Labor Day is approaching, and if you are looking for a way to connect or reconnect with your teenager, then this holiday can be a perfect excuse to connect with your teen and have some light-hearted fun with them. Here we have created a list of 15 simple activities you can try to make Labor Day Weekend fun for your teenager.
- Learn About the Holiday
One of the simplest things you can do is to learn about the significance of the holiday. Labor Day pays homage to all the hard-working people in the US. The first week of September every year is dedicated to labor union workers and honors their achievements. You can know the history of this day, the struggles, and the successes of the people who are being honored. You can do online research or visit a local library to learn all about the Labor Day Movement. You can also ask the teen to do it and prepare a report at the end of the weekend or, better yet, do it with them.
- Play Games in the Backyard
You can make the most of Labor Day weekend by playing games in your backyard with your family and friends. If your teen is passionate about a sport, ask them to teach you and get started with eagerness and enthusiasm. You can top it off with a picnic feast and a couple of cool beverages to beat the heat.
- Talk About Career Options
As Labor Day is all about hard-working people, you can sit down with your teen and ask them what careers they would like to pick. Help them research the career options they like, discuss grades, and ensure that your teen is on the right track. If not, you can help them get additional help from school/college. Discuss the career lightly over a delectable BBQ dinner or an ice cream treat if your teen seems resistant to keep the ambiance light.
- Do Some DIY
To spend quality time with your teen at the labor day weekend, you can try some DIY activities. The project you take on can be from repainting the deck to building a fire pit in the yard or even sprucing up the garage. You can also go for small renovations in the kitchen, basement, bathrooms, or even bedrooms. Call in some of your friends and your teenagers’ friends to make it more fun! Make sure your teen is into it, and you are not pushing your DIY project on them.
- Write Thank You Cards
If you think your teenager needs to learn to be more thankful, you both can take the time to thank all the hard-working people of the community by writing thank you cards. You can send these thank you notes for people who offer a great service, be it firefighters, police, teachers, professors, or workers in factories/general establishments. You can also thank people among your friends and family and thank them for the hard work they do daily to make the world go round.
- Make the Weekend Labor-Free
A unique way to celebrate labor day weekend with your teenager is to make the entire weekend labor-free. You can order food from outside, neglect the usual chores and have fun with your teenager. You both can see movies, play sports, attend an event, meet friends, or hang out to reconnect with each other. Just make sure you become the cool one of the duo.
- Make an All-American Dish
If your teenager likes cooking, you can make a masterpiece all-American dish together. One of you can be in charge, and the other can be the assistant. Make sure you try your hands on everything from appetizers to meals and even desserts like apple pie that are always a hit. You can choose to assign a specific dish to each family member and make it a competition with just one winner.
- Attend a Local Festival
In case you like local festivals, or your teen does, you should accompany them to a nearby festival during the Labor Day weekend. Most towns in almost every state host or organize a festival during the labor day weekend. You can choose the one near you according to your or your teenager’s interest like music, history, or even food-based festivals.
- Volunteer Together
There is immense satisfaction in volunteering in the community. You can give back by signing yourself and your teen up for a day or a whole weekend to volunteer at a homeless shelter, an animal shelter, or a food bank. A nursing home, a foster agency, or any other community-based establishment where people/animals need love.
- Visit the Beach
If you and your family love water, you can hit the nearest beach during the labor day weekend. Indulge in simple activities like soaking up the sun, surfing, building sandcastles, or trying adventurous water sports activities. Show your teen that you can be a cool parent and even buy an outfit that oozes style. You can also try twinning with your teen!
- Go for a Hike
Speaking of adventures you can try with your teenager over the Labor Day weekend, you can both go for a hike and enjoy nature. Being in the lap of nature with fresh air blowing will help you stay calm and have some heart-to-heart conversations with your teenagers. Don’t rush the hike but take the time to appreciate the natural beauty around you, and yes, do smell the roses or wildflowers with your teen.
- Watch a Parade
If you or your teenager enjoy sitting at home all day, you can still enjoy Labor Day by watching a street parade on TV or in your street. You can also show added support by decking yourself up in blue, white, or red colors and get some cool sunglasses or flags that you can wave. It will help you and your teen get into the spirit of the day and have a few laughs together.
- Shop Your Heart Out
Shopping is a kind of therapy for some people. If you or your teen also consider it soothing, you can go shopping over the labor day weekend and make the most of the steep sale offers available at this time of the year. Shop according to your budget and stock up on all the summer favorites before the summer ends.
- Organize a Bonfire
If cozy nighttime chats are your thing and you want that with your teen, you can organize a bonfire. There’s something special about gathering around a firepit and starting interesting or intriguing conversations. If you feel like sharing, you can invite a few friends over, or it can be just quality time with your teen. It’s a great way to take advantage of the last-minute warmth of summer nights.
- Turn on the Sprinklers
Lastly, the fun activity that won’t need much planning or budgeting is to turn on the outdoor waterworks and relive your youth. You and your teen can both drench yourselves and play with water. It’s a fun activity that attracts people of all ages and helps you relax your body and mind effortlessly. Try and see for yourself.
Need Expert Help?
If you need more tips on how to reconnect with your teenager or you want to offer support to a teenager who doesn’t want to open up, you can trust me, Michelle Mehta, a certified professional co-active coach, an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation, and a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner.
I am passionate about helping teenagers feel authentic, empowered, worthy, loved, and help them create a sense of belonging and believe that the world needs their talents. So, if you feel you’re called to have your teenager work with me, let’s set up a time to talk and connect. I look forward to Empowering Your Teenager to Shine with Confidence. To know more, click here
References
https://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Kid_Activities_for_Labor_Day
https://www.mydomaine.com/things-to-do-on-labor-day-weekend
