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Social Opps for Middle Schoolers

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Suggestions of group activities for the middle school crowd

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The following is a post by contributing writer, Kris Bales, of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

As my kids have gotten older, the opportunities for that all-important homeschool socialization have become a bit less readily available. An impromptu play date at the playground isn’t much fun, apparently, when you’ve outgrown slides and teeter-totters. And, it can be hard to catch up with friends who are busy with a variety of clubs and hobbies.

I’ve found that I’ve had to become more intentional about making sure my kids have opportunities both for hanging out with old friends and making new ones. In addition, because the local playground doesn’t hold the same appeal it once did, I’ve also had to get more creative in finding things that teens and tweens can enjoy together.

I thought I’d share some of my ideas and maybe some of you could add suggestions of your own to create a go-to resource for parents of older kids.

Bowling
We really enjoyed this one during Kids Bowl Free. (Keep it in mind for next year.) We liked to couple our free bowling coupons with daily specials at our local bowling alley for a fun, inexpensive outing.

 

Laser tag
I knew this would be popular with the boys, but I was surprised at how much the girls enjoyed it, too.

 

Skating
I took my daughter skating for the first time ever (I’m not sure how or why we hadn’t ever taken her before) a few weeks ago, along with a couple of friends. Bruised knees aside, they had a great time.

 

Go-Karts
A local go-kart track will be popular with the middle school crowd. Ours has pizza, arcade games, and batting cages, too, making it very popular with this age group.

 

Dinner and movie
I don’t like to do movies very often because it doesn’t give kids a chance to talk. (Not without irritating the people around them, anyway.) However, if you pair it with lunch or dinner beforehand or an ice cream after, it’s a good activity to keep in the rotation.

 

Swimming
A pool party is always fun during the warmer months. Add some pizza and soda and you’re golden.

 

Pottery place
We’ve got a local shop that offers paint-your-own pottery. This might not be a favorite of the guys, but the girls will enjoy it. (The one near us has both a pizza place and an ice cream place in the same shopping center, so I think we might be able to get the guys on board.)

 

Mini golf or disc golf
Both are activities that appeal to both genders and a wide variety of skill levels, while allowing time for conversation and friendship building.

 

Book club
If you’ve got some book-loving middle school kids, a book club is a great opportunity to couple their hobby with social opps. This could be adapted for a variety of interests, such as chess, Lego, or music. (C’mon, you can let the band practice at your house, can’t you?)

 

Indoor rock climbing
We’ll be doing this one very soon. Make sure you’ve got release forms and medical info for everyone, just in case.

 

Game night
Have everyone bring their favorite board or card games and a snack. Cheap, easy, and loads of fun.

 

Outdoor games
If you’ve got the space for it, outdoor games are a great idea, too – badminton, volleyball, horse shoes, kickball, etc.

 

Do you have kids who are outgrowing the playground? What are some activities that they enjoy with a group of friends?

Kris, who blogs at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, is a homeschooling mom to three amazing kids and wife to her unbelievably supportive husband. She enjoys photography, running, and drinking sweet tea. You can connect with Kris on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

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About Kris Bales

Kris Bales is the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest voice that founded Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She and her husband are parents of three amazing homeschool grads. Kris has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. She also seems intent on becoming the crazy cat lady long before she's old and alone.

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Comments

  1. Bobbi says

    I started a Tweens & Teens Board & Card Game Group. It’s new so not taking off yet, but I’m hoping it will catch on. 🙂

    Reply

  2. Marci says

    Great tips! We’ve been trying to figure out some new activities for our daughter and her friends. Her friends love having craft night at our house, although it doesn’t happen often enough.

    Reply

  4. Tina says

    Believe or not, ball room dance with just homeschoolers was a big hit AFTER my hubby told the boys they had NO choice to go and they LOVED it the first time. lol

    We had equal boys and girls and then after class walked down to the shopping strip for ice cream and to cool off so kids could “socialize” lol lol
    1x a week was doable and ALL kids do it!

    Reply

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