Across Europe, 11–13-year-olds enjoy a mix of sport, screens and creative clubs. In Spain, many teens play football after school, and right now Spaniards are playing in parks and five-a-side courts.

In France, lots of students cycle and swim, and in some towns kids are practising handball this week.

In the UK, gaming and streaming are common most days, and many are watching short videos at the moment, while others are training with school teams.

In Germany and the Nordics, clubs offer indoor sports in winter, so young people are playing basketball and floorball today, but they also take music lessons.

Across countries, many tweens use social media and video apps daily, and some are gaming online with friends right now.

However, not everyone does a team sport; some prefer drawing or coding clubs, and they are meeting after class this afternoon.

Weekend patterns change: when the weather is good, families are going outside; when it rains, kids are watching series or playing video games.

Activity 1 – Comprehension

Which sports do Spanish and French tweens do in the text?
What are some UK tweens doing right now?
Why are German/Nordic tweens playing more indoor sports today?
What do some students prefer instead of team sports?

Activity 2 – Personal preferences (7 Qs)

What do you prefer after school: team sports or solo hobbies? Why?
What series are you watching now?
How often do you play video games?
Which sport are you practising this month?
Which activities do you usually do at the weekend?
Are you using any apps to learn music, drawing or coding right now?
What hobby do you want to start this term?

Activity 3 – Fill in the blanks (Present Continuous vs. Present Simple)

Complete with the correct form of the verb.

In Spain, many tweens ___ (play) football after school.
Look at the park: the kids ___ (kick) a ball now.
French students often ___ (cycle) to clubs.
Today the swimming team ___ (train) for a meet.
UK tweens usually ___ (watch) short videos after dinner.
My friends ___ (not do) a team sport; they ___ (prefer) art.
Listen! The band ___ (practise) in the hall at the moment.
On rainy days, we ___ (play) video games at home.
This week our class ___ (work) on a coding challenge.
In winter, clubs ___ (offer) more indoor sports.

Read

Luca is a 15-year-old from Milan. Last year he discovered street photography and it quickly became his weekend hobby. He saved money, bought a second-hand camera, and learned the basics from free videos.

Every Saturday he went to the old canals, took photos of markets, and talked to friendly shop owners. He often met other teens there and they shared tips.

In April he joined a local photo walk, made new friends, and got helpful feedback. A month later he entered a small contest. He didn’t expect much, but he won third prize and felt proud.

After that, he created an online gallery, posted his best shots, and received messages from students in other countries. Yesterday he visited a museum show and saw work by a famous photographer. He thought about his own style, printed two new images, and gave one to his grandmother.

She loved it, and Luca became even more motivated.

be – was/were – been

become – became – become

buy – bought – bought

come – came – come

do – did – done

feel – felt – felt

find – found – found

get – got – got (BrE; AmE: gotten)

give – gave – given

go – went – gone

have – had – had

leave – left – left

make – made – made

meet – met – met

put – put – put

say – said – said

see – saw – seen

take – took – taken

tell – told – told

think – thought – thought

win – won – won

write – wrote – written

Author GPT said:

Past Simple – Grammar Box (A2)

1) Verb BE (was/were)

Statements:
I/He/She/It was … | You/We/They were …
Luca was 15. The canals were busy.
Negatives:
I/He/She/It wasn’t … | You/We/They weren’t …
Luca wasn’t alone. The shops weren’t closed.
Questions & short answers:
Was I/he/she/it …? → Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
Were you/we/they …? → Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
Was Luca at the canal? Yes, he was. Were the photos good? Yes, they were.

2) Other verbs (use DID): example BUY → bought

Statements:
Subject + past form → Luca bought a camera.
Negatives:
Subject + didn’t + base verb → He didn’t buy a new one.
Questions & short answers:
Did + subject + base verb …? → Did he buy a camera?
→ Yes, he did. / No, he didn’t.

Note: With did/didn’t, the main verb goes back to the base form (buy), not bought.

Time words commonly used

yesterday, last night/week/year, in 2024, then, after that, later, ago.

Quick contrast

BE: no “did”. Use was/were.
Other verbs: use did/didn’t for questions/negatives; past form only in affirmative.

1) Fill in the blanks (Past Simple) – 10 items

Complete using the Past Simple. Use was/were or the past of the verb in brackets. Add didn’t when needed.

Luca ___ (be) at the canal yesterday.
He ___ (buy) a second-hand camera last year.
The shops ___ (not be) closed on Saturday.
He ___ (meet) two other photographers and they ___ (share) tips.
In April, Luca ___ (join) a photo walk and ___ (make) new friends.
He ___ (not expect) a prize, but he ___ (win) third place.
After that, he ___ (create) an online gallery and ___ (post) his photos.
His grandmother ___ (be) very happy and she ___ (give) him a hug.
Yesterday he ___ (go) to a museum and ___ (see) a great exhibition.
The canals ___ (be) busy, so Luca ___ (take) pictures quickly.

2) Transformations – 10 items

a) Change to the negative. b) Make a question. Use short answers.

He was nervous. → a) ______ → b) ______? ______ / ______
They were at the market. → a) ______ → b) ______? ______ / ______
He bought a new lens. → a) ______ → b) ______? ______ / ______
Luca made an online gallery. → a) ______ → b) ______? ______ / ______
The shop was expensive. → a) ______ → b) ______? ______ / ______

3) Personal Q&A – 10 prompts (pair work)

Ask and answer in full sentences using the Past Simple. Model:
Q: Did you buy anything last weekend? A: Yes, I did. I bought a book. / No, I didn’t.

Where were you last Saturday afternoon?
Did you buy anything last week? What?
Did you go to a club, class, or event?
Who did you meet after school recently?
What hobby did you start or try last year?
Did you watch a film yesterday? How was it?
What food did you have for dinner last night?
Were you tired on Monday morning? Why/Why not?
What place did you visit in the last holidays?
Did anyone give you a present recently? What was it?

Teen Hobbies Across Europe