Last week, a mom asked me on Instagram if I had any ideas of something her teen could do that would be safe to do even during the pandemic if your teen is immunocompromised or you have an immunocompromised loved one in your home.
My followers came up with some great ideas and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you in a post! (Psst! Be sure to find more posts here on Summer Jobs for Teens. You might also be interested in 5 Work-at-Home Jobs for Beginners and Over 40 Different Income-Earning Ideas.)
1. Car Detailing
This is such a great idea! The mom who suggested it said, “My son started a car detail business where clients bring their car to him and text when they drop keys off on our porch. He details the cars and then texts the owners when they are ready.” If your teen can drive, I think going to people’s houses and detailing their cars at their house might also be another great option.
You could also check with local car dealerships and car rental locations to see if they need someone to wash and detail cars for them.
2. Virtual Tutoring
So many kids are currently doing virtual learning and could use extra help with reading, math, or science over Zoom. Check with area schools or just post online on Facebook to see if anyone is interested!
3. Craft Kits for Kids
One mom said, “I’m always looking for easy quiet time stuff for my preschoolers to do and having a kit would make things easier.” You could sell from your porch or just drop off on people’s porches and have them Venmo you the payment. (Or, if mailing was inexpensive, you could also sell online and ship these to people.)
Tip: Check out this post on How to Make a Snail Mail Craft Kit for Kids
4. Handmade Gifts
Is your teen crafty or artistic? Can they sew or crochet or paint? A mom messaged me and said, “My 14-year-old has a crocheting business that is booming. I set up a Facebook Page for her and many people see things that she makes and order from that.”
5. Raising Chicks
I got this suggestion from a mom who said, “My 17-year-old is raising chicks. She’s sold out twice and is expecting her third delivery next week. She gets the chicks to where they can live without a heat lamp and then sells them. Many people don’t want to hassle with that part. She also choose birds that our local farm store doesn’t have or that are rare breeds to attract more customers.”
I’ve also heard of teens breeding puppies and having a lot of success with that, too.
6. Meal Prep Services
What about having your teen make prepared meals or meal kits for busy families? They could also specialize in baked goods or desserts. (As always, check your local food handling laws before starting this type of business.)
7. Private Sports Coaching
A mom wrote me and said, “My daughter plays soccer year-round and is now coaching/practicing/training three kids from one family. She mainly just does structured drills that keep their skills up so they are not rusty when the season begins. She does it for an hour each week and they pay her $40/week.”
8. Dog Poop Picker Upper
One mom said, “I know that sounds gross, but it’s a need and people love to pay something else to do it. We have three dogs and pay someone to come weekly. It’s a lifesaver. He tells us all the time that he is booked and can’t accept new clients because the need is so great.”
9. eBay
Both of my brothers have very successful eBay businesses that they started in their teens and still continue to this day. A follower told me, “My kids (10 and 12) started an eBay business. They sell items from around the house or stuff they find at the resale shop or garage sales. They also do 50/50 commission for items from family and friends. It’s been an amazing experience for them so far!”
10. Local Library Help
Does your local library need a teen to help pull books or restock shelves? This could be an option if your library is not open to the public (so there could be minimal contact with others). Here’s what one commentor said: “Our local library is not open to the public, but people can go online and request books and then schedule a curbside pickup. Someone has to call and schedule those appointments and pull the books. That would be a great teen job!”
My daughter cleaned houses. She started when she was 16. It was great income and she was able to schedule around school and other activities. It was such great income with flexibility that I took over many of her jobs when she went away to college. When she is home on breaks, she picks up her jobs or gets additional ones. She is now a junior in college and has paid her own way so far.
Wow! That’s great! -Jordan, MSM Team
I did gardening as a teen – I love gardening and the pay was good.
I also answered phones at church during busy times if day in the summer when the secretary only worked part time, freeing her up for other work. Since it was mostly transferring calls and reciting worship times, it was very do-able.
My teenage daughter is currently checking people in online for virtual classes at the fitness studio I work at in exchange for a membership. All online so very safe and she can just use her smart phone.
Those are some great ideas! -Jordan, MSM Team
Babysitting, dog walking, pet care all come to mind quickly. Depending on skills, maybe sewing/mending or providing gardening help such as planting, weeding or hoeing.
Another thing that popped into my mind is a service helping people set up and pack up for yard sales. I’ve never seen anyone offer that type of service so maybe there wouldn’t be a demand, but sometimes it is a LOT of work to price and put everything out for a sale and then pack leftovers up at the end. So maybe it’s a service nobody knows they need! 🙂
Great ideas. Thank you so very much.
We never price anything because it’s too much work! We just say, make an offer. It’s more about getting rid of stuff we don’t want to someone who wants/needs it than to the thrift store where it’s likely to be thrown away.
🙂
My son learned how to rescreen house windows at 11 years old. He started in our neighborhood first and then branched out. This past summer he made about $800! The supplies are pretty cheap and it has taught him so much about business and marketing. It is definitely not for everyone as my other son tried it and he didn’t have the patience for it.
I love that! It’s unique but also so practical and needed!
My daughter is a life guard at the Kroc Center. The Y hires lifeguards for year round also. One week in class training including CPR and first aid. It’s a great job and pays pretty well. $10 an hour here.
Thanks so much for sharing that idea!
Here lifeguard training costs almost $300!!
I don’t have teens, but as a pregnant mom with little kids, I would love to have a responsible teen clean my bathrooms every week. We can’t afford a full house cleaning service, but that’s the chore I have a hard time keeping up with, even when not pregnant!
That’s a GREAT idea for a teen job!
In addition to eBay, Poshmark is a good place to sell clothes, makeup and home items. I use both but find Poshmark to be better for clothes.
Great tip — thank you for mentioning that!