Hobbies And Interests
Capture the Flag
Divide a group of teenagers into two or three even teams. Each team has a flag, which they attach to their team "base." Each team then attempts to capture another team's flag from the opponent's base. The first team to get the flag of one of the opposing teams wins. For a twist, use paintball guns or water guns that are filled with colored water. Each team had a different color of paint balls or a different water color. When a player gets hits by from an opposing team's paint balls or water, he must sit out for the remainder of the game. Alternatively, when a player gets hit, he must switch sides to the team that struck him. A team automatically loses if all of its members have been hit, even if none of the flags have been captured.
Disc Golf
Disc (commonly referred to as Frisbee) golf requires less equipment than golf, but it offers a higher level of skill than games for younger children. Disc golf courses exist in many cities across the United States. If you cannot find an official course, look for trees to use as "holes," and attempt to throw a disc that will hit the tree in as few tosses as possible. Official disc golf courses will have the listing for the number of tosses to make "par" so that you can keep score. The player with the lowest score wins. For teenagers who find a real interest in disc golf, look for local leagues that offer a more organized team format of play. Encourage your teen to lobby for a school disc golf team or club.
Scavenger Hunt
Create clues for a list of objects that teams of teenagers can find in your neighborhood. Opt for odd items likely to be discarded by your neighbors. Consider creating clues for items on your list, such as a wooden clothespin, an empty egg carton, last Sunday's comics section from the newspaper or a broken coffee cup. Create clues that will get teens thinking in order determine the items on the list. For instance, a clue for last Sunday's comics might be: "Colored panels for once a week laughs."
Egg Toss
Pair off teens and give each pair an uncooked egg. The pairs face each other 1 foot apart and toss the egg. Upon successfully catching the egg, the teammates each take a step backwards, increasing the amount of space between them. They toss the egg again, and step back. This continues until one pair of teens fails to catch the egg and it breaks, signaling that that team has lost. If the egg does not break upon falling to the ground, the pair has another chance to toss again. The last team remaining wins.