Fun Ways to Celebrate Your Teen's School Year

Rewarding your teen on completing the school year will look different for different families. Will it be an outing to a restaurant or a simple pat on the back? More importantly, what will you emphasize? For some parents (and their teens), earning high grades merits a reward, while others may emphasize overall progress. Whether you reward your child or not, research indicates that perseverance and confidence in tasks, including academic ones, is greater when there is a focus on effort over results. This can also translate into better overall learning and performance. 

Parents can recognize a variety of skills, goals, and developments beyond just high grades, including:

• Overall progress or improvement in a specific subject.
• Commitment to school perseverance.
• A strong work ethic, including organizational skills, time management, and prioritization.
• Trying something new, such as joining a team or club.
• Positive character traits and interpersonal skills, including creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
• Successfully balancing school responsibilities and a part-time job.
• Showcasing particular talents, such as artistic, musical, or athletic abilities.

Teens can be tough -easily angered, often rejecting your advice, hiding in their rooms, and glued to their phones. Gone are the little ones who once loved everything you did and said. 

But, it is important to remember that teens are doing good things too. Making their own decisions, good or bad, is a normal part of adolescent development, and demonstrates their growing autonomy. Even if they don't always communicate openly with us, it is important to remember that they still need praise and recognition.

Here are a variety of no-cost ways that you can express yourself at the end of the school year using the simple power of your words.

• Write an appreciation letter to your teen to demonstrate your pride in them.
• Design a certificate to acknowledge their academic growth.
• Create a collage of words, phrases, and images that highlight their school year.
• Put together a compliment jar. Jot down some kudos and positive memories from the school year on pieces of paper. Your teen can read them one by one.
• Make a short congratulatory video. Include other family members too.
• Give them a shoutout on social media highlighting their efforts and special achievements.

Though these gestures seem simple and perhaps clichéd, you might be surprised by what your child cherishes as a keepsake and shares with others in the future.
 

Spending some quality time with your teen has many benefits. It can foster connection and strengthen family bonds, as well demonstrate to them that you are interested in their ideas, opinions, and even their plans for the future. This will also go a long way in making them feel secure, boosting their overall confidence, and may even encourage them to try new things.

The great outdoors provides many low cost opportunities to spend time with your teen and celebrate their hard work at the end of the school year. And, if your teen is not a big talker, you can simply chat about what you are doing or observing. You never know– your teen may eventually open up about other things!

Here is a list of low-cost outdoor activities:

• Enjoy some of the many free outdoor music, art, or cultural festivals that take place throughout the summer months. A quick online search is sure to reveal something that catches your interest. Also, keep in mind that many museums have free admission days during the summer!
• Spend quality time together in nature by visiting a local park, forest, or hiking trail and set off on an expedition. Enhance the experience with an educational twist by exploring various habitats and spotting signs of wildlife, or simply take in the fresh air. Capture the moments with photos, share a picnic, and cherish the tranquility. 
• Try a geocaching adventure. This treasure hunt activity is a great way to spend time with your teen and explore your local area. Use the clues and coordinates provided by the “hiders” to find secret items stashed in towns, cities, and other locations. Let your teen lead the way using the navigational device (GPS) on their phone. Geocaches can be found all over the world, so you're sure to find one near you!
• Star gaze. Why not spend an evening or two looking up at the stars? Learn about different constellations and try to find them. It's a peaceful way to end the day.
• Take advantage of the networks of bike paths in your area. Pack a picnic or stop for an ice cream! 
• Take advantage of the summer to try some sports and get your heart pumping. Go swimming, take up paddle boarding or kayaking, play some beach volleyball, or even try your hand at some pickleball, tennis, or basketball. 
• Have a chat at the local café. Even something as simple as a cool drink on a summer terrasse will be enough to show how proud you are of them this year!

Celebrating the end of the school year with your teen and recognizing their hard work and progress can be done with easy and fun activities at home too. Whatever activity you choose, make sure to be actively engaged and focus on enjoying your time together. Here are some fun ideas to try out:

• Game Night: Dedicate an evening to playing their favourite board games or card games together as a family. You could also include video games if that's more their style.
• Cook-Off Challenge: Have a cooking competition where you each make a dish or a dessert with whatever you have at home. Let another family member or a friend judge, or just enjoy tasting each other’s creations. Alternatively, host a themed dinner party, such as breakfast for dinner or meals consisting only of foods of certain colours.
• Movie Marathon: Let them pick their favourite movies to watch back-to-back. Make it cozy with blankets and homemade popcorn.
• Start some projects: Work on a DIY project together. It could be something as simple as painting rocks, creating a scrapbook of the past school year, or starting a small garden. You could also incorporate more hands-on activities like small carpentry projects or painting their room.
• Learn Something New: Dedicate a day to learning something new together. It could be a new skill, like juggling, a Tiktok dance, or even a new language.

Let your teen come up with some ideas too, and you can follow their lead. They will certainly enjoy taking on the role of the expert and you the student. By teaching you a new skill, their confidence will be given a boost.  And you never know -it just might be the best thing you've ever tried!