UIts with teens: 19 fun activities in a row!

So what are fun outings with teenagers? Adolescents like to seek adventure and boundaries, and that’s exactly what comes with the road to adulthood. For us as parents, it is fun to go along with that, especially while we are still fit enough to do sports activities with our family. In this blog, we therefore list the most fun outings for teenagers!

Table of contents

Challenging activities with teens

Facing a challenge together creates bonding. Hence, for example, team-building activities are often challenging. And, of course, strengthening the bond with your older kid is golden. Hopefully with our experiences below, I can inspire you to also step outside your comfort zone to deepen your relationship with your kids. I give many options so there is something to choose from. Pick something that seems fun to you and fits your teen’s interests.

#1 Mudmasters

We have been participating in Mudmasters with the family for years. Ever heard of it? Probably. But here is still a brief explanation for those unfamiliar with Mudmasters. It is an obstacle run, where the obstacles often involve mud. Yes, the name actually says it all. We started with our kids with the 5 km kid run a few years back.

So nice to do that together as a family. Because for some obstacles, you have to help each other. And other obstacles sometimes require kids to cross boundaries. I remember Mika trying to keep our son clean the first time That, of course, didn’t work and once he got through it, he didn’t care either. He had overcome it.

Also, our youngest son Kian needed encouragement to keep up the running. Awesome to see his older brother and sister going to help him. In the end, he was first across the finish line. Last time we did the 12 km. Our kids are older now and a shift has clearly taken place.

Now they are helping their parents instead of us having to help them. Haha. That makes me feel proud as a mother. Proud of our strong, athletic and helpful kids.

#2 Bouldering

Bouldering is climbing without a fuse. That sounds dangerous, but it’s not so bad because with bouldering you don’t climb very high. You can do both indoor and outdoor bouldering. If you want to boulder indoors, you’re sure to find a great climbing gym near you online. Do note that you also need to rent climbing shoes there. Because you really do need those.

You can also do outdoor bouldering. For example, during the summer vacation we visited Boulderbasecamp in Fontainebleau, France (about a 7-hour drive from Utrecht). In that area, in the forests, there are all large stones that were deposited there during an ice age. They are similar to our Hunebeds, but much larger and more numerous.

And so there is bouldering on that as an outdoor sport. You see everyone there walking through the woods with a crash pad on their backs. We enjoyed a nice active vacation there with our teenagers.

Is this just a bridge too far for you, but do you like heights? An altitude course in the region is also really cool to do. A day of indoor skiing is also fun for a teenager who has never been to winter sports. Or a mountain hike when you are on vacation. At high altitude, you always connect.

#3 Indoor skydiving

Skydiving in a wind tunnel is also a fun activity for teens. You can do that in several places in the Netherlands. The five of us did it in Utrecht. It is a pricey activity, but really worth it. It is quite tough and difficult, but you get a tremendous kick out of it when you do succeed. Don’t skimp on the number of flights. Because you really need a few to learn it.

We gave it to Mika for his twelfth birthday. What a cool gift! Our kids also think it would be fun to actually jump out of a plane once. So that’s definitely on our family wish list as well.

#4 Wading

Did you know you can go mudflat hiking in North Holland with teens? You can do that in Den Oever at De Groot recreation. What an experience that is! First you take an old bus to the boat. Which sails you to the mudflats. Meanwhile, some seals are usually spotted. And then the slogging through the mud begins. Pretty tough hike.

Meanwhile, the guide tells all kinds of things about the area. About birds and crabs. About the tide. If an oyster is found, it may be tasted. The last part you walk on land back to the farm, where we ate a well-deserved portion of kibbeling. Because adolescent love, of course, goes through the stomach.

What has stayed with me most of all are the fine conversations along the way. Because you have all the time to talk. How beautiful is that!

#5 Water sports such as packrafting, canoeing, surfing and supping

We really like water and are not afraid to get wet. Because, of course, that remains a risk. Haha. Last summer, I went for 2 days with Fenna my daughter on packraft adventure in the Biesbosch. Packraf you may ask? That’s an inflatable canoe that you can carry with you in a backpack. You can explore the Biesbosch so incredibly beautifully.

The trips consisted of about 2.5 hours by canoe and 2.5 hours of hiking. So your teenage kids must love the long haul. We enjoyed this so much. Like being alone in the world. You meet almost no people. The two of us in nature and on the water. Really quite spicy. But incredibly valuable to experience this with our daughter before she would fly out to her college life.

Still, this sounds a little too intense. An hour of canoeing or supping is also a lot of fun and great to do independently. Does your kid like surfing? Whether with or without a sail, book a workshop to learn. On the beach, for example. There are also special surf vacations where you actually get lessons. And there are pools where lessons are given.

#6 Bodyworld

The above outings are all quite physical. But if you are not into that or physically unable to do it, Bodyworld in Amsterdam comes highly recommended. Here is an exhibit on the human body is on display with all anatomical specimens of, yes you heard correctly, real human bodies. Fascinating to see.

On that note, a city trip to Amsterdam with teenagers is a lot of fun! You can do all kinds of things with teenagers here. For example, a visit to The Amsterdam Dungeon is huge fun to do with teenagers. This is a kind of haunted house with all kinds of actors and therefore definitely suitable for older kids.

You can also go swinging on the roof of a tall building in Amsterdam at the Amsterdam Lookout. Here the kids should definitely not be afraid of heights! Or visit Park Playground Amsterdam, where you can do a VR experience with the whole family. Super fun to play a game together in a virtual world. In short, Amsterdam has plenty of fun activities for adolescents.

