Long summer days are around the corner, which in turn leaves mums with the challenge of how to help tweens combat the long days of surfing on the web, lying in front of the TV and hours of nothing to do at home.

Eleven to 13 year olds will predictably feel they are too old for camps all summer and yet they are not old enough for a summer job. This leaves parents with the number one question at the dinner table this time of the year: What is out there, and is productive, for my tween to do over the summer?

By now you have probably already scanned the camps and arranged a couple of weeks here and there with family members or a family vacation. To help you fill in some of the gaps, here are a list of some old-fashioned tween activities we hope will come in handy if you are faced with this quandary of what activities your tween can do over the summer holidays.

• Culinary delights: Just as school mornings can be hectic and rushed, summer mornings can be slow and relaxed. Take advantage of the freedom to make the first meal of the day. As they say: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”.

• Family trivia: If a big family picnic is on the calendar this summer, get your children busy creating your own family trivia game.

Get some index cards, family photos and write the questions on the back. Who is it? How old are they? This is great project to put together on a rainy day and it is lots of fun for any family reunion and a great way for children to learn more about their ancestors and extended family.

• Family school: Choose any topic and dedicate your summer to learning more about it as a family.

• Stargazing: If you have been a drill sergeant with lights out at by 8pm for school, throw a blanket in the car and head for the beach and take the family on a tour of the Milky Way.

• Pizza garden: Is pizza your child’s favourite food? Introduce them to gardening by planting some of the key ingredients in pizza and then later in the summer, you can harvest your herbs and tomatoes to make your own homemade pizza. Choose a site that offers full sun. Even if you don’t have space for a large garden, you can plant your pizza garden in pots. For the largest plant, tomato, use a large planter or pot; an inexpensive equivalent would be a five-gallon plastic bucket with several drainage holes in the bottom.

After you have been to the garden centre to buy your herbs — tomato, bell pepper, onions, basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary — check the tag that comes with each transplant for specific guidelines. Water the plants and check on them daily. Tomatoes need more water than the other plants, followed by basil and peppers. Rosemary and thyme will need less water.

Enjoy your family home-grown and home-made pizza on the barbecue!

Recipe by Doug:

“Even with a baking stone, a conventional oven is no match for a professional oven when it comes to making pizza. At home, or rather in your backyard, the grill is the way to go. The heat of a hot grill is perfect, and makes it possible to make incredible pizza at home. Use your favourite toppings, but keep in mind not to overload the pizza. Keep it light. Try it — everything is better on the grill!”

• For pizza on the barbecue recipe see: www.allrecipes.com

• For more tips and gardening ideas for children at: http://www.hgtvgardens.com