What to Do With Your Teens This Summer

Ahh, summer.  A teacher’s favorite time of year, my father, the high school history instructor, used to say. As the weather heats up and the school year winds down, many parents may be starting to feel that little icicle of fear in their guts that reminds them they will be spending the next few months living full-time with their teenagers. But fret not. Here are a few travel deals geared to keep teens, if not happy, at least occupied. Who knows? Someday they may even thank you for it…

Get a local’s guide to Berlin: It may be the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, but that’s ancient history to teens. Instead, kids over 14 who staying at Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome in Berlin this summer can get an insider’s look at the city’s current cultural scene by being paired with seniors from the John F. Kennedy international school who will show them the best of the city’s trendy clubs, street art, bike paths and more. Activities may include a DJ or graffiti lesson—important skills to bring back for the next school year.

Chill out in Miami Beach: Teens staying at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel this summer can get away from their parents in the newly converted PBteen Cabana, which features comfy lounge chairs, weekly Wii competitions, a smoothie menu and a no-adults policy. Or they can head over to the PBTeen Game Lounge for air hockey, ping pong, big-screen movies and more.

Learn Leadership Skills in the Great Outdoors: Jackson, Wyoming-based Wilderness Ventures arranges group adventure travel for teens that combines volunteering, service and leadership skills with hiking, mountain biking, rafting or other activities in the spectacular natural settings of the national parks. Upcoming trips this summer will tour Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Teton and Olympic National Parks.