Activities for Pre-teen and Teen

We go to the lake. Find a good spot near the water, cook all day, hike, play frisbee, football. Now they're older, they can be involved in the cooking, fire tending, dog walking, when I'm feeling generous I even let them put THEIR IPod in the dock intead of mine. We're there all day, 8 hours or more. I put this one in charge of the hot dogs and that one in charge of the burgers. They carry everything now, from the car to the table and back.
Sometimes we bring the bikes and/or fishing rods.

When they were little and required constant supervision in the water, in the woods, near the fire I used to think there is no better way on earth to spend the day than at the lake with my children. But it was an awful lot of work!

Now they're 21, 19, and 16 we enjoy each other and ourselves even more, and THEY do most of the work!

(Cheap too, plus there's wifi and good cell service!)

:)

Our higher end grocery stores have events where you can cook with your children, etc. Similar to a cooking class but 1 night.

Last week, Panera Bread has a special even and for $5 each you got to go behind the scenes, make bread, sandwiches and sample the foods. My daughter and her boyfriend did that and they had a blast.

laser-tag, roller-skating (at night is less "lame"), donate jugs of bleach to your local animal shelter and visit the animals (unless either is super-sensitive), rent a fun videogame and try to beat it before it is due back, picnic at an obscure park that they didn't know about or haven't been to in a long time, bike ride, minigolf or go-karts......

By July, we are antsy and broke (have a 13 yo boy and 11 yo girl and 8 yo girl). We purchased a cheap metal detector and like to go treasure-hunting. It is fun and takes time and costs nothing more than the actual detector (and the gas to get other places). After finding 47 cents, etc, it might be a good idea to buy an ice cream cone or something to sweeten the afternoon :)

do you have a waterpark nearby? Maybe a museum, aquarium or zoo?

Berry picking, museum, zoo, waterpark, amusement park, bowling, mini-golf, go-carting, hiking, bike trails, sporting event, movies or fishing.

Wash the car(s)?
Anything that involves a hose and water is summer fun.
You can wash/vacuum the inside as they do the outside.
Follow up with super soakers and water balloons.