Once your kids have grown out of going to the park on a sunny day or soft play when it’s raining, what activities are there for teens in Oxfordshire? Don’t forget the tweens either. My eldest is 12 and just moving into this tricky stage between being a child and a teenager and my 10 year old is not far behind!
Here are some ideas for teenager and tween activities around Oxfordshire.
Indoor Crazy Golf
My tweens loves Gravitee Golf which is out at the Ozone Leisure Park next to the Kassam Stadium in Oxford. It’s a really popular spot for teenagers too. Nestled in the Westgate Centre in central Oxford is Junkyard Golf . It’s worth being aware that they operate a very strict under 18’s policy. Under 18’s are welcome into the venue Sunday-Friday any time before 7pm, last entry 6pm and must be accompanied by an adult.
Ice Skating
Oxford Ice Rink is a great destination for a rainy day. They hold everything from regular skating sessions to discos, skate school and special events.
Climbing
Image Credit: Alexandra Tandy Photography
There are a number of climbing walls around Oxfordshire. Clip n Climb is by far the most colourful and has been designed for all age ranges. They even have a vertical drop slide for teens and tweens looking for an added rush.
Far Peak Climbing Centre near North Leach has both indoor and outdoor climbing walls and there are special climbing sessions held at Oxford Brookes for children aged from 3 year to 17 with open sessions during the school holidays.
The Light in Banbury is the new multi entertainment complex that opened in 2022. It has everything from crazy golf to bowling, karaoke and an indoor climbing centre.
Adventure Activities
Ridgeway Adventures in South Oxfordshire offer a great mix of activities to appeal to teenagers with axe throwing, archery, archery tag, air soft shooting and a super cool laser maze.
Aqua Park
One for a warm day is Oxford Wet n Wild Aqua Park, with everything from giant inflatables to hiring stand up paddle boards.
Over 12s can enjoy the outdoor swimming lake at Bicester Performance Centre at the Bicester Hotel Golf and Spa or try out the assault course, great for sporty teens.
Gymanastics
Gymnastics has a whole host of benefits for children as well as being lots of fun. Find all the gymnastic classes around Oxfordshire in the Red Kite Days guide.
Drama, Dance & Art
Not every teen wants to join a sporty club. Drama is a great option for making new friends and building confidence. The Theatre Chipping Norton run highly-regarded Youth Theatre, Youth Musical Theatre and Saturday Drama groups.
For the arty, I can highly recommend Art Works which runs during each of the school holidays apart from Christmas and weekly or fortnightly term time classes. Led by experienced art teacher in Oxford, classes are grouped in similar ages however sometimes students come with siblings, so it is difficult to guarantee, but as the tuition is individual, this doesn’t affect the quality of the teaching. (8-10yrs, 11-13yrs, 14yrs-16yrs).
Coding Clubs
Next Level provides kids in Oxford with an opportunity to develop IT know-how & problem-solving skills. Our club aims to provide expertly delivered activities & games-based projects. The coding club runs on Tuesdays at West Oxford Community Centre, Wednesdays at North Oxford Association Community Centre and Thursdays at Flo’s Place in the Park from 4pm
Code Ninjas amazing games-based learning experiences resolve this, providing kids with an opportunity to develop IT know-how and problem-solving skills all in a super-fun way!
Science Oxford run lots of great Saturday clubs in both Oxford and Abingdon for a range of ages with a Creative Computing Club for ages 9-12 (so more your tweens rather than teens)
Skate Parks
The Oxford Wheels Project is a registered charity that provides free BMX and Skateboard facilities at Meadow Lane in Oxford.
Escape Rooms
These are so much fun (and they don’t actually lock the door), they involve themed rooms with incredible detail and lots of mental challenges to complete. A great idea for a group of friends. There’s Escape Hunt at the Westgate Centre in Oxford and City Mazes at the Ozone Leisure Park by the Kassam Stadium.
