Pass Time As a Teen

Passing the time as a teen can be agonizing. You may not be able to drive, you are limited by your age to certain activities, and the rules set by parents and adults can feel like they stifle your fun. Boredom, however, is just a state of mind, and one that is easily rejected. Even with limitations the world is a vibrant, exciting place for a teenager, and you have plenty of options to help pass the time.

Steps

Passing Time Trapped at Home

1. Unleash your creativity. No matter how bored you feel, you always have your creative, incredible brain to keep you company. With a little equipment you can easily pass hours making movies, writing poems, or learning cover songs on an instrument. Not only will the time fly by, you'll get the chance to hone your skills and make something to share with the world.
   • Write poems, stories, scripts, or comic strips.
   • Shoot home movies, from quick Vines and YouTube clips to longer films.
   • Grab free DJ software, like GarageBand, and use it to make original beats and songs.
   • Look up DIY projects online, like small greenhouses or homemade speakers, and get building.
2. Binge out on great books, music, movies, and TV. The wealth of media available on the internet now makes it easy to fill entire months without leaving your couch. You can still use the time spent alone to catch up on the shows and songs you may have missed. You can also use this time to expand your horizons, crushing the "best of the best" and becoming a little more culturally literate.
   • Work your way through Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums, the AFI's Best 100 Films, or Time's Greatest Novels of the 20th century. They provide hours of entertainment and are often well-read, which means you're guaranteed to find someone with which to talk about each piece.
3. Teach yourself something new. Learn a language, a new recipe, or some Roman history. Let your mind wander to whatever interests you the most, learning what you want to learn instead of what a teacher tells you. Learning for learning's sake is one of the best ways to pass the time, and it may open you up to new hobbies or ideas as time goes by.
   • Head to the local library and check out a few books from the non-fiction and DIY section. Don't worry about the "right" subjects, just grab what interests you.
4. Do some simple chores and housework. It will definitely make your parents happy, and it can actually be a quiet, meditative way to pass the time if you put some good music on. Keeping your room clean, helping out with dinner, and mowing the lawn will pass the time quickly, and it could make you a bit of money if you've discussed an allowance with your parents ahead of time.
5. Start a diary or journal. Writing in a journal each day not only passes the time, it helps you organize your thoughts and ideas and provides you with a record of who you were earlier in life. Journals help boost your mental health and have been shown to increase creativity. They are also a lot of fun to reread a few years later, as they offer a unique look into who you were at the time.
6. Browse the endless excitement of the internet. The internet is full of time passing sites, diversions, and intriguing information. Try out StumbleUpon, which takes you to random sites based on your interests, or forums and message boards like Reddit, where users post interesting content based on their likes. You can peruse the handmade art on Etsy or glue your eyes to the incredible homemade videos available on Vimeo. Or you can simply go to a search engine, type in your interests, and dive down into the rabbit hole of wikiHow, Google, or Wikipedia.
7. Schedule time to leave the house during the summer with your parents. The freedom of summer can sometimes feel like a double-edged sword. On one hand, you are out of school. On the other, you've got a lot more free time to fill up suddenly. If you're worried about having too much time on your hands when school finally gets out, talk to you parents about making plans for camp, vacation, and any long-term projects. Summer is the perfect time to work on things you can't otherwise fit into your schedule. Some ideas include:
   • Plan a summer vacation with your parents. Make a list of things you want to do or places you want to go. Together, figure out ones that are feasible and that your parents would also enjoy.
   • Find 1-2 summer camps to explore. Your local Parks & Rec Department likely publishes a summer camp guide, offering everything from writing classes to sports camps, that you can pick up from your town hall. Or, go online and search for camps related to your interests
   • Start a project. You could build a new shed with your mom or dad, begin to write a movie or short story, or decide to pick up a new instrument. Give yourself a goal for the end of the summer and pass the time trying to reach it.

