Coming With Your Teenager? Tips to Keep Them Engaged and Entertained

 

We get it. Teenagers can be hard to entertain and nearly impossible to impress. Add a family vacation into the equation, and the task of maintaining a happy teen becomes all the more daunting.

So, how to solve that riddle of keeping your teenager engaged and entertained? We’ve got a few ideas.

(And, hey, if all else fails….at least the Wi-Fi here is free.)


Before You Come

Enlist your teen’s help in planning the itinerary. Our website is a fountain of information about all the activities and events across property. With so much to do, they can find something that piques their interest.

Let Them Explore on Their Own

Teens crave their independence, and if you’re comfortable letting them do their own thing, French Lick Resort is a place they can explore on their own. Whether it’s playing video games at the arcade, cornhole on the front lawn, or going for a bike ride or hitting the hiking trails, or even ordering some Starbucks at the coffee shop, they can find plenty to do — and you can feel good about letting them do it safely on their own.




Hit the Sporting Clays Range

A sporting clays outing might be the ticket to pleasing even for the hardest-to-entertain teen. If they’re seasoned shooters, they can provide their own guns and ammo. If they’re rookies, our staff can provide all the necessary materials and some pointers to help them aim and fire.

 

Fill Up Big-Time

Food: the key to any teenager’s heart. And there’s plenty of restaurants here where they can play that fun game of Can You Possibly Finish All That?

They can put their appetite to the test with the gargantuan chocolate chip pancakes (coming soon) at CafĂ© Sinclair’s; the signature BBQ ribs at Hagen’s Club House Restaurant; the 16 oz. Cowgirl Ribeye at Sinclair’s Restaurant; or the even bigger 24 oz. porterhouse at 1875: The Steakhouse.

 


Bring the Sticks

Youth age 13-18 play for half price (with a paying adult) at all three of our resort golf courses — which is nice for mom and dad’s wallet, too. Private lessons with our golf pros are also available at a reduced rate for kids 18 and younger ($45 for 30 minutes; $65 for one hour).



Insta-Worthy

The unique views here are made for Instagram posts. Whether it’s a selfie from an atrium-view balcony room at West Baden Springs Hotel, their first mani/pedi at the spa (age 18 or older), or just a snap from the French Lick Springs Hotel bowling alley, horse stables or one of the resort pools, there’s a lot to like and share.


Much More Beyond the Resort

Just a short drive from the resort, West Baden Indoor Karting provides an adrenaline rush with their adult karts (for age 14 and up). These rides go as high as 40 mph, and circuits around the quarter-mile Grand Prix style track last about eight minutes.

Sports fan in the group? The self-guided tour of Larry Bird’s hometown of French Lick is a unique diversion.

There’s even more with a short drive when you think outside the resort box for a day trip.

See 700-pound grizzly bears up close at Wilstem Wildlife Park; ride the coasters at Holiday World; go zipping through the course at Lark Valley Ziplines; and you’re never too old for mini golf, either.

 

The Finer Things

This one might be a hard sell, and you may get some serious eye rolls initially. But trust us on this one: Afternoon Tea at West Baden Springs Hotel is an experience your teenager might actually like. Especially the girls. And surprisingly, even the guys.

One of our guests who visited at the holidays brought her 13-year-son to tea. A few months later, she asked her kids a question: If you could have any meal again, what would it be? The 13-year-old’s response:

“The food from West Baden tea.”

Seriously, this plate of sweet and savory treats that comes with tea is a winner. (Remember how food is the key to any teen’s heart?)