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50 Fun Challenges for Teens to Try This Summer

If you’re looking for fun challenges for teens, you have come to the right place. It’s that time of year again when the kids are home and they’re throwing out those famous “I’m bored” lines throughout the day. Chances are that your teen is too old for camp, but not quite old enough for a job. Your door is probably opening constantly to a new face that’s also “bored.”

If this sounds familiar, then let them try one of the following 45 fun challenges for teens. Of course, you can draw some inspiration from our ultimate list of fun things to do with the kids (teens, and adults) during the lockdown.

Our point here is that you can offer a bigger challenge by asking them to do one challenge a day for 45 days; that will get them through most of the summer. After all, summer is meant to be fun.

Food and Drink Fun Challenges for Teens

#1  Bubble Gum Challenge

Gather everyone around in a circle. Give them all the same amount of some good tasting bubblegum. Each person then takes a turn blowing a bubble to see who can make the biggest one. This challenge can be fun with as little as two people or make it interesting with the girls competing against the guys. Split them up into teams with the middle schoolers competing against the high schoolers. No matter how they compete, the challenge will be exciting. Just make sure you know how to get the gum off your shoes, (or hair, furniture, and other places where the gum might end up accidentally.)

#2  Baby Food Challenge

For this one you’ll need several jars of baby food, 10-12 different kinds should be a great amount. Have someone not participating in the challenge purchase and prepare the food by removing the labels from each jar. Of course, that person will be the only one to know what kind of food is in the jars. Place the food on the table and let the challenge begin. Each person takes a turn tasting the food from each jar. The object is to guess what kind of food it is and then not to throw up. Make it more fun by making everyone taste the food using a baby spoon. Get a lot of pics and videos of this challenge!

#3  Eat It or Wear It Challenge

Choose a bunch of different foods that most people don’t like. Oh and the worse the smell, the better too!

Number some lunch bags and mix up the foods in each bag. Next, put corresponding numbers on small pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Each person gets a turn to draw a number from the bowl and then they will be given the corresponding bag. They will then need to decide if they want to eat a spoonful of the contents or wear it. Make sure to get a lot of pictures of this challenge for blackmail later.

If it’s possible, you might want to take this challenge outside. If that’s not possible then choose a large area indoors and place a large drop cloth on the floor. Be sure to let your friends know ahead of time that they shouldn’t be wearing their best clothes when doing this challenge.

#4  French Fries Challenge

A non-participant should make a trip to several fast food restaurants getting fries. Leaving them in the containers from the restaurants, they should be hidden from the participants. Each participant will need a blindfold and when the challenge begins they will all be given a fry from each place one at a time trying to guess where the fry came from. Of course, the best guesser will be given a point for each correct answer and in the end, the one with the most points wins the challenge.

#5  Chubby Bunny Challenge

Mom always said, “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” but that doesn’t count for this challenge.

Grab a partner, a bowl, and a whole mess of marshmallows to see who can last the longest. Start with one marshmallow in your mouth and say, “Chubby Bunny.” If you can say it clearly then move on to the next round where you will add another marshmallow to your mouth and say, “Chubby Bunny” again. The challenge continues until the first person can no longer say the words, or the first person loses a marshmallow out of their mouth.

#6  Hamburger Challenge

Just like the French Fry challenge, this challenge also involves fast food restaurants. A non-participant will need to visit as many restaurants as possible to buy hamburgers for each participant. You can always cut each burger in half since you probably won’t eat the whole thing anyway. Once the burgers are ready the participants must then put on their blindfolds and begin the challenge. As they taste each one, they must guess where it came from. If the answer is correct they get a point. The winner of this challenge is the one who gets the most points.

#7  Smoothie Challenge

Grab your best friend and take your stomach on a trip down craziness.

First, you will want to pick out ten good ingredients that you would normally find in a smoothie. Next, pick out ten more not so good ingredients that you would never find in a smoothie. Some good ingredients could be things such as fruits and milk. The not so good and normal could be things like hot peppers, spices, pickles, or even lunch meat. The crazier the ingredients the better this challenge will be. After you pick out all twenty ingredients, write each one down on a slip of paper and put them into a bowl. The challenge begins with each person taking turns drawing the slip of paper and adding that ingredient into their smoothie. Keep taking turns until all twenty ingredients have been used. Finally, add all your ingredients and some ice into a blender. When both smoothies are ready you must drink it all and not throw up. The first person to give up or throw up is the loser.

#8  McDonalds Roulette Challenge

You will need to make a trip to your favorite McDonalds and then pay close attention to the people around you.

