10 brilliant days out for teenagers

Teenagers are a notoriously hard to please bunch. No problem! We’ve put together a selection of 10 brilliant days out for teenagers that will turn pouts into smiles and maybe even shouts of delight. What are you waiting for?

Mercedes-Benz Under 16s Driving Experience

Many teenagers will be thrilled to learn that you don’t need to be 17 to get behind a wheel. You can take control and steer things in a new direction courtesy of the Mercedes-Benz Under 16s Driving Experience at Silverstone. This is a great opportunity to learn useful driving skills courtesy of a driving coach and there’s no age limit, only a minimum height requirement of 1.5 metres. Half an hour costs £39, 1 hour costs £69 and the freedom of not being on public transport or in the taxi of mum or dad is priceless.

Go Ape

This attraction will appeal to the types of monkies who excel at getting into all sorts of mischief, because pending time in the trees should be second nature to them and you can do just that courtesy of Go Ape, which offers excellent forest adventure in centres across the UK. You can choose tree top adventures starting from £24 that include zip wires, swings and rope obstacles or alternatively discover a forest environment by Segway for £35 per person.

Coasteering

This will appeal to thrill seekers who love to get active. You will soon get hooked on the exciting and adrenaline-pumping activity of coasteering. As long as you don’t mind getting wet, those of you seeking an adventure will certainly find it as you jump across rocks, scramble along the shore, explore coastal caves and leap off cliffs into the sea. There is an assortment of accredited operators across Britain who provide the opportunity to experience this amazing activity and who will provide all the safety equipment required. Prices vary depending on the operator and age of the participants but expect starting prices of around £30 per half day and around £50 for a full day.

Cookery courses

Tired of always being the chef in the kitchen? Well get your teens to develop their food skills (the making kind, not the eating kind!) through a variety of cookery courses. Prices will vary depending on what is offered in the course and how long it lasts but the likes of a week-long course covering everything from cooking fish to baking bread and making soups and sauces costs £420 at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School. You never know, perhaps by the end of the cookery courses you can hang up the apron for good!

Theme parks

The older kids get, the less inclined they are to spend time with the parentals. A trip to a theme park, however, might be the perfect solution to this problem. Although older teens may still try to wheedle the cost of a ticket out of the bank of mom or dad so they can explore a theme park with their friends (ungrateful sods…). There are many great theme parks across the UK, some of which are solely theme parks while others combine attractions such as Chessington World of Adventures where the entry fee (£44 for individuals with discounts on family tickets) provides access to a theme park, zoo and sea life centre.

Browse and book a fun theme park holiday.

Waterparks

Waterparks are a blast for anyone who loves going wild in the water. There are lots of water parks across the UK with plenty of exciting slides and rides. Splashdown has waterparks in Devon and Dorset (entry is £13 per person for the day). Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is a fun choice too, the cost is £14.50 per teen which provides access to the biggest indoor waterpark in the UK. Alton Towers Waterpark in Staffordshire packed full of features and could be combined with a visit to the theme park for a weekend of fun.

Locate a water park holiday right here.

Art galleries

Art galleries offer a great day out for teenagers who are artistically minded thanks to their varied collections which will appeal to diverse tastes. There are hundreds of art galleries in the UK, ranging from small local or niche galleries to massive museums. Some may contain paintings that are centuries old and renowned masterpieces, while others may host intriguing contemporary displays or sculptures. Many art galleries are free to visit or alternatively there may be special exhibitions with an entry fee. You can check your local neighbourhood and the surrounding area to see what’s on offer.

Fun Museums

Spending a day at the museum is another wonderful way to get your terrors out of your hair (ahem…lovely teens out of the house) if they are old enough to go by themselves. You may need to think outside the box here, because there are a ton of brilliant and unusual museums all over the UK that are completely different from the standard reputation of these establishments. So if anyone even suggests that museums are boring, point them in the direction of the Museum of Witchcraft in Cornwall, the Hunterian Museum in London, the National Football Museum in Manchester or Big Pit National Coal Museum in Wales. And that’s just for starters...

Paintballing

Manoeuvring around obstacles, firing balls of paint at the enemy and generally being in a real life version of a video game – if this is the ultimate dream of your teen then paintballing is sure to be a winner. Yes, they’ll be sore (getting shot with a paintball can be pretty painful!) but adventurous teens are sure to love every minute of it. Prices start at £14.99 for teenagers who visit the Delta Force paintball centres but there are many indoor and outdoor providers to choose from across the UK.

Go Karting

No license required and no driving skill (though it helps!) – just the necessary safety wear, a trusty go kart and the will to dominate all competitors in a mad frenzy of racing. Yep, it’s not hard to see why go karting would appeal to teens as they battle it out on the track for racing supremacy. Prices will vary depending on the provider and how much time is spent on the track but there are plenty of indoor and outdoor tracks to choose from across the UK.

A terrific time for any teen

These varied days out will appeal to teenagers with diverse tastes and interests, from active adventurers to teens who enjoy thoughtful explorations of history and art. With plenty of fun on offer you’ll have very content teens (at least for a while!).

If your teen fancies a proper outdoorsy break, how about one of these campsites for under 18s?