Play a sport. Playing sports has tons of awesome physical, emotional, and social benefits. Pick a sport you’re interested in learning, then check social media or bulletin boards at your school to try to find a local league. You might even be able to get some friends together to start a team of your own![1] X Research source Popular sports for teens include soccer, baseball, flag football, and basketball. If you’d prefer a sport that doesn’t require a whole team, try playing golf, paintball, or play tennis! Go for a long walk or hike. Getting out in nature is a great way to have fun on a weekend. Spending time in nature helps relieve stress and boosts happiness, and it’s also a good way to get some cardio, whether you’re taking a stroll around the block or you go for a hike out in nature. And the best thing is, it’s almost always free![2] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to source Make sure you wear comfortable clothes and shoes and bring along a water bottle for your walk. If you’ll be gone for a few hours, bring a healthy snack, like trail mix or granola bars. If you have a dog, bring it along!

Walking out in nature is great for your pup, too. Go to a water park, amusement park, or arcade. If you have a little extra spending money, buy tickets to a water park, amusement park, or arcade that’s close by. Some places might even have special teen weekends featuring reduced rates, so check the websites before you go![3] X Research source If you’re going to a water park, bring your bathing suit and follow all water safety rules, like not running around the pool and wearing appropriate flotation devices. For a visit to an arcade, try to bring along plenty of coins, although most arcades will have change machines if all you have are bills. Have a picnic in the park. A day in the park is relaxing, fun, and cheap, and it’s even more fun if you bring along food and friends. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy: bottled water and cold cut sandwiches will hit the spot after a long day playing in the grass![4] X Research source While you’re at the park, plan some fun activities like Frisbee, Hide and Seek, softball, or just sit around and play music! Take a day trip to somewhere new. You can find a surprising amount of new and fun things to do just by driving a few hours

away. If you have a car, ask your parents if it’s okay for you and a couple of friends to head out for the day. If you don’t drive, consider planning a day trip that you can go on with your family![5] X Research source Look for local towns with cool historic sites, innovative restaurants you really want to try, or cool natural formations to explore. Go bowling. Although there aren’t as many bowling alleys as there used to be, chances are that there’s still one near you. Get online and look for one close by, then stop in, put on your bowling shoes, and try to bowl a strike! Bowling is fun even if you aren’t very good, so bring along a couple of friends.[6] X Research source Bowling alleys usually serve snacks, so bring along a little extra money if you can. See a movie in the theater. There’s nothing like seeing a film on the big screen to really get immersed in the story. Usually, you’ll notice details you might miss even on a big-screen TV. And there’s always something new coming out, so this is something you can do as often as you like![7] X Research source If you’re on a budget, check out the afternoon matinees. Most theaters offer discounted tickets for the

earliest showings of the day. Visit the mall. It wasn’t long ago that the mall was the center of most teenagers’ worlds. Online shopping means people are relying less on malls these days, but they’re still a cool hangout if you’re looking for a place to go on the weekend.[8] X Research source While you’re at the mall, you can window shop, browse books at the bookstore, and grab a snack at the food court! Some malls even have fun features like roller coasters, rock climbing walls, and movie theaters. Be a tourist in your own town. It’s fun to daydream about travelling all over the world, but when was the last time you went out and explored your own city? Make a day out of taking selfies at all of the most notable places in your area, like special landmarks or historical sites.[9] X Research source To get an idea of where you can go, think about what people want to see when they come to your town for the first time. Then, go do those things! Do a local museum or art gallery tour. Look online to see if there are any museums or art galleries close to you. You may find a gallery featuring works by local artists and sculptors, or you might stumble on a museum detailing the

history of dog collars. You won’t know until you check it out![10] X Research source Many museums offer discounts to students, so don’t forget to bring along your student ID! Spend time working on your favorite craft or hobby. You don’t always have to leave the house to have fun. You can play music, build a model car, make jewelry, or whatever else you enjoy doing, all from the comfort of your own home.[11] X Research source If you don’t already have a craft or hobby you enjoy, take a trip to your local craft store and see if anything inspires you. Read a book. If you have some free time over the weekend, take a break from screen time and crack open a book. Pick something from an exciting genre, like fantasy or adventure. You'll likely lose track of time and get wrapped up in a whole new world.[12] X Research source Reading can improve your brain power for up to 5 days after you finish the book, making it a great way to take breaks from studying during exam week! Write a short story. If you love to read, why not try your hand at writing your own story? Think about characters, plot, setting, and any themes or concepts you want to include. You don't have to show it to anyone

if you don't want to, just get something down on paper.[13] X Research source If you prefer, you could write a poem instead. Surf the web. Don't just mindlessly surf; this will leave you feeling more bored. Instead, check out some informative and interesting websites, like cool lectures, sites that help you learn a new language, or apps that let you draw or learn to play music.[14] X Research source Beat your high score in a video game. Playing video games in moderation can help boost your creativity and problem solving skills, and it can help reduce stress. You don’t want to waste all weekend on video games, but setting a goal for yourself, like beating your previous high score or finally defeating a boss you’ve been stuck on, can help you enjoy your weekend![15] X Trustworthy Source Understood Nonprofit organization dedicated to resources and support to people with thinking differences, such as ADHD or dyslexia Go to source If you don’t have a video game console, you can download a game app to your smartphone, computer, or tablet. Learn to cook something new. During the week, look through cookbooks or recipe sites online and find something you really want to try. Write down

a list of the ingredients you need, and either give them to your parents or stop by the grocery store and pick them up yourself, then cook up your masterpiece and let your family try it out![16] X Research source Be sure to use kitchen safety! Use caution when using knives, always use potholders to pick up hot dishes, and remember to turn off the stove or the oven when you’re finished using it. Draw or paint a picture. Art is extremely calming, since all you have to think about is the picture in front of you. It’s also a good creative outlet that allows you to express yourself, and becoming good at art can help you improve your nonverbal communication skills. To get started, all you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and an idea of what to draw![17] X Research source Try getting inspiration from the items around you, or draw your best version of a picture you really like. Have a sleepover. Invite over a few friends to stay the night if you want to have fun this weekend! You can play Truth or Dare, watch movies, eat snacks, and talk about anything that happened during the week. Don’t forget to pile up with plenty of blankets and pillows![18] X Research source Just make sure

everyone has their parents' permission to stay overnight! Figure out how to make your chores more fun. Just because you have chores doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun on the weekend. Try playing music in the house, then dance and sing while you’re cleaning to make the process seem faster. If you’re tackling a big project, like cleaning your pool or raking the yard, see if a friend is willing to come help you.[19] X Research source Schedule something fun for Sunday night. It's easy to get discouraged on Sunday night when you're thinking about school starting back on Monday morning. To avoid this, make a plan to do something Sunday night, whether that's reading a book or getting pizza with your friends.[20] X Research source Just don’t stay up too late on Sunday, or else your Monday could get off to a rough start!