This Post: 12 Summer Traditions to Start with Your Teen (Before These Years Slip Away)
Written By: Nancy Reynolds
When our kids were little, summers used to feel endless… now they feel numbered.
One day, it was afternoons by the pool, popsicles and sticky fingers; now it’s late mornings, a closed bedroom door and “Nah… I’m gonna hang with friends.” Plans happen without you.
And summer? Well, it still has its glory, but with teens it feels different. Faster. And a whole lot quieter.
12 Simple Summer Traditions to Start With Your Teen (Before These Years Slip Away)
The toughest part of all? It sneaks up on you.
You don’t usually realize it’s happening until you catch yourself thinking, “We don’t have that many of these summers left before my teen ventures off to college, the military, or the working world.” And suddenly, time with your teen becomes more precious.
That’s why now is the time to hit the refresh button on traditions with your teen. Not overly sentimental traditions that demand ” family togetherness” and get eye rolls and heavy sighs from your teen. And not traditions that feel forced. But small traditions that somehow feel like freedom–easy, casual, and real. You know, the kind that keep you quietly connected, and that’ll stick with your kids long after they leave the nest.
The coolest part? A tradition can be anything you and your family want it to be! There are no “tradition rules,” so have fun and be creative!
Here are a few summer traditions that don’t feel like traditions at all, but might just become the things you and your teen remember the most.
1. The “One New Place” Tradition
Every week (or once a month), choose one new place you’ve never been to before. It doesn’t have to be a big trip or an expensive restaurant. It could be a new donut shop everyone’s been raving about, a hiking trail or beach your teen has been talking about, a small town a couple of hours away, a cool new bookstore, or a restaurant that everyone says has the best burgers and fries in town.
Honestly, the possibilities are endless! For fun, let each of your kids trade off choosing the “one new place” each week. The goal isn’t to drop big bucks on an adventure; it’s simply to explore somewhere new together.
2. Late-Night Summer Snack Runs
Not grocery runs. Not “we need milk” runs. We’re talking 9:30 or 10 p.m. totally unnecessary, “hop in the car, I’ve got a craving” trips for ice cream, slushies, or tacos. Of course, they don’t really need to happen (‘cuz you have food in the fridge), but it’s silly, fun, and somehow brings everyone together.
Plus, the car is where conversations with your teen happen sideways–no eye contact required and no pressure to talk. Just hanging out, food and time you never scheduled but snuck in anyway.
3. The Campfire (or Bonfire) Questions Night
Start by having everyone in the family write down 5-10 interesting, funny, or downright ridiculous questions on small pieces of paper. Put all the questions in a jar and then sit around the fire pit and take turns pulling questions from the jar:
- What celebrity or influencer would you want to meet and why?
- What’s something you’d do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
- If you had a million dollars, what would you spend it on?
- What’s the funniest thing you remember about your childhood?
- If you could be really good at one thing, what would it be and why?
- If you could be any animal, which one would you choose and why?
Here’s the cool part that’s perfect for teens: The fire gives everyone something to look at besides each other.
4. The Summer Signature Mocktail
Let your teen choose a fun summer signature drink that’s anything but typical. Maybe it’s a non-alcoholic Mojito or a Cherry Tart Shirley Temple or a Mermaid Refresher (you really have to try it!). Or maybe it’s a new iced coffee experiment or a smoothie creation. Then, sit on the porch, break out a few summer snacks, and enjoy sippin’ and savoring time together.
5. One-On-One “Date Night” with Mom or Dad
Mom and Dad… our girls and boys need and crave one-on-one time with us. And what better time to create this fun, new tradition than during summer break! Having that special time together without other family members, without our laptops, cell phones, or iPads distracting us, and without the stress of school or homework gives us a chance to laugh, bond, and create special memories.
And let me tell you something I’ve learned as a parent… they’ll remember that special time with you forever!
Date Night Ideas:
- “Shop ‘Til You Drop” Night: Hit a bookstore, go to the mall, go thrifting, or check out a hobby store.
- Live Entertainment: Get tickets to a play, a favorite band, an outdoor concert, or a musical.
- “PJs & Pampering” Party: Pop the popcorn, break out the snacks, pamper each other with mani-pedis.
