Precious free time
What do German teenagers do in their spare time? Some hobbies are being passed on from generation to generation. But there are always new trends. Slacklining, knitting, gaming and outdoor gyms - take a look!
Slackline, scream, and sweat
Are the times of roller-skating and soap box derbies over? Teenagers in Germany have different hobbies than their parents. Today, kids in Germany prefer slacklining or computer games. Some also take up new trends – like ‘outdoor gym’. The picture shows the Rheinwiesen park outside DW headquarters in Bonn.
Parcour and free-running
In Berlin, the youth fair 'YOU' tries to promote new trends and market old ones better. Parcour and free-running have been around for some years. Parcour fans don’t need expensive gear. Your body is all you need in terms of sports equipment. Just make it move across town and over obstacles as creatively as possible. Note: Use of acrobatics much appreciated.
Sepak Takraw
Why always go for football or tennis? Sepak Takraw is an Asian ball game presented on YOU fair. It’s known under a variety of names in Asia, but it is still largely an insider idea in Germany. It’s a bit like volleyball – only you play the ball with your feet.
Slacklining
Now that the weather is getting a little warmer in Germany, slackliners are flocking to the parks again – like here in Munich’s English Garden. For a few years now, they come equipped with their elastic bands which they attach between trees so that they can walk on them. It’s different from tightrope walking in that, well, you use slack ropes.
Mountainbiking
Why cycle when you can go mountainbiking? It’s not a new trend and has been around for decades, but it remains just as popular as skateboarding and surfing. And it’s expensive: you easily pay more than 1,000 euros for a good bike. And it’s not easy to find interesting bike routes, either.
Climbing
There are no hills and mountains where you live? Why not plant artificial ones? It works when you want to go climbing! There are climbing centers in almost every bigger town – which brought the sport to the lowlands of Germany. Teenagers who have grown out of climbing gear at public playgrounds continue in those centers that exist both for indoor and outdoor climbing.
Knitting
What do you do when the weather is bad? Why don’t you try knitting? Young Germans get together for knitting rounds. Some see it as a political protest again industrial mass production. Others just enjoy decorating street lights, public telephone booths and even trees.
Artificial world
Teenagers in Germany can hardly imagine spare time without computer games – whether they play them on their smartphones, on a tablet, on a console, or online. Some parents would probably prefer their kids to take up a trendy sport, instead of being glued to the screen. But the gaming industry rejoices in ever-growing sales volumes.
TV auditions and their fans
Television still plays a major role for teenagers. Many enjoy watching audition shows such as the German version of 'American Idol', or 'Germany’s Next Top Model' together with friends. Some become fans of their TV heroes, and spend their spare time traveling to places where they can meet them.
Festival summer
Twenty years ago, there was just a handful of big music festivals in Germany. Today, there are dozens. Between May and September, young Germans pack their tents and spend a couple of crazy days with their friends at an outdoor festival. 'Rock im Park' in Nuremberg alone attracts more than 70,000 visitors each year. The line-up is usually a mixture of international and German rock and pop stars.
Meet friends and dance
And when it’s not festival season, there’s always the nightclubs. In Germany, the law allows 16-year-olds to stay in clubs until midnight. Our picture shows young people dancing at Berlin’s 'Club Adagio.'