Autumn activities to try with your teen

Things to do in autumn that don’t involve social media

Since the success of our summer holiday activity ideas to try with teens, we thought: why not give you some ideas for autumn to help you bond? 

We know this time of year can be a bit wetter, darker and colder, so it’s a bigger ask to get your teen off their screen and doing something different. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of ideas that don’t involve lots of screen time or social media, and that your teen will actually want to do.

Weekend walking challenge

Getting teens out for a family walk can feel like an uphill battle, so why not offer them the chance to take control and pick where they want to go? Whether it’s exploring a local trail, heading into town, going to a local gallery or museum, or even a window shopping trip that hits the steps target.

You could even make it a competition – if you manage to get a walk in on both weekend days, for example, they get to grab a lucky dip from a hamper. Things the teen community on luna LOVE are stickers, sheet masks, lip oils, and little hair accessories like scrunchies and clips. They can be super inexpensive, and a bit of fun at the end of the walk.

Autumn photography project

Teens in luna’s community LOVE all things aesthetic, and gen Z and alpha as a generation in general are super creative people!

So why not get into a photography project together where you have to capture X amount of things over the course of a month. Some ideas could be…

• Best sunset
• Coolest street art
• Quirkiest outfit
• Arty hot chocolate
• A colourful leaf
• A selfie together

To avoid the social media trap, suggest printing out the shots at the end and putting them side by side in a physical album or a scrapbook to keep forever.

Room re-decorating

Redecorating a bedroom is a great way for your teen to take ownership of their space and to be proud of it – making sure they keep it neat and tidy in the future. 

Instead of telling them to do it, ask for their help redecorating together and give them the creative reigns as well as a budget – it’s a great way to teach them money management skills.

They could come up with a vision board full of different textures and colours that they find around the home or even in nature, and then together you can either purchase or DIY the ideas to bring it to life. 

This gives your teen control over their room’s vibe while learning some really practical skills, like how to keep a space organised and how to best manage their budget – what to DIY and what to spend on.

Bake off! 

The perfect cosy autumn evening activity!

To encourage your teen to get involved, instead of choosing what to bake yourself, ask them to pick the recipe and even plan how they’ll do the icing/plating up. Maybe they’ll want to try their hand at cinnamon rolls or pumpkin spiced cupcakes?

You could both make your version, and then once they’re baked, your family or friends can do a blind judgement and taste test – though this isn’t necessary if you think it’ll hurt their feelings.

DIY craft night

While some teens might roll their eyes at the idea of crafting, it can become a cool project.

For example, suggest making DIY autumn decor for their room as part of the decoration project – like string lights wrapped in autumn leaves (check the safety of this!), making scented candles at home, or Taylor Swift style friendship bracelets which they could sell online and make a bit of extra pocket money.

Or, if they’re into fashion, you could also suggest customising old clothes together – maybe by tie-dyeing, upcycling a jacket with patches, or painting trainers. Let them steer the project, turning it from a ‘craft night’ into something that feels more like a way to explore their identity.

Plan a mystery day trip to help bond you

Write out a few different options on some cards and then let your teen know you want to have a special day out with them. Get your teen to blind choose what they want to do! This could be things like local museums, the theatre, the park, an animal sanctuary – whatever you have in your area.

You can also go a step further if you want to spend a bit more and get them to choose where you eat, or if you want to save, what you have for dinner at home.

Getting them to choose the cards without knowing adds a bit of fun to the occasion and gets them to opt into the day before they’ve even realised it!

Ask for their advice on a playlist

Yes, this may involve a bit of screen time, but teens love sharing their music taste and often don’t get a chance to do this with friends if they worry about judgement. It can be a great way to bond!

Ask your teen to help you build an autumn playlist – but let them start by sharing the music they love. Tell them you want to refresh your music collection with new artists, and you would love their input because they have great taste.

Once you’ve built up the playlist, listen to it together e.g. whilst you do chores around the house, or cook dinner together, and use their choices as a conversation starter.

Volunteering

Volunteering can be cool if it’s something your teen is passionate about and is great to do together or encourage them to try it alone if you have a lot on your plate.

Lots of teens tell luna that they struggle with making friends and this is also a great opportunity to help them meet new, like-minded people.

Instead of signing up for just any opportunity, ask them if there’s a cause they care about – whether that’s helping out at an animal shelter, taking part in a litter-pick, or even doing some local environmental work like tree planting.

By finding something they’re interested in, it won’t feel like a job, and it can spark a conversation about issues they care about.

So, to summarise…

Bonding with your teen during autumn doesn’t have to feel forced or awkward – the secret is to offer activities where they feel like they’re in the driver’s seat and can express themselves. 

It can be challenging to encourage screen-free activities, especially if your teen has grown reliant on their devices, so in case you need then here’s how to tell if they may have a phone addiction and ways to manage it.

Whether that’s creating playlists or redecorating their room, these activities give your teen a chance to take charge without a phone, while you share in the fun. 

A final note: why not support a teen with luna premium?

Our app, luna, has dedicated advice on this topic which can help them feel more empowered through adolescence.

You can think of luna as a modern, digital approach to wellbeing – it’s cost-effective, verified by doctors and safeguarding experts, and has a direct line into the biggest concerns facing teens today – so it’s actually addressing what they need advice on, when they need it.

If you’ve been looking for an antidote to the misinformation and negativity shared on social media or forums, you can get luna for your teen via our luna premium page for the price of a coffee each month or manage their subscription by downloading luna yourself and signing up as a parent (it's "we are luna" in app stores).