- “Build Something” Together: A gaming desk, a go-kart, a backyard fire pit. It’s all about being together!
- Late-Night Food Crawl: Pick 3-4 fast food spots and rate fries, shakes, or the best tacos.
- Go on an Adventure: Hit a waterpark, visit a festival, check out a waterfall, go zip-lining, or go to a sporting event.
6. Let Your Teen Plan a Mystery Day
Give your teen a budget and let them plan the entire day. No questions asked. You don’t find out the itinerary until you pull out of the driveway. Who knows where you’ll end up!? It might be a Go-Kart track, a golf course, a restaurant two towns over, the zoo, or a baseball game. Either way, what’s fun is that your teen is orchestrating the day from beginning to end! And for once, nobody is in a rush to get anywhere.
7. Plan a Vacation (Mini or Extended)
Whether you pack up and head to a new beach you’ve never been to for a week, or you enjoy a weekend at a cool hotel in your town, getting your teen away from the house, chores, their part-time job, and hopefully, their cell phone (at least for a while) will do mounds of good for them and your relationship. Even if finances don’t allow you to spend a lot, you can still have tons of fun at a nearby hotel or an Airbnb for a couple of days. Spend the days at the pool, the beach, or just sightseeing–mostly, just enjoy being together.
8. The Summer “Get Active” Challenge
Create a list of 5 or 10 “get moving” adventures and try to complete them before school starts. No tracking calories, steps, or workouts, just focus on fun and being active.
Examples of “Get Active” Challenges:
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Paddle Boarding
- Mini Golf
- Frisbee
- Rock Climbing
- A Local Fun Run/Walk
- Tennis
- Bike Riding
9. Family “Let’s BBQ” Night
Mom and Dad, you’re in charge of the main course–maybe it’s burgers, brats, hot dogs, or juicy steaks. Your teens are responsible for choosing and making one recipe. Maybe it’s a salad, potatoes, corn on the cob, or a summer dessert. (Need ideas? Check out these 100 Cookout Dessert Ideas!
The fun part about this tradition is that it involves FOOD (something every teen loves), they get to choose what to make, AND it helps them build valuable cooking skills. (Kinda sneaky, huh?)
10. Crazy Inflatable Pool Day
Let your teen be a kid again! Head to the store and buy a few fun (and crazy) pool inflatables and squirt guns, and head to the pool for a day of sillyness. Have a water gun fight, float on a huge pink swan in the pool, or have a race to see who can paddle across the pool the fastest. Your teen might think it’s ridiculous, but who cares? You might just get a smile out of them.
11. Summer Classic Movie Night
Once a month (or once a week), break out the class summer movies (here’s a list of summer movies you might like), the popcorn, pizza, and slushies, and hunker down out of the heat to enjoy a relaxed evening of family fun. If you really want to get creative, try pulling together a fun and tempting summer snack board. Remember… teenagers love FOOD! It’s the ultimate parent/teen connector!
12. The End-of-Summer Photo That Never Changes (Except It Does)
Pick one ridiculous photo to recreate every year. Same spot. Same pose. Same forced expression. I know… your teen will probably complain, but then they’ll look back on those photos a few years later and realize it quietly documented an entire season of their childhood.
The Truth About These Summers
They’re about time together, making memories, laughing at each other’s silly jokes, and just letting the days flow. Small traditions create gentle structure without your teen feeling suffocated or forced. It all just happens naturally…
None of these traditions are complicated. That’s the point. You don’t need to organize big planned moments. In fact, quite often, it’s the small repeated traditions/moments that feel easy–the drives, the snacks, the random cookouts, the time hanging out–that didn’t feel like that big of a deal at the time, but they mattered.
So, get your teen in on the brainstorming. Choose one of our traditions, or make up a few of your own… just take a moment to enjoy these fleeting summers with your teen.
It won’t be like this forever…
If you enjoyed reading “12 Easy Summer Traditions to Start With Your Teen (Before These Years Slip Away),” here are a few other posts you might like!
Summer Bucket List for High School Seniors: 18 Fun Things to Do With Besties
10 Fun & Unique Ways to Bond with Your Teen This Summer (That They Might Actually Like!)