Passing Time with Friends

1. Go outside. If you've got nothing else to do, with no car or events on the horizon, head outside and make your own fun. You can go for a hike, build a fort in the woods, or just bike around town. Don't let the weather get you down, either. Sometimes a run in the pouring rain is the most fun thing you can do during a storm. Relish the opportunities to sled, build forts, and make snowmen in the colder months, and jump in a pool or pond when it's scorching hot. For centuries, teens have found endless enjoyment in the great outdoors. All it takes is a bit of sunscreen and a willingness to get out there.
   • Play some sports. If you're feeling casual, grab a Frisbee and improvise a disc golf course around the house.
   • Go fishing, camping, or bird-watching.
   • Offer to help your neighbors to make some pocket change.
2. Make a piece of art together, like a song or movie. Record something silly, even if you never share it with anyone else. You could put on a play, film a movie or music video, or just start jamming together on your instruments. Collaborative works like this will pass the time before you know it.
   • Just turn a camera or recorder on and improvise, doing your best to make each other smile, laugh, or tap your feet.
   • Come up with an idea together and make a plan to finish it. Working together towards a common goal is a perfect way to pass some time with good friends.
3. Find events in advance that you all enjoy together. Check online or in your local paper for concerts, events, and movies, and make plans together to see them. More often than not, if you take the time to check out the events schedule in advance, you can avoid sitting around without knowing what to do. However, waiting until the last minute often means you miss the showtime, or can't get a ride down, leaving you stranded at home without an activity.
4. Play some games. From simple and easy cards to complex video & board games, games are one of the best way to pass the time with any number of people. While the number of video, card, and board games is nearly endless, there is even a variety of games you can play without any equipment:
   • Mafia.
   • Ninja.
   • Truth or Dare.
   • Celebrity.

Building a Busy Schedule

1. Get involved with school groups and clubs. One of the best ways to pass the time is to explore your interests at school, joining groups with similar interests and trying out new things. If there is nothing at your school that really interests you, or if you're already in the groups you enjoy, there is a variety of other places that offer classes and groups that you can join weekly. Ask for a schedule of events, classes, and groups at your local:
   • YMCA.
   • Parks & Rec Department.
   • Public library.
   • Town Hall.
2. Volunteer with an organization or charity you find meaningful. You can volunteer with animals, after school programs, libraries, or local food pantries. Volunteering is not only a great way to pass some time, it is a fulfilling and enjoyable way to meet people and help fill out your college resume. You can find it online by searching for "Volunteer Opportunities," asking at your church or school, or visiting organizations you admire and want to join. Some options include:
   • Help local animals.
   • Manage a Youth Sports Team
   • Become a tutor.
   • Help out at a nearby nursing home.
3. Pick up a new sport or musical instrument. Having a sport, or playing in a band gives you weekly events to look forward to and plan your schedule around. They also give you a great way to pass the time even when you're not at practice, as you can always work on your skills in your free time to become the best you can be.
   • If you're serious about the new hobby, find a trainer or teacher to help you improve. This also gives you weekly practice sessions to look forward to.
   • If your school doesn't have band or sporting options for you, visit the YMCA or search online for groups in your area. Taking private lessons can also open up opportunities for teams or bands.
   • Ask a friend to learn an instrument with you. Having a partner to play with helps you both learn faster, and playing in a band is much more fun than playing alone.
4. Exercise regularly, at least 3-5 times a week. Regular exercise, at least 30 minutes a day, will help you stay healthy, fit, and energetic. And exercise comes in a variety of forms, whether it is running or riding the bike with friends, playing a game of pickup basketball, swimming in the pool, or even a tough game of capture the flag. Just getting outside and moving around each day will help you pass the time and feel great.
   • Find the exercise you enjoy, or find ways to make it enjoyable. Listen to a new album each walk you go on, do push-ups and sit-ups during commercial breaks, join a local disc golf league, etc.
5. Get a part-time job. Not only will this help you pass the time, it will put a little money in your pocket, making other hobbies and events more accessible. Many jobs exist for teens, from part-time jobs throughout the year to full-time summer jobs when you're not in school. You can find them by looking in the paper, on Craigslist, or talking to your parents and parents' friends about potential opportunities. Businesses that frequently hire teens include:
   • Movie theaters.
   • Painting and landscaping companies.
   • Restaurants and coffee shops.
   • Grocery Stores.
   • Neighbors and parents who need babysitters, lawn cutters, gardeners, etc.

Tips

• Remember that boredom is just a state of mind. If you commit to not being bored, you won't be bored anymore.
• Never sit around and feel sorry for yourself. Keep your mind and body active at all times. Try talking to your friend or someone close to you if you have noting else to do.

Related Articles

• Do Nothing
• Make Life Worth Living

Sources and Citations

• Bored.com

See also

• Have Fun if You're Home Alone
• Get Past Not Having Friends
• Decide Whether to Go Out or Stay In
• Have Fun Alone
• Plan a Campfire Gathering
• Get Your Friends to Want to Do Things With You

What links here

• Take Advantage of Staying Home Alone