#7 Creepiness

The challenge of a teen outing can also be in that it’s a little scary. Last year, for example, we did a ghost tour at Forttreffelijk around Halloween. It’s like being dropped right into a horror movie. I thought it was terrifying. Really. How I screamed. The kids enjoyed it immensely. Also in our hometown of Hoorn, you have an annual Horrorwalk. This has really become a tradition with us. Even better, this walk is completely free.

Last summer we explored Delft by walking the murder trail from “A little walk of horrors.” Super fun to do this scavenger hunt and learn about the atrocities in this city’s history. In addition, the majority of amusement parks today have several Halloween days in the park.

You can then make a nice combination of having fun at an amusement park and being creeped out by the various actors walking through the park. At Walibi Holland , for example, there are special nights around Halloween that are perfect for teenagers.

#8 Caves

Caves always appeal to our kids, too. Whether it’s a visit to the marl caves in Valkenburg, the bat bunkers in Wassenaar, the Hann caves in Belgium or caving in the Ardennes. Caves are always a hit with our adolescents.

#9 Back to basic

But perhaps the biggest challenge in recent years, has been when we slept in a treehouse with our teenagers at the Domaine d’ouézy in Normandy. And why that was the biggest challenge? No running water, no power, no internet and a …. outdoor dry toilet.

Really back to basics, then. Our adolescents had to get rid of the smartphone. And it wasn’t just for them that this was a challenge, mind you. Also for us. But what a time you have for and with each other if you can’t get on a screen. Truly the ultimate challenge for today’s adolescents and their parents.

Other activities with teens

Of course, you have many other activities you can do with teenagers. We list some more of these activities with teens below!

#10 Escaperoom: This is also a fun activity to do with older kids. You go into a room with the whole family and you have to try to get out of this room by solving all kinds of puzzles. Parents must work together with the kids and you work as a team with each other to finally free yourself from the room.

You have lots of different escaperooms in the Netherlands with all different themes. Because of this, you can play an Escaperoom with the family in most major cities.

#11 Instagram museum: Instagram museums have proliferated in recent years and, of course, they capitalize on the fact that adolescents spend a lot of time on their phones. With these types of museums, the principle is the same everywhere. You have different areas, where you can take fun photos with the family.

This allows you to take very nice photos with the family and of your kids. In the Netherlands, you have several Instagram museums you can visit.

#12 VR Experience: we already mentioned this activity above, but you also see this activity for teenagers in more and more cities in the Netherlands. Each family member gets VR glasses on and together you then have to play a game. You can often choose from several games. You then play a certain game for half an hour and, for example, have to defeat all kinds of monsters with each other and fulfill tasks.

It’s such a crazy thing that you see each other in a virtual environment and everyone looks different. These games are often played in a large hall and in many large cities you can do this with teenagers.

#13 Karting: most teenagers are competitive and how fun is it to go karting against each other. You have special sessions for kids at most go-kart tracks, but if the kids are old enough, they can also go-karting with the adults. Then the karts go just a little bit harder. As a parent, compete with your son or daughter in a go-kart and try to drive the fastest time on the track.

#14 Climbing Park: another fun activity that is great to do with adolescents is climbing at a climbing park. You can also find these parks in more and more major cities. Most climbing parks have courses for all ages, so there are always a few courses you can climb with the kids.

This involves helping each other from time to time and this is also really an activity you can do together with your teens. Usually you pay for a few hours of climbing and this is, of course, also an active activity!

#15 Water Park: If you are looking for a fun activity for teens during the hot summer months, a water park is always a good idea as well. All over the world they have water parks and the higher the slides are, the more exciting it is for kids. Therefore, always check during a vacation if there is a water park nearby.

The advantage of such a water park is that the kids can also entertain themselves and as a parent you can read a book on a bed while the kids are playing.

#16 Festival, Concert or Musical: You can, of course, take teens to a festival, concert or musical. Ask your teen what their idols are and see if you can visit them with the family. Obviously tremendous fun to immerse yourself in the kids’ interests and join them for a day or an evening in their experience.

#17 Game computer museums: in more and more cities you see museums emerging that focus on game computers. Many teenagers play computer games in their free time, and how nice is it to be able to play unlimited games for several hours? Often there are game consoles from the past (that you may have used to play with as a kid yourself) and they also have some more modern game consoles.

#18 Water Ski Rink: Want to really give the teens an adrenaline rush they’ll be talking about for years to come. Then go to a water ski slope. We tested those in Sneek and in Heerhugowaard. How incredibly cool to do that. A little bit further on the track each time. Of course also frustrating when you don’t succeed. But so cool when you do keep going. Really a great outing for sports enthusiasts.

#19 Sailing in Friesland: looking for an outing where your kids spend hours outdoors? Look no further. When we stayed in a water lodge at the idyllic vacation park Pean Buiten in Friesland, we spent a day on the water in a sailboat.

We were given sailing lessons on a Falcon. The wind in your hair and the sun on your face. Learning what port, starboard and luff is by experiencing it. The kids stepped off the boat with broad grins and a color on their cheeks. What a fantastic experience.

#20 Bike Tour in the City: We always find it incredibly fun to go biking with our teens during a city trip. This summer we went to Ghent! The old center is beautiful, but there is so much more. We got to experience that with a bike tour from Baja Bikes. Our guide Christophe from Bike Ghent took us to the coolest hotspots. There is a lot of street art in Ghent, which is great to see! Especially for teenagers.

A bike tour is such a fun way to start a city trip. You see the city through the eyes of a local and hear all the stories as well as a bit of history. This way you get to know the city well and immediately discover what you want to visit later. Really great to do with teenagers. We have done the Baja Bikes bike tours in Rome and Madrid before and they are also highly recommended!