School’s out and the days are warming up. If you’re anything like me, you want to minimize your teens’ screen time and connect with them. Here are some fun ideas to keep your kids engaged this summer, mom (and teen!) approved.
Entertainment
The Block in Rio Rancho
The Block is fun to peruse, and they also have a lot of events like live music and outdoor movies.
Movie Discount Days
Look at the throwback movies at Flix or the other theaters. I know they have Legally Blonde and Shrek coming. They tend to have random ones, and sometimes they are around $5.50. Or Tuesday movies at Rio Rancho Premier. It’s new release movies, but tickets are only $5 on Tuesdays. Check out our guide to cheap summer movies.
Rodeos at Tamaya Horse Rehab
Every Thursday evening this summer, Tamaya will have a rodeo you can attend.
Biopark Summer Concert Series
Head to the zoo or the botanical garden for some fun, live music.
Explora
XStudio has lots of classes and events for free.
Bowling or Billiards
On a recent vacation, our family checked out the game room and were excited to see pool tables. We weren’t very good, but it was really fun, we laughed a lot, and it created some new memories. There are some great places in town that have bowling and/or billiards where kids are allowed, like Main Event, Ten Pins, or the Santa Ana Star Casino.
Paint Pottery
There are a few places around town that have pottery available to paint: Creativity Warehouse, Kiln It, and Art Attack.
Splatter Paint
Have a fun, outside-the-box painting experience here.
Harry Potter Drone Show
If your teen loves Harry Potter, this drone show will make for a unique night out.
Visit The ABQ Collective
Hit them up on a weekday to browse or check out one of their weekend events.
Sports/Active
Go to a NM United soccer game
They’ve got a lot of home games this summer, and the tickets are super affordable. If you haven’t been to a game before, you’re in for a treat, and you can check out this great guide.
Go to an Isotopes game
Another sports team with tons of home games, affordable pricing, and fun promotions. Here are the top 10 tips you need to know before you go.
Take a Bike Ride
Head out for a bike ride along the Bosque, and stop at Bike in Coffee for a treat.
Top Golf
Groups of up to 6 can play, and most weekdays are as low as $20/hour until 3 or 4 pm, depending on the day. Check the pricing here.
Food
BobaCatch
BobaCatch has food, boba tea, and claw machines. You can also make your own ramen!
Reimagine Game Night
If your kids are into board games, either Empire Games or Slice and Dice is fun!
Cookie or Cake Decorating Class
Check out Sweet Art Decorating and Supplies for cookie decorating and cake decorating classes.
Go to a Farmers Market
This is a great way to check out new vendors, buy fresh produce, and try new things together.
Give Back
Volunteer at a Food Bank
Sign up to volunteer as a family at Road Runner Food Bank.
Volunteer at an Animal Shelter
If you and your teen are animal lovers, this can be a great way to spend time together. Summer is a busy time for shelters, so there are always a lot of opportunities available.
Sign up to Foster an Animal
We recently adopted cats from Pitties and Kitties Rescue. If you have space in your house to foster some animals, rescues are always in need, and it’s a fun way to help your kids develop nurturing skills!
Volunteer at Meals on Wheels
Sign up for a day and time that works for you, either in the kitchen, office, or as a driver. If your teen is a new driver or needs practice hours, this is a great way to give back while doing it!
Low Cost/No Cost
Take Advantage of the Library
We absolutely love our library. They’re more than just books and story times for toddlers. They have a section for puzzle swaps, they host crafternoons and other events for older kids, they have a ‘Library of Things’ where you can check out games, musical instruments, and more (we once checked out a telescope and that was such a fun experience!), and last summer they even hosted a meet-and-greet with a NM United soccer player!
Get a New Mexico Family Pass
Available at all libraries, this pass gives you access to many historic sites and museums in Albuquerque and surrounding areas.
Movies in the Park
Locations vary and this series starts June 5th.
Pools
Even teens can’t resist a cool pool on a hot day. Check out this guide to pools in the Albuquerque area.
Learn a New Sport Together
Your teens have long outgrown the play structures, but that doesn’t mean they’re too old for parks. We love playing basketball as a family, practicing soccer skills, and we recently picked up an affordable pickleball set so we could learn a new sport together. Check out this guide to parks in the area.
Get CPR Certified
We recently took a class as a family at Care Tactics CPR. Not only are these great life-saving skills to know, but our teens wanted to be certified for any babysitting jobs they might want to accept.
Thrifting Challenge
Go to Savers and see who can come up with the best outfit for $10.
Make a Magical Succulent Pot
Go to Zinks Town, pick a pot, choose a succulent, make a wish, and create some magic!
Go to Tea
Casual or proper, spending an afternoon sipping tea and munching on goodies is always a good time. Check out this guide for the best tea places in and around Albuquerque.
Catopia
You could always go get food nearby (maybe dumplings or something) abd then spend an hour playing with the kittens. The small entry fee helps pay for supplies and medical care for all the cats and kittens.
At Home
Paint a Canvas or Watch an Art Tutorial
One summer, I picked a new painting tutorial from YouTube or Pinterest each week. We had so much fun trying something new together, and by the end of the summer, we had our own gallery wall to look at.
Chopped Challenge
Like the show Chopped, take turns picking 3-5 random ingredients and making a dish.
Have a Spa Day
Get an at-home press-on nail kit, some face masks (or my personal favorite: foot masks!), and take some time to slow down and relax after working hard all school year.
Make a Collage
Our family always grabs magazines, scissors, and glue to make “New Year’s Goals” collages, but this can be a fun summer activity too. You can do an unthemed collage, or a theme like places you want to go, things you want to try, or things that inspire you.
Bake Together
Try this recipe to make the latest viral, super cute cake. To make it even easier, use your favorite boxed mix.
A Little Farther
Meow Wolf
New Mexico residents get a discount, and they also have a lot of events.
Carlito Springs
We loved this trail, and it was on the shorter side and had great views.
Las Conchas Trail
This is one of my absolute favorite trails, and we’ve been visiting it for years. It’s flat, has shade, and water to relax by. There are a lot of spots along the trail to sit and have a picnic. Check out this guide for some great tips about the trail.
Tinkertown
As a teen, I would have had fun exploring and taking silly pictures at Tinkertown.
Hit the National/State Parks and Monuments
Check out this guide to plan your next adventure.
Whoever said “the days are long, but the years are short” definitely knew what they were talking about, and with my kids getting older, I am all about quality time! If you need more ideas, check out this great list.
