in the living room and read our own book/magazine/Sunday paper together. We aren't even talking to each other, but we are together and enjoy it.

  7. #7
    Neatfreak is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    My tween loves to bake, so we'll tackle a recipe on the weekend. We also have a nice stash of grown-up coloring books that are an awesome way to chill together.
    ~ Laura



    One in 2004 and the other one in 2008

  8. #8
    Percycat is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by SnuggleBuggles View Post
    Jigsaw puzzles
    Games: Munchkin, Settlers of Catan, Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Sorry, Dixit, Apples to Apples (with just 3 players, people put down 2 cards), Forbidden Island
    I addition to these games, my family also enjoyes playing Clue. Wizard, Skipbo, dominos (multiple vairations), and uno.

    We also like to geocach -- you can purchase a device or download an app to your phone to look for hidden caches around your area:
    https://www.geocaching.com/play

    And, we like to listen to audio books -- we do this often while we are doing everyday chores or errands -- like making dinner or in the car running around town. Lately, we have also been getting blankets, turning on the fire place, and curling up for stories. My kids are 10 and 13. My 10year old daughter especially likes this -- recently, we have been going through the 39 clues and follow-on series -- we need to find a new series, because we only have three left.

  9. #9
    JustMe is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Thanks, everyone! This was very helpful.
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

  10. #10
    ellies mom is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Exploding Kittens is fun. My girls also enjoy King of Tokyo, Sushi Go and Roll for it. We just bought Fluxx but haven't played it yet.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Veronica

    Miss Ellie 11/03
    Baby Audrey 4/08

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