Take some money and get in line. Listen to the person in front of you and order exactly what they do. Each person must do the same and then when you get back to the table let the challenge begin. You must eat everything you ordered, so for one, it might be fries and a coke while the other might have three combo meals to finish. Finishing everything on your tray without throwing up will determine the winner of this competition.

#9  Raw Onion Challenge

Next, on our list of fun challenges for teens in the real of playing with food is the Raw Onion Challenge. You might enjoy eating an onion on your hamburger, but do you think you can handle eating an entire raw onion? Try it and see what happens. Oh wait, we forgot to mention that you’re not allowed to drink anything, and if you do then you will lose the challenge. Make sure to compete with a friend, and nominate another who is too chicken to try the challenge to be the designated videographer; what would be the point if you couldn’t share it with the world?

#10 Warhead Challenge

Sour is better than spicy, right? Well, maybe not.

Warheads are sour candies that can make you pucker for the first few seconds they hit your taste buds. Let’s see if you can handle a mouth full at once. Gather your friends and provide them all with Warheads. Compete to see who can eat the most pieces at once, and swallow them too because otherwise it would be cheating and nobody likes a cheater. Grab an innocent bystander to be the photographer because this is something everyone will want to see.

#11 Lemon Challenge

This is another one of those challenges that you’ll want to do in the kitchen, besides engaging your teens into a cooking session.

Set up a table with plenty of sliced lemons for everyone. Invite your friends to sit around the table and let the competition begin. Yes, you guessed it. The idea is to see who can eat the most lemons without spitting them out. Pucker up and have fun with this challenge.

#12 The Wendy’s .99 cent Value Menu Challenge

Grab a friend or two and take a trip to Wendy’s. Each person should order one of everything off the .99 cent menu. Sit down and begin to eat. In order to win this challenge, you must eat all the food without throwing up. Yes, someone will definitely upchuck, and that calls for automatic disqualification.

Of course, if you and your friends would prefer another fast food restaurant, that’s okay too, just be sure that there’s a .99 cent menu to order from.

#13 Blindfolded Food Tasting Challenge

If you like a variety of different foods, then this challenge should satisfy your taste buds.

A non-participant should prepare different foods ahead of time. Things such as cubed cheese, small servings of lunch meat, fruits, veggies, condiments, and any other interesting combinations will work. The participants must be blindfolded and given a different food item to taste one at a time. The participants shouldn’t be able to touch the food so serving it on a skewer would work, or for a bigger challenge, they can taste with no hands at all. A point is given for each correct guess and the person with the most points wins the challenge.

#14 The Oreo Challenge

Who knew that Oreo cookies could be so much fun?

There are so many different flavors that it makes this challenge exciting. A non-participant should prepare several different kinds of cookies while the participants cover their eyes with blindfolds. The non-participant should then give each person a cookie to taste. When the participant guesses the cookie correctly they get a point. Yes, you guessed how it ends. The person with the highest number of points wins the challenge.

#15 Bread Challenge

This challenge doesn’t require anything more than a loaf of bread but beware, it’s not as easy as it looks.

With the loaf of bread, see who can construct the tallest configuration using only the bread. Each participant has only 75 seconds to see who’s configuration will be the tallest.

#16 Soda Challenge

The biggest challenge to this one might be for the person who has the job of finding twelve different soda flavors.

Compete with a friend and guess the taste of each soda. The best way to play is to be blindfolded so that you can’t see the color of the soda. You can smell if you want, but remember, the taste doesn’t always match the smell. You get a point for each correct guess, and you guessed it, the person with the most points without getting sick wins the challenge.

#17 Cook-A- Meal Challenge

This is a fun way to fix lunch!

Depending on how many people are participating will depend on the categories. If it’s just two people then each person will prepare the main course using three specific ingredients. This is done similar to television cooking shows. Each course must include the three specific ingredients but can include anything additional the participants want to add. If there are enough people to include desserts or appetizers then go for it. In the end, there must be a non-participant who can do the judging. The individual or team with the best food wins the challenge.

#18 Exploding Watermelon Challenge

This one is best for an outdoor challenge when possible.

Start out by giving each participant a small, seedless watermelon, or use two melons and split the group up into two teams. Provide each person with a ton of thick rubber bands and when the time begins, start wrapping those rubber bands around the watermelon. The first person or team to cause their watermelon to explode is the winner. The prize? All the watermelon you care to eat! If you want to start on a calmer pace, try this experiment first with chubby bell pepper. It explodes less spectacularly than a melon, but you will know what to expect. Film this challenge, it is a crowd favorite on YouTube!

