40 summer activities that Charlotte teenagers might love more than their iPhone

Below are 40 simple ideas that’ll get you off the couch.

For the cultured

#1 Pay homage to the grandparents with a 1-hour trip to Badin Road Drive In (screening current blockbusters such as Despicable Me 3, Spiderman: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes)

#2 Movies Under the Stars at SouthPark (screening flicks like Trolls, Secret Life of Pets, Sing)

#3 Free Friday night movies at Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop (screening more mature films like Jaws, Stepbrothers, Anchorman, To Catch a Thief)

#4 Go museum hopping at the Mint (yoga and art classes offered), Bechtler, and Levine

#5 Revel in the serenity of Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, Discovery Place Nature, or Wing Haven Gardens

#6 Flow through an outdoor community yoga class at OMB

#7 Rent a paddleboat at University City

#8 Set up camp at Freedom Park

#9 Flock to Food Truck Friday

#10 River Jam at The Whitewater Center

For the creative/curious

#11 Get creative juices flowing at Beads Inc.

#12 Learn something new with a SkillPop class

#13 The PG-13 Funny Bus Tour

#14 Test your skills at Exit Strategy and Codescape

#15 Expand your knowledge at Discovery Place

#16 Collect antiques at Sleepy Poet Antique Mall

#17 BYO Lunch and sit out at the Charlotte Airport Overlook

#18 Volunteer! Contact non-profits like Urban Ministries, Freedom School, or a local animal shelter to set up a time.

#19 Learn how to cook with a class at Whole Foods

#20 Rally the troops at Laser Quest

For the experiencer

#21 Charlotte Segway Tours (admit it, you’ve always wanted to give it a spin)

#22 Blueberry Picking: Rivers’ Blueberries Farm, Summerberry Farm (blackberries)

#23 Make strawberry shortcake out of the berries you collect at Hall Family Farm, Wise Acres Organic Farm, The Hunter Farm 

#24 Rent bikes and zip down the Greenway

#25 Encounter wildlife at Lazy 5 Ranch and Zootastic

#26 Plunge off rocky cliffs into blue-green water at The Quarry at Carrigan Farms

#27 Get an adrenaline rush at Carowinds

#28 Devote a whole day to The Whitewater Center

#29 Roller skate at Kate’s Skating Rink

#30 Tee off at Topgolf 

For the active/energetic

#31 Experiment with flexibility at AIR Yoga

#32 Burn some calories at Defy Gravity, Sky High, Sky Zone

#33 Ruin old clothes at Paintball Paradyes, Paintball Central

#34 Race your friends at Victory Lane Indoor Karting

#35 Purchase cracker jacks at a Knights Game

#36 Lie out at Lake Norman or Wylie, check out Paddle 2 Paradise

#37 Cheer on the Charlotte Independence

#38 Arrange a day hike at Crowder’s Mountain; if you’ve been there done that consider a day at Anne Springs Close Greenway

#39 Shine your bowling shoes at StrikeCity or Park Lanes

#40 Test your agility at Inner Peaks