In a couple weeks my best friend will be visiting and bringing her 16 yr old daughter and her friend. They’ll be here for a weekend and while we will of course be doing the required shopping expedition, there is only so much shopping that can be done in a 3-day span.
So I’m looking for ideas to keep the girls entertained. I want to keep away from them being on the computer/cell phones, playing video games or being bored out of their minds while the “old people” sit around and talk. We like to do things outdoors and I know they do too for the most part. But they are past the age when blowing bubbles for hours on end passes for a fun afternoon.
Seems to me boys are alot easier to entertain in the summer…find a couple gloves and a baseball or a football to throw around and you’re good. But with girls, I’m a bit stumped.
I was thinking about getting some crafty type things for them to do, maybe some birdhouses for them to paint or something like that, but I’m worried it will be too nerdy.
16-year-old girls, in a pair or in a group, like to do three main things: shop, talk, and watch movies. I was a nerdy, well-read, socially awkward 16-year-old, and that’s all I wanted to do when I was with my friends. Crafts can be fun–I sometimes did them on my own, but not really with friends.
I think the girls will be OK talking about “stuff” for a good portion of every day (maybe some teen magazines would keep that going–my friends and I devoured those things and talked about everything we read), and have a DVD player and some videos on hand for when the boredom hits.
I played a card game called “Apples to Apples” with the teenaged daughters of a friend - there were 3 teens, 2 30-somethings and 2 40-somethings and we all had a blast. I’m not sure where to find it - I’m going to try ToysRUs next time I’m near one - but it was a really fun game. Lots of laughs!
I think you might be underestimating the power of 16-year-old girls!
How about movies out at the mall, with food court and cute guys strolling by? Spa day? Haircuts, mani/pedi? Get something pierced or inked to remember the weekend?
For games, Pictionary and Cranium are fun. Rubberstamping is a good craft but it means an investment if you don’t already have stuff.
Have a bonfire. Even just a little one- like in a little grill or outdoor fireplace thingy. That way everyone can sit around and talk and roast marshmallows and stuff.
Do you have a dog? Whenever my family goes to visit the grandparents, they do virtually nothing to entertain us and we entertain ourselves just fine by playing with the dog. Heck, you could even borrow the neighbor’s dog for a walk in the park if you don’t have your own.
Some fun little kid-type stuff is still cool. I bought myself a jump rope a few days ago… and I could use some sidewalk chalk. Crayons are fun for all ages as well as coloring books (but good coloring books might be a challenge. The ones with ugly drawings suck and the ones with current TV/movie characters have suckage-potential.)
Bowling can be fun with the right people. Heck, even grocery shopping can be fun. I like Kalhoun’s suggestion. Cooking is fun.
Is there anything fun to do in your area? One of my grandmothers lives in a small anti-tourist town (so there is not a museum in sight) but last time we were there, we had a lot of fun going down the street to a little “news stand” that had a pool table and, if not playing actual pool, at least playing with the pool balls and hanging out drinking sodas.
A scavenger hunt might be fun. It is something active they could do without too much adult interaction. At 16, in this situation, I would have wanted nothing more than to stay away from the adults so any activity they can do by themselves will probably go over well.
Like gigi[ mentioned, beauty/spa type stuff would be fun. Maybe a couple sets of fake nails or some nail decorations will keep them entertained. L’Oreal Makes something colored Color Pulse which is an inexpensive, funky-colored hair mousse. Buy some crazy colors and let them go wild. It will wash out in the morning. Keep some smocks or old t-shirts and old towels handy because it will stain fabric.
Oooo, I like that one!! My husband is definitely a pyromaniac and the fire would keep away the bugs. We can make s’mores and tell ghost stories!!!
Yeah, our neighbors (my stepdaughter and her husband) have the world’s cutest pug…I’m sure she will entertain us for quite awhile!! (sorry no pics avail right now…)
I like the cooking suggestion also, the only problem is we have a very small kitchen so it’s tough to do a fun cooking activity.
We do live in a fun, funky neighborhood that has some cool restaurants that welcome kids. The one right around the corner has pool tables, some arcade video games dart boards and such. We’ll probly stop in there for half price burger night.
I will check out the colored hair mousse and some silly makeup stuff. They love to do that and take pictures of themselves being all goofy.