#19 Tin Can Challenge

Have someone prepare about twenty tin cans of food by taking off the labels and then numbering them. Each can should have a corresponding number on a piece of paper to be drawn from a bowl. Put all the unopened cans on a table and be sure to have a can opener close by. The first person draws a number from the bowl then takes the can with the same number and opens it. That person must eat a spoonful of its contents without spitting it out or throwing it up. Each person gets a point for each of the food swallowed and loses a point when it spits out. The person with the most points wins but the first person to throw up is automatically out.


#20 Cinnamon Challenge

Another crowd favorite on YouTube and social media, the cinnamon challenge is a pain. At first, it seems easy and benign, but it is not. The idea is to challenge the participants to take a mouthful of cinnamon (a teaspoon will suffice, trust us) and swallow it in under one minute without the help of any liquid. Before you challenge your children to do this, watch a video of someone who already tried (and failed) this challenge already. The burning sensation, screaming, crying, and cursing may not be what one would call fun challenges for teens to spend the summer. If it looks to cruel, skip it. Otherwise, go for it, as the expectation aversion is strong with this one.

Exercise & Physical Fun Challenges for Teens

#21 Jump Rope Challenge

Each person is given a jump rope and a time limit. A non-participant should be the “counter.” Set a timer and let the competition begin. The idea is to see who can jump the most amount of times within the time limit without falling. Each time the rope hits the pavement that counts for a jump. It sounds easy, but is it? Go find out!

#22 Hula Hoop Challenge

Much like the jump rope challenge and other fun outdoor games for children, the hula hoop challenge will have your waist moving for the win. Set a time limit and the person who keeps the hula going the longest without stopping wins. Of course, if you lose your rhythm and your hoop, you’re automatically out. The teens should try this competition against the adults to see if they still have it.

#23 Hoverboard Challenge

Grab a hoverboard and set up a challenging obstacle course, then let the competition begin! Just like any other obstacle course game, there must be a time limit, so, you guessed it, the person who completes the obstacle in the least amount of time without falling off the board wins the challenge!

Miscellaneous Fun Challenges for Teens

#24 Not My Hands Challenge

With one person sitting on a chair, somebody else hides behind them. The person behind will be using their hands while the person in the chair will do the talking to direct the hidden person in the right direction. For example, they might make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but of course, the hidden person can’t see so the person sitting must use direction in making the sandwich. When the sandwich is made, the hidden person must feed it to the person on the chair.

#25 Try Not to Laugh Challenge

The basic goal here is to watch the video and not to laugh, that includes a smile.

You will need some of the funniest videos you can find for this simple challenge. It is one of the easiest indoor games and challenges to do indoors during the lockdown with your children and even adult friends.

#26 Makeup Challenge

One person must be completely blindfolded and give the other a complete makeup makeover. You can try this fun game with your adult female friends at a bridesmade party as well. Don’t let a mirror appear until the makeover is complete. The more makeup you use in this challenge the more fun it will be, and oh, don’t forget to get those phones out because everyone will want to see the results!

#27 Say Anything Challenge

You will need some tape and your best friend to make this challenge work. Choose a third person to pick categories or put categories in a bowl and each person takes a turn drawing from the bowl. The idea is not to stumble and to keep the rhythm flowing. When a category is chosen each person must say a word in that category. For example, the category is an animal so the first person would say dog, the next person would say cat and keep going until someone gets stuck. The person who stumbles earns a piece of tape on their face placed by the opponent. You must keep track of the pieces of tape because the person who has the most pieces at the end of the challenge loses.

#28 The Whisper Challenge

Much like a game of telephone this challenge is always fun to find out what the other person thought they heard.

You will need some noise-canceling headphones and a few friends to make this challenge more fun. Each person must have their headphones on and cranked up with their favorite music. The first person starts the challenge with a random phrase that can be drawn from a prepared pile of phrases, or by finding random fun stuff from the internet. Tell the first person the phrase and then the next person repeats what they think they heard from lip reading and so on until the last person is left. In the end, the person who started the phrase can then reveal what it was supposed to be.

If you want to complete this challenge using two people, the first person can give a phrase and repeat it three times until the person either gets it right or continues to make a mess of it. Each person can take turns until someone finally gets it right or the time runs out.

#29 Tickle Me Challenge

This challenge requires a little trivia knowledge or you will be tickled!

Each person takes a turn asking another a question, but it if the person answers it incorrectly, that’s right, they will have to be tickled until the time is up.

