For many children and young people, summer is one of the most anticipated times of the year. School is out and schedules are much more free and open. However, this unstructured time isn’t always easy, and may be especially challenging this summer.
Over the past few years, symptoms of mental health concerns among young people rose precipitously, with the U.S. Surgeon General describing the state of children’s mental health as an “urgent public health crisis”, leading to a series of published recommendations for systematic change.
The bond between friends during the turbulent tween and teen years is critical. Friendship has many benefits not only for a child’s mental and physical health, but also for their development. During adolescence, children’s friends and peers provide emotional and informational support and help them solve problems and work through issues. Having a network of friends has also been linked to:
- Fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Greater life satisfaction
- Fewer behavioral problems
- Better academic outcomes
As they mature, children’s teenage friendships have been shown to provide ongoing benefits. In one long-term study published in Child Development, researchers found that children who had strong relationships as teens reported less depression and anxiety, and higher levels of self-worth, well into their adult lives.
One of the best ways to encourage children to socialize and engage with others is to participate in fun activities during the summer months. This allows them to make new friends who may have similar interests, or connect on a deeper level with existing friends or peers from their school group.
Some of the best summer activities can also help children decompress from a stressful school year, which can help improve troubling mental health symptoms, including:
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in mood or personality
- Persistent sadness
Children may need some encouragement to step outside of their comfort zone and get more engaged in a world that may still feel overwhelming. You should be ready to listen to their concerns and work with them to find activities that feel both fun and safe.
It’s also likely that a child’s activities will vary depending on their current hobbies and interests. They should be encouraged to indulge in activities they enjoy while making an effort to try new things.
Here are some ideas of fun and engaging activities tweens and teens can try this summer:
- Host friends for an outdoor hangout. If kids miss their school friends who don’t live nearby, encourage them to host a hangout. Encourage them to think of fun activities they can do like making s’mores, playing sports, or doing crafts.
- Journal. If children are encouraged to make a habit of journaling regularly, it can help them become more adept at recognizing and regulating their own emotions. This also helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Children don’t need to spend a lot of time on this to reap the benefits — even 10 to 15 minutes a day can help them start a positive habit that will last for the rest of their life.
- Write a story. If the child is a budding storyteller, encourage them to take the long, hot days of summer to write creatively. With no homework, their brains are free from the order and structure of school, which may make it easier to fashion a story of their own making.
- Take a hike. Depending on the child’s age, you could encourage them to hike with friends or make it a family outing. This is an excellent opportunity for them to spend time in nature, get some physical exercise, and explore your area. This physical activity and time outdoors has huge benefits for their mental health as they are separated from screens and given more opportunities to bond with family and friends.
- Create a list of movies they want to see. Too much screen time isn’t good for children, but having access to movies on demand can create meaningful opportunities for connection. Encourage any child in your care to make a list of movies they want to watch, then ask them to share it with their parents and family so they can watch them together.
- Join a summer reading club. Summer learning loss (a backsliding in academic achievement) is a real problem for many children. Encourage children to stay engaged in reading by joining a summer reading or book club. Local libraries are a great place to start, but you can find some other options here.
- Learn a new skill with family or friends. Another way to help children keep their brains engaged and active during the summer is by learning a new skill. Whether their interests are technology, sports, crafting, or educational, there are many options available for online tutorials. To help them keep connections with friends and family strong, encourage them to find a partner and learn with others.
- Teach them how to cook their favorite food. If your teen has a favorite dish they love, encourage them to stretch their muscles in the kitchen by learning how to make it themselves. This is an excellent opportunity for them to gain some essential kitchen knowledge, which can help them make better food choices in the future as well as feel more self-reliant.
- Plant a garden. Encourage kids to train their green thumb by planting their own garden. They can either go with you to purchase plants from a nursery or start from seeds or scraps they find in the kitchen. Some plants that are easy to re-grow from kitchen cuttings include celery, scallions, onions, lettuce, and potatoes. Being outdoors has been shown to help reduce stress and boost mood.
Not to be forgotten are those rainy days when kids are stuck in the house. To help them avoid too much screen time, which has been proven to have a negative impact on an adolescent’s mental health, here are some great ideas to keep them busy.
Whether they love to play sports or are more comfortable tucked into a hammock with a book, we should all be encouraging children to spend more time outdoors and with friends and family, rather than whiling away their day inside staring at a screen. Spending more time with friends, being active, and breathing in the fresh air are all great for our children’s mental health.
Source: Office Practicum
Facts About Fentanyl
To learn more and for tips on how to talk to your kids about fentanyl, click here.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at awesome nonprofits throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties. To view these opportunities, please check out Volunteer New York!
Yorktown Leos Club
Leadership, Experience, Opportunity! The Yorktown Leos are a community service club for people ages 12-25 willing to help others in the community. They host and participate in a variety of fun and collaborative events. The Yorktown Leos Club has been helping the Yorktown community for over 25 years and to learn how to get involved, click here.
Upcoming Events
Weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups
From our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups, held virtually every Tuesday and Wednesday via Zoom. Spotlight on Recovery is a Family Educational and Support Group for families struggling with a loved one misusing substances. For more information, click here.
The Parent Support Network
The Parent Support Network is a program of The Youth Mental Health Project that seeks to provide support for parents and guardians who are concerned about the mental health of their children (ages 1 -25) through confidential, peer-to-peer meetings. For a list of upcoming virtual meetings, click here.
NAMI Westchester
The families and members of NAMI Westchester are here to help! They offer understanding to anyone concerned about mental illnesses and the treatment of mental illness. To view their calendar, click here.
Westchester Breathes is an ongoing program offered by the Westchester Library System offering an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being. These exercises are simple and evidence-based – which is to say …they work! They are free and on Zoom. Register here.
July 5 – Stress: Signs, Symptoms, Management and Prevention
Understand the biology of stress and explore realistic and practical ways to manage distress in this one-hour seminar with a licensed therapist. Register here.
July 17 – Understanding OCD in Children and Adolescents
Discuss OCD symptoms and causes, the impact on social and emotional development, and what treatment options are available with a licensed therapist. Register here.
July 31 – The Power of Play
Learn how play impacts mental health, learning, and social-emotional connections from childhood through adolescence, and explore how play can strengthen family connections. Discuss what you can do to promote the power of play in your home & community in this one-hour seminar. Register here.
August 1 – National Night Out
Join ASK at the Yorktown Police Department’s National Night Out. This wonderful community event will be held at the Jack DeVito Veterans’ Memorial Track and Field.
September 30 – Save the date for the Run for Recovery 5K Run/Walk!
To sponsor, join or donate to the ASK team or to register, click here.
Please visit the ASK calendar here for more upcoming events.