BORED of being broke? Raging hormones? Fixation with Facebook and itching to crack into that festive booze stash?

You see, you have more in common with teenagers at Christmas than you realised!

Saddled with the sometimes unfair reputation of being grumpy and money-grabbing, spare a thought for teens in this season of goodwill. If all you wanted to do was chillax in between school terms, rather than sit with prehistoric relatives and feign admiration for a load of rubbish presents, wouldn’t you be a bit Bah Humbug?

Getting away from the telly for a bit of entertainment out of doors is a great way to have a blast with mates.

l How about a burst of competitive military-themed violence to blow away the cobwebs at Outdoor Laser in Station Road, Culham? This specially adapted woodland warzone is laying on a series of lasergaming adventure days throughout half-term. For just £28.50 your child (aged eight to 15) can engage in a day of Call Of Duty-style missions from 10am until 4pm. The joy of this day out is that adults are banned, so you can drop off the young combatants and leave, turning a blind eye to their bloodthirsty violence and freeing you up for a day of Christmas shopping or a mince-pie munchathon on the sofa. Visit outdoorlaser.com or call 01865 727378.

lThere is a quaint haven for petrolheads of all ages in the form of Karting Oxford in Sandy Lane, Cowley. Some 360 metres of unadulterated tarmac allow karters to whizz around the circuit of super-quick straights and hairpin bends. You can book a practice session (but organisers say you’d be surprised how competent those aged 12 and up are behind a wheel) and they’re off. Floodlights mean tracks are open every day of the week until 10pm all through the Christmas holidays. (Call 01865 717 134 to check there isn’t a dog racing clash). You can choose to arrive-and-drive or book a 30-lap race for about £30 per person and the team can organise prizes for winners. Visit kartingoxford.co.uk lCotswolds Wildlife Park in Burford is a joy for kids of all ages, where stately lions, gobby gibbons and hairy spiders thrive in a thoroughly pleasant 160 acres of rural parklands. The park also hosts a Santa’s grotto and real reindeer from December 17-24. Visit cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk or call 01993 823006.

lActor Bill Spectre is used to teenagers determined to play it cool on his ghostly trails, but they nearly always start to quiver... or at least have a really good laugh. Intrepid ghost-hunters can join Bill’s legendary Ghost Trails around Oxford and Burford and learn about the murder and mayhem in some of the spookiest spots (Brazenose Lane and New College Lane offer some particularly spine-tingling stories). Prices start at just £7 for adults and £4 for under-18s on Friday and Saturday tours – last one before Christmas is this Saturday, starting again on January 6. Or, if you dare, book Bill for a candlelit performance of The Monkey’s Paw by W W Jacobs, or The Judge’s House by Bram Stoker for a spooky sleepover. Call 07941 041811 lIf you’re stuck in the kitchen over Christmas, you’ll probably be dreading the feeding frenzy. Pudding Pie in Banbury offers the answer: parties to teach teenagers how to cook with their mates. As well as courses in-house, the team come to your kitchen armed with all the ingredients to whip up delicious recipes with the help of your young Jamie Olivers. The team offers a three-hour teenager party, with everything for the day including ingredients and leave the place spotless for £125. Visit puddingpie.co.uk or call 01295 713705.

lOxford Ice Rink in Oxpens Road, Oxford, really cuts it over the Christmas period with loads of chilled-out events. Its skating disco every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8pm to 10.30pm (£6.90 per person or from £23.50 for family tickets) includes disco lights, DJ, music and skate hire and the Christmas Disco on December 23 promises to be the icing on the cake at just £5 per person. Visit fusion-lifestyle.com or call 01865 467002.

lSoundworks Recording Studios at Blackbird Leys Community Centre has been helping youngsters find their voice since 1999. Budding rappers, MCs, singers and bands can lay down their tracks with a demo session and get a copy to take home with them. Supergrass recorded their demo here, so there’s plenty of scope for aspiring talent. For the discount price of £20 an hour (usually £30), you and your bandmates can get advice, backing tracks and all the equipment you need . Open from 11am until 8pm the service also offers sound engineering courses and radio station opportunities. Visit soundworks-oxford.co.uk or call 01865 401 585.