#30 Ice Bucket Challenge

To compete in this challenge, you will need a bucket full of ice and water. Each person who wishes to compete in the Ice Bucket Challenge should be dressed in a bathing suit and there should be plenty of dry towels and clean clothes handy after the challenge is complete. Choose one person to be the designated “dumper.” This is the person that will have a blast drowning their friends with the ice water. Dump the water over the victim’s head quickly and watch them squirm. A phone is a must-have for this challenge because you’ll want to be sure and capture the moment in pictures. There isn’t really a winner in this competition but it’s fun to watch their facial expressions and to hear their screams. Obviously, the best place to perform this challenge would be outside, and if you really want the challenge to be harder, try it in the winter.

#31 Blindfolded Hairstyle Challenge

All you need to complete this challenge is a blindfold, a lot of hair accessories, and a brave soul.

The person with the blindfold must use the hair accessories to style the other person’s hair. You can be as creative as you want, but remember that the stylist will be blindfolded so be sure that all the styling tools are safe. An excellent photographer will be needed to capture the events of this challenge while it’s in progress.

#32 Popsicle Stick and Cup Tower Challenge

Set up a sturdy table and gather as many popsicle sticks and paper cups as you can possibly find. Please, for the sake of everyone, if you decide to start pulling from the trash, clean them first. Put all the sticks and cups on the table and let the building begin. Keep going to see who can create the tallest tower without it falling down first. Set a timer to make the challenge even better, or just keep going until the last person’s tower is still standing.

#33 Egg Drop Challenge

This one will work best if you have access to at least a two-story building.

Find as many supplies as possible such as newspaper, tape, straws, paper towels, confetti or anything else you can think of that will give your egg a safe landing. Once you have all the supplies ready each person can begin to build a “safe landing” nest for a raw egg. The biggest challenge will be to build the nest in a limited amount of time. Once the timer goes off the nest is finished no matter what state it’s in. You will need to place the nest on the ground under a high window. Everyone should proceed upstairs and at that time they will each be given a raw egg. The idea is to make the egg land into the nest without it breaking.

#34 100 Layer Challenge

You will need 100 pieces of clothing and you can even include hats and socks in the mix. Start with the layer of clothing you’re already wearing, that counts as the first layer and then continue to layer the clothes until you’re wearing all 100 pieces of clothing. If you can’t make it then you can’t win the challenge.

#35 Card House Challenge

Everyone grab a deck of cards, find a sturdy place, and start building the best house you can without knocking it over because if you do, you lose. Okay, so it might sound old-fashioned and corny, but sometimes the older games and challenges are the most popular.

#36 Memorize Challenge

With this challenge, a non-participant should prepare a tray and place numerous items on it. It’s then up to the non-participant to display the tray for a few seconds for each person to see. As the tray makes its way around, it’s up to each participant to try and remember what’s on it. When the tray is hidden, each person should write down what they saw. The person that has the most items right wins the challenge.

#37 Ice Bath Challenge

If it’s a warm day you can do this one outside using a kiddie pool full of ice and water. The first person must get into the pool of ice water and stay there until they’ve answered one question. In order to complete the challenge, you must be able to stay in the pool until you’ve answered the question completely.

#38 No Hands Nail Polish Challenge

You and a friend must compete to see who can paint the most nails in one minute by using only your mouth. Oh, you might think this challenge is a piece of cake, but think again! It’s really interesting to watch the guys try this challenge too. The person who gets the most nails painted in one minute wins the challenge. You can also have a non-participant to judge the best-looking nails for the win.

#39 The Cotton Ball Challenge

You’ll need a blindfold, two bowls, a large kitchen spoon, and a bunch of cotton balls for this challenge. Set a timer or designate a certain number of scoops and while blindfolded, you must hold the empty bowl on your head and scoop some cotton balls from the other bowl into the one on your head. The person who scoops the most cotton balls wins.

#40 No Thumbs Challenge

Each participant must tape your thumb and forefinger together making it impossible to use your thumb. In the meantime, a non-participant should create a list of tasks for each person to perform. Get a point for each completed task, but get a point taken away for each task that’s incomplete. At the end, the person who has the most points wins the challenge.

#41 The 7 Second Challenge

This simple challenge requires the participants to complete a task in 7 seconds. Continue by doing the process of elimination, meaning that the last participant left in the challenge wins. The tasks can be created by a non-participant so the challenge can be fair for everyone.

#42 Beans and Chopstick Challenge

The rules of this challenge are simple. Each person has one minute to get as many beans into a bowl as they can by using chopsticks. Only one hand can be used or it’s cheating. The person who can manage to get the most beans in the bowl wins the challenge. Here is one of the best and most fun challenges for teens you can do inside or outdoors, no matter the season!

#43 Blindfolded Drawing Challenge

Each person is given a blindfold, a drawing pad, and a pencil. A non-participant can tell them what to draw and they must perform the task while blindfolded. The person who has the best drawing wins the challenge. Two people can participate in this challenge by taking turns.

