|

How to Find Activities for Homeschooled Teens When There Isn’t a Local Homeschool Group

Home Science Tools Banner
* This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. *

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

We are very blessed to live in a homeschool-friendly area with lots of homeschoolers and lots of activities for them. However, I’ve often been asked for suggestions on activities for homeschooled teens when a local homeschool group isn’t available.

I’m going to offer the ideas that came to my mind and I hope y’all will add others in the comments – particularly if you live in an area without an active homeschool group and you’ve been able to come up with activities for your teen.

Sports that aren’t school-based

If you’ve got an athletic teen, look into sports that aren’t school-based. These activities can be fantastic opportunities for homeschooled teens, who can join leagues or teams that practice and play outside of typical school hours. Some ideas include:

  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Archery
  • Fencing
  • Swimming
  • Bowling
  • Gymnastics
  • Dance
  • Surfing
  • Skiing
  • Running

Running can be a great alternative for athletic teens because it’s not difficult to find races in most places during the spring and fall. Check to see if your town has a track club if your student would like to get involved in running clubs that meet during the week to train together.

Sports with travel teams

There are also a variety of team sports that we typically think of as school-based, but which also boast travel teams for talented kids who don’t play with their schools. The downside to these options is that the travel part of travel teams can get expensive. Still, if you’ve got a sports-minded teen, it may be worth the expense. Plus, you have the added benefit of being able to take school on the road.

You can often find travel teams for sports such as:

  • Baseball
  • Softball
  • Volleyball
  • Basketball
  • Soccer

The arts

If your teen is more arts-minded than sports-minded, consider the following possibilities:

Drama. Most cities have a local theater whose productions are open for teens and adults.

Art. Check local arts and crafts stores. Most of the ones in our area have a variety of classes for teens and adults. Check with rec centers for pottery or sculpting classes.

Speech. Does your town have a Toastmaster’s Club? See if your teen can participate. We had a lady from the Toastmaster’s Club do a speech class for a small group of homeschooled teens at our local library a few years ago.

Photography. Check with your local community college to see if they offer any continuing ed classes for photography (or art). You might also check with individual photographers to see if they might be interested in an apprentice. You can also look for online classes. There are many wonderful online photography courses.

Music. Private music lessons are available all over the country. If you’re having trouble finding someone, ask at the area music stores or check the bulletin board at your library.

Family activities

One of the benefits of homeschooling is having lots of family time. Finding activities for your teen may be as simple as spending time together as a family. Some fun ways to get active with your teen are:

  • Bicycling
  • Hiking
  • Camping
  • Kayaking/Canoeing
  • Fishing
  • Hunting
  • Horseback riding
  • Rock climbing

Other activities

Check your local rec center, YMCA, church, or community college for other options. You might also ask around at coffee shops. There used to be a group of deaf and hearing teens and adults who would meet once a week at a local coffee shop for the hearing folks to learn and practice sign language. You never know what might be available if you just ask around.

I’m sure I’ve left out some wonderful ideas. What other suggestions do you have for activities for homeschooled teens when a local homeschool support group isn’t an option?

Homeschooling high school doesn’t have to be intimidating. Pick up tips on high school grades, credits, and transcripts in this ppre-recordedwebinar that I hosted with Lee Binz, The Homescholar.

Total Transcript Solution Webinar

+ posts

Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

10 Comments

  1. If your teen has hobbies, there may be community groups for those- a woodworkers’ club, an astronomy group/stargazing club, etc. Granted, the other folks will probably be more retirees than other teens, but that can be good too!

    1. Great tips…and I totally agree about the retirees. Multi-generational relationships can be a blessing for everyone involved.

      1. I have recently become a home school (9th grade) and have found great friends in retires because they are free to get coffe in the middle of the day.

  2. Our library has a lot of great programs, like an anime club, computer classes, gardening clubs, book discussion groups, etc. There is also a camera store nearby that holds photography classes. I also want to encourage people who may not have the financial means for a lot of these programs. We have one income and 11 kids, so we obviously have to try to work our way around the cost of the more expensive classes. My advice is to inquire if there are financial scholarships available if your child is interested in something. We have utilized the scholarship program at the local art school. Because of it, our oldest daughter has been able to take classes in drawing and painting, flash animation, and narrative illustration; our 11 yr. old has taken a ceramics class. They never would have had the opportunity had I not inquired about financial assistance because the school does not advertise this.

    1. Those are fantastic tips! Thank you so much for sharing! I never would have thought about asking about financial assistance.

  3. One of the things my teens have enjoyed is our City’s Youth Council. Mirroring the City Council in structure it gives the teens opportunities to serve, lead and have fun. As an added bonus it looks great on college applications. They have done things like help at city events, Pass out water at city sponsored races and they also have had the chance to attend statewide leadership conferences.

  4. My daughter who is turning 12 this fall has been involved with 4H since she was 6 and loves it. She has made many friends through 4H and as she gets older its broadening her horizons even more. She is learning baking, sewing, forestry, hiking safety and photography at the moment. The fair is this week and she not only entered projects but is finally old enough to work as a junior superintendent in the 4H building. She has also done a ton of community service this year through 4H. I can’t say enough about the program or the kids involved…its awesome!

  5. A woman at my church started a group for girls so her homeschooled daughter, then aged 9, could make friends. The group is called Grace Girls and is focused on faith, friendship, activities and crafts. The group (including my daughter) has been meeting for 7 years now, has an average of about 10 girls attending every week from ages 13-16, and they are all each others’ best friends. The added bonus for me, I have an awesome group of mommy friends now, too!

  6. This is such a great list! I haven’t even thought of most of this stuff because my kids are still early elementary age. We live in a small town (and are lucky to have a great homeschool community…but not a lot of activities during the summer). So I just called up a bunch of friends and organized a few summer camps for the kids myself. It took a lot of planning but it made my kids SO happy and only cost me $20 to put it all on.

  7. If you have older children volunteering could also be a great option. It’s free, it looks great on college and job applications, and my kids connected with people of all ages who had similar interests. My oldest 2 volunteered at a local animal shelter. One of them ended up being a veterinary technician. The other is a “certified” “cat behaviorist”. The Shelter they volunteered at offered both of them a job after 6 months as a volunteer and provided most of the education and certification free! Another child volunteered at a homeless shelter. He’s grown and married now with his own small children & he takes them with him as he continues to fit in volunteering at food banks and homeless shelters as an adult. What ever your childs interest or passion is there’s a place or organization that could use volunteer help.

Leave a Reply to Kris Bales Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.