Some schools over Lebanon that strictly follow the French education policy have a yearly winter vacation that lasts around two weeks. This break started today and many parents who have older children and teenagers might worry as to how to keep them busy without the risk of too much boredom and restlessness. We at Beiruting Kids have rounded up 5 ways to keep your teen active during this stretch of time.

1. Encourage your teens to invite their friends over. This works in both ways, one is you get the chance to see up close who your kids are hanging out with and can pick up the subtle vibes to form your opinion about their clique, and two, your teen will know that his home is open for friends and that he doesn’t need to head out to have a fun time.

2. Go together to the library and see what your teen is interested in. Is it a comic series or a detective novel? No matter what the choice is, allow them to choose one or more books to complete during their vacation, and promise them more books from the same series if they finish what they are currently reading.

3. Get a little active and do it as a family. Decide to take a walk every evening after dinner and make it a habit. The advantages will be the exercise and time away from screens, smelling fresh air, and bonding while chatting with your teen as if you as a family were close friends.

4. Create daily contests for fun. For example one day decide to play a board game to see who wins, another day challenge the individuals in your family to build a house of cards. The ideas are endless and especially suit those days when the weather doesn’t permit outdoor activities.

5. Suggest and follow through with volunteering. Many establishments over the country welcome kids and teens to help in any way they would like. This doesn’t have to be monetary but it could be giving their time to read stories to children or the elderly, or even cook a special meal to brighten a group’s day at a certain facility. This will teach endless lessons that will last a lifetime for your teen as well as the chance to make others happy.

Maria Najem

photo: focusonthefamily.com