#44 Cling Wrap Challenge

With this challenge, it will be someone’s pleasure to sellotape each participant to a chair. When the challenge begins, each person will then have to figure out a way to escape the trap. Of course, each person will want to move the fastest because the first one to escape wins the challenge.

(Avoid using the clingfilm above the shoulders to prevent blocking airways)

#45 Store Challenge

Set a limit of around $10 and pick a favorite store. Next, everyone must make a trip to that store and go on a shopping spree with the $10 limit. When everyone is finished, you must all compare the items with each other. You can make the winner the one who buys the best for the money; who buys a unique item; the funniest, and so on.

#46 Truth or Dare Challenge

A good game of Truth or Dare with teens may go sideways if you don’t control it properly. Refrain from asking embarrassing questions or things that would invade the privacy of your teens. Other than that, Truth or Dare is one of the fun challenges for teens that help you to bond and keep yourselves entertained in the family. Check this guide on the best Truth or Dare questions to inspire you!

#47 Scavenger Hunt

Nobody can say no to a scavenger hunt in the backyard or even in the house! Organizing a scavenger hunt takes some preparation and time from your part and it could take a full day. However, keep in mind that such a challenge can keep your teens entertained and quite busy. Invite their friends over and have a blast together competing against each other! Check out our list of fun scavenger hunt ideas to implement this summer for your teenage kids!

#48 Treasure Hunt

We have talked about treasure hunts when we discussed the fun challenges to do with teens and kids at home during the lockdown, but it is worth a mention here as well. Summer, parks, and backyards are the best precursors for a good old fashioned treasure hunt. Ignite your imagination engine, get some help from others who organized treasure hunts before, and keep your kids (and adult friends, why not?) entertained for a full day!

#49 Guess the Song

The best way to play this game or implement this challenge is to have a non-participant present who knows how to play an instrument, like a guitar. If you don’t have such a musician among you, a music player/laptop/smartphone will do. One of the best and fun challenges for teens, this one has them guessing the song or at least the artist after they listen to the first notes or lyrics of the song. They should do this without using the Internet, of course.

#50 The Egg (Russian) Roulette

The last entry on our list of fun challenges for teens is the Egg Roulette you have probably seen already on celebrity shows and televised challenges. You need a full carton of eggs. Boil a few as hard as you can and leave some raw. Mix them well in the carton so not even you can know which eggs are raw and which are cooked. Then, gather the teens and their friends and challenge them to pick an egg to break against their heads. Play until the group finishes all the eggs in the carton. Of course, the winner is the player who managed to break the smallest number of eggs on their face.

Things to Consider When Performing Dangerous Challenges

We’ve tried to keep this list as safe and friendly as it can be so that anyone and everyone can have a fun time performing these challenges.

However, we are aware that teens love their adrenaline when it comes to challenging themselves and others. While we’re not your parents and have no authority over you, we feel the need to warn you about what to avoid when trying to perform dangerous stunts.

First off, when skateboarding for example, avoid doing advanced moves until you’ve gotten down the basics quite well. Be prepared to suffer a few injuries here and there, and don’t be afraid to wear at least basic protective equipment when riding on rough terrain. And, whatever you do, don’t skateboard through traffic. It’s never a good idea.

Secondly, we know teens are rebellious and won’t usually listen to adults who tell them otherwise. But, please, if you search for fun challenges for teens and stumble upon some that might look a bit too risky, just don’t. If you want some adrenaline, go bungee-jumping or sky-diving with authorized instructors. In any case, use your head. Think about it this way: are the risks worth the fun? What’s the worst that can happen if I get involved in an accident relating to this particular activity? Always keep these questions in the back of your mind.

Fun Challenges for Teens: Bottom Line

We hope you enjoyed our selection of fun challenges for teens to try this summer in or outside the house. If you have some games and similar challenges you do at home, feel free to share them with us to lengthen this list of ideas and inspiration!

Before we leave you to set up in motion these challenges, we have to remind you that you should use caution when performing these challenges because some of them may be dangerous. Be sure to try as many challenges outdoors when possible; always provide towels, dry clothes, and other necessities when needed.

Make sure you check out our fundraising ideas for teens as well, together with our guide on fun things to do with children (and even your adult friends and family members) during the ongoing lockdown! Hopefully, we will get past this virus sooner rather than later and we will soon be able to resume our once wonderful lives. Until then, stay safe, and practice the necessary precautions to avoid putting vulnerable people in danger. Or play video games. Those are fun if you don’t have the possibility of meeting others face to face.

Have fun!

Featured Image via Pixabay