While summer may provide teens with a much-needed break from the classroom, it often comes with a heavy dose of screen time and perhaps some boredom. Virginia Tech experts share tips to keep teens active, curious, and engaged through the dog days of summer.
Avoid mixed messaging
While parents may dream of screen-free summers, most want to stay connected with their teens and keep tabs on their location, said Cynthia Smith, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science.
“It can easily become a mixed message for teens where parents are encouraging them to get off of screens but then wanting teens to use phones to keep in touch with them,” Smith said.
While limiting teens’ screen time through parental controls can help, Smith said doing so without offering alternative activities can lead teens to feel bored and resentful. Because everyone, including teens, has some level of addiction to their phone, Smith warns against an all-or-nothing approach to screen time reduction.
“If parents are modeling a lot of screen use themselves, they are not setting examples of engaging in activities that do not involve screens,” she said. “One suggestion is plan screen-free events for the whole family where everyone turns off their phones for a family hike or a day at the pool.”
Let teens take the lead
Clint Whitten, assistant director of the Center for Rural Education, said financial and mobility barriers, along with sustaining motivation and consistent routines, are common challenges parents face when planning summer activities.
Whitten, who also coordinates Virginia Tech’s Summer Enrichment Experience, offers these tips for screen-free, engaging activities:
- Build from current passions while seeking new opportunities: “Teens must have agency in their education. Ask them what they could lose all track of time learning about. While they are cultivating that passion, sprinkle in other enrichment activities that may complement and strengthen that interest while giving them something new to try.”
- Nature is a great educator: “From nature journaling and book clubs at the pool to creating artwork with found natural materials, researching stream ecosystems, and engaging in theatrical storytelling outdoors, getting outside and embracing nature as a co-teacher can be the perfect motivation for extra reading and writing time.”
- Be creative: “Creative games like ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ can teach teens a variety of skills connected to world building, character development, creative writing, artistic design, problem-solving, and improvisation.”
Whitten also recommends exploring local community theatre programs, bookstores, and libraries.
“Making sure that teens have a say in their summer enrichment is important for engagement and makes learning more joyful,” he said.
Stop the summer education slide
Pamela Gilchrist, director of K-12 Initiatives in the D.C. area, said finding ways to overcome the summer education slide, or the decline of academic skills students experience when they are away from school, is another factor parents should consider when making summer plans. She said it is important for teens to “discover or rediscover the wonder of technology, math, science, and other disciplines in their everyday life.”
“Encourage your teenagers to be creative and define something they would like to do that leverages their strengths and fortifies their dreams and goals,” she said.
Gilchrist suggests activities such as:
- Vision boarding: Create a goal-oriented board that can be updated throughout the year.
- Nature walks, hiking, biking, or running: Observe birds, insects, plants, and ecosystems while enjoying the outdoors.
- Music festivals and local events: Discover new genres and explore the industry’s connections to other disciplines.
- Museum visits: Explore science, history, art, and culture exhibits.
- Read and write: Delve into the world of storytelling.
- Makerspaces/DIY projects: Use everyday materials to solve problems or repair something at home.
- STEM programs and college visits: Learn about emerging topics and explore campuses of interest.
- Volunteering: Support a local organization or cause.
- Start a community club: Share talents and passions with others
“It’s important to strike a balance in the summer where teenagers are allowed to be themselves, learn new skills, meet new people, spend time with their friends and families, and have quiet time for themselves,” Gilchrist said.
About Smith
Cindy Smith is a professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. She also runs the Children’s Emotions Lab.
About Whitten
Clint Whitten is the assistant director of the Center for Rural Education. He also coordinates Virginia Tech’s Summer Enrichment Experience.
About Gilchrist
Pamela Gilchrist is the director of K-12 Initiatives in the D.C. area. She has over 20 years of experience developing multidisciplinary partnerships and K-12 STEM programs in the U.S. and Africa. She also leads Virginia Tech’s K-12 Innovation Lab in Alexandria.
By Kelsey Bartlett