9 Things Teens Must Do This Summer

The exam season is just over, here, in this part of the world and now it's summer and vacation time. If you are a teen or the parent of a teen, the most important thing on your mind would be "career preparation". Well! There is a ton of advise about that and we aren't talking about that today. I am here to just remind you that life is not all about a career.

As a growing person, you need to develop a well rounded personality which enables you to face challenges that life is going to throw at you.

What follows is a curated list of activities that a teen can engage in depending on age, interest, etc. These activities provide you or your teen with an exposure that can shape your/his/her future as a human being.

1. Try something new that you have never tried before

Did you always dread speaking in public? Did you always refrain from making new friends? Did you never try that roller coaster ride? What have you been keeping away from? Doing something new requires us to go beyond our fears. This summer, conquer your fear of the unknown. You are afraid because you don't know what to expect. Pick up something you are afraid of doing. Think about what are you scared about. Write it down. Discuss with a friend or a well-wisher and simply take on doing that. It may need some preparation and it may need some work on yourself. But once you do what is out of your comfort zone, you will develop the ability to be comfortable with the unfamiliar. This allows you to take risks and you would know what to do to deal with your own fears. Isn't that something worthwhile? 

2. Invent/Create something new

Try to create or manifest something you think is very new and never existed in the world. Initially you may think that something like that doesn't exist, but once you begin jotting down ideas to create something new, you would figure it out. A whole lot of new things can come out from your creative brain. Don't think of only science or machines. You can create a new art form, a new game, a new way of using something, a new method of doing something, a new approach to a problem. Anything would do.

Thinking out of the box is no longer a "nice to have" skill. It is a necessary skill.

In this ever competitive world, to differentiate we need to reinvent ourselves frequently. This is the beginning of that journey. When you are creating something new, watch out what people say, how they react. Keep a journal and write down your journey. There will be a ton of learning by the end of summer. I promise! 

3. Teach a bunch of kids something they don't know and something you are good at

Are you good at math or science? Are you good at story telling or public speaking? Have you good exposure to singing or a musical instrument? Teach it to a few others.

Teaching requires you to structure your knowledge in a way that makes it understandable to others. That process will make things more clearer for you.

If you don't know how to approach teaching, then approach your teachers and ask them how to structure your lessons. There are many organizations that engage in teaching underprivileged children. They need support. You can work with them if you like. Otherwise, create your own group and teach them something that you know.

4. Plant a tree in a pot and watch it grow

This seemingly simple activity introduces you to many challenges of growing trees. Did you know that there is a whole new way of growing plants without soil called Hydroponics? Explore that area. To grow a plant, you need to make several decisions.You need to know what to grow, what kind of soil is required, what kind of watering is needed, what kind of fertilizer to be used, what are the right things to do to make it grow. Trust me, if you are in an urban area, you might end up discovering the challenges of the availability of sunlight for your plant.

Taking care of another living creature develops compassion in us.

We begin to care more, understand more, develop more humane attitude to others. If we can give life and support another living creature, it is an amazing experience! Try it!

5. Find 10 things that you have never used in the last year and give them away

In this age of online buying, we buy things on impulse. We end up having junk which we have never used. If we keep accumulating stuff like this, then there would be no place at all for us to live. Let me give away a secret to you.

Giving is Living!

So, rummage your space, get to the bottom of that cupboard or trunk. Get into the attic and fish things out that you haven't used for ages. Find someone who can use them and give them away. You will not only free up space for your stuff, but also light up another human beings life with something they wanted. Experience Giving and Living this summer.

6. Write Handwritten letters to your family and friends

This skill of writing letters is getting outdated in a world that is over using the internet for everything. Take out that dusted pen and paper and reach out to your closest and beloved with a letter. Writing with pen and paper is a very unique experience. The physical touch of pen on paper, the feel of the paper, the light that you need, the desk space that you have to create, the structuring of the thoughts and the planning you need to do is immensely different from the electronic media messages, which you can erase, reorganize and put it in any form before sending. This summer, go old fashioned and experience the finality of the written word. I am sure those who receive your letter will not only remember the content, but also the sender for a long time to come. Can you actually believe that there used to be "pen friends" in the past where they wouldn't see each other at all but communicated with only hand written letters? Well! Maybe you will end up making a pen friend too!

7. Volunteer for a social cause

Our society is full of complex issues. There are numerous organizations that have dedicated themselves to work for the inclusion of a large number of humans. Old people, children, mentally and physically differently able people, women, transgenders and many many others. All these organizations need help in terms of getting things done. They need support from volunteers. Spend some time understanding these issues. Spend some time thinking about these people. Spend time knowing how you can be of some help. More than money, these human beings require your compassion and the feeling of being included with all others, like all others. Here are two organizations that you can join hands with.

(a) Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA) - APSA is a rights-based, child-centred, community development organization working in Bangalore and Hyderabad since 1981 towards empowerment of the urban poor, especially with children in distress. With ‘Development Without Exploitation’ as its foundation, APSA has been a pioneer in designing unique programs that combine grassroots level work to address development issues of the urban poor, with sustained lobbying and advocacy with government duty-bearers for policy change at state and national levels.

(b)Wiztara - Wiztara works in the area of Autism. Their Mission is to Sensitize pediatricians and training staff in leading hospitals to routinely screen children of 18-30 months of age for autism, Create awareness in leading preschools about autism and training teachers to pick up on early signs of autism, Create awareness in the general population by reaching out to multinational companies and spreading awareness on autism and early screening.

Both organizations are in need of volunteers and if you can reach out to them, they would be glad to spend time with you and also take help from you.

8. Learn a new technology that is unfamiliar to you

Technology changes the world and the world changes technology and this infinite loop gives us the challenge of staying abreast of technological change. As a millennial, you would be expected to be tech-savvy and that is one quality that enables you to grow not only in your careers but also in life. Getting familiar with technology makes you stay in tune with the changes happening around you and perhaps help you to figure out how to use technology than be a hapless victim of the same. Break a leg this summer! Get yourself the name of tech-savvy. Surprise your friends by sharing some of your insights. Maybe you should start using LinkedIn Articles to publish your findings.

9. Create a no distraction zone in your house

Our world is full of distractions. I need not tell you more on this. You know it already. Employers are finding it challenging to curtail distractions and get their employees to work in a focused manner. The Internet is a powerful medium and it can distract as much as it can help you. This summer, create a space at home that will allow you (or anyone using it) to be free of distractions. Make a rule that anyone who enters that zone shall keep their phones out, shall spend time with you or with whatever is there in that space and stay there for a good deal of time. For example, mark a corner in your house and put up white sheets along with some abstract art. Put up a locker where you would lock up their phone and keep the key with you for say 20 to 30 minutes. There they need to spend time looking at the art and recording their impressions on the white paper. They can write in a guest book how they felt using the space. You can see who uses it much and how much your family appreciates the distraction free zone.

In Conclusion...

I think I have given you many ideas to spend this summer in a productive manner. These activities can make you a better individual and begin the process of developing a well rounded personality. What do you think of these activities? Do you have anything new to share? Do you have any links to other opportunities which you want to share? Feel free to like, comment, share this article with important people in your life. Just get it going!