While high school-aged children may initially gag at playing organized games, after you cut through their hesitance, you will likely find that the right activity can induce child-like behavior. If you are desperate to keep your high school kid from venturing too far into adulthood, select and organize some games for your growing teen and his friends to enjoy as an alternative to lounging in front of the TV.
Motivating Too-Cool-for-School High Schoolers
Many parents of high school kids give up on attempts to organize formal games, because the kids often seem content to do next to nothing and express contempt for organized activities. While it can seem like high school kids are not interested in organized games, more often than not, they are just trying to be cool. To break though this exterior, you must be creative in your efforts. Offer uncommon prizes to game winners, such as iTunes gift cards or movie tickets. Also, act excited about the games. If you don’t seem amped about the game, you have no chance of convincing the players that it is cool.
Beat Boredom with Board Games
Organizing games does not always have to be a challenge. Instead of dedicating time and creative effort to selecting and planning games, fall back on some old favorites. Purchase an assortment of board games that would appeal to teenagers. Monopoly, for example, allows them to become property moguls. Mall Madness enables them to venture on a shopping spree without burning through their parents’ cash. Keep games like these on hand. Pull them out when you see boredom starting to set in.
Learn Through Game Play
As high school students finish their final years of school, they are faced with difficult lessons. Help them learn the skills necessary for success by organizing learned games. Gather a group of teens and create flashcards on a topic pertinent to their studies. After the group has created the cards, quiz the group, using the study aids. Keep track of the number of answers each participant gets correct, and reward the winner who is most knowledgeable on the topic.
Get Them in Shape
As teens grab late night pizzas and snack on sodas and chips, fitness can fall by the wayside. Make staying in shape fun for your high school student by organizing sporting events. Gather a group of fitness-focused teens, and set up a weekly sports meeting. On the same day and time each week, plan to meet at a local park. Plan a different activity each time to allow the players to sample different physical fitness options.
Make It Ongoing
Instead of playing a short game, plan an ongoing event for your high school student. Organize an ongoing game by arming players with stickers. Challenge her to slap the adhesive token on another player as a means of tagging the individual. Encourage players to avoid getting sticker tagged. Reward those who are the most successful.
Photo Credit
- game image by Jo??o Freitas from Fotolia.com
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