The coronavirus pandemic has been hard on all kids, and it has been hard on teens in a specific way. Biologically, adolescents are not designed to hunker down at home. In fact, it is the job of teenagers to become increasingly independent and spend as much time with their friends as possible.

The pandemic “was basically tailor-made to hamstring the most important parts of adolescent development,” says Lisa Damour, a psychologist and author whose Ask Lisa podcast addresses questions from parents about raising children and teens. “Part of what helps young people grow is to be exposed to a wide range of experiences. Going places, interacting with other people, trying things outside their comfort zone — that’s where we see growth.”

It’s also exactly what’s been missing from the picture for the past two years.

This is where summer comes in. The American summer is idealized for a reason. At its best, it provides novelty and adventure and is built on the idea that not everything you need to know can be learned in the classroom. It’s also uniquely designed to provide many of the experiences that teenagers need now: time in person with peers, rather than in front of a screen; time outdoors and in nature; and new experiences like a summer program or a job.

Jobs, in particular, are good for teens. Answering to a grown-up who is not their parent or dealing with a co-worker whom they may not like — those are experiences that can build a new skill set. “In a job, teens are forced to discover or build out parts of themselves that are not required for school, home or sports,” Damour says. “Teens will meet the moment, but if it’s the same moment over and over, there’s no need to grow.”

Plus, to state the obvious, if it’s a paid job, they make money.

Marie Schwartz, chief executive of TeenLife, an online directory of enrichment programs for students in grades 7 to 12, agrees on the benefits of a summer job, especially one that gets you out of the house. “Working alone or remotely is the last thing teenagers should consider this year,” Schwartz says. “The idea is to engage with the world.”

Schwartz recalls when her son worked as a lifeguard, he had to ensure that the kids were safe, but in addition “he had to talk to the moms, he had a boss, he had to figure out how to work with the other lifeguards” — all skills that help teens gain confidence and become more independent.

Working at a snack bar or as a camp counselor, lifeguard or a waiter are great options, and with hiring shortages, teens will be in demand. Many camps also have junior counselor positions available for rising freshmen and sophomores. A job can also help pay for a teenager to attend a summer program — another valuable way that adolescents can have new experiences.

“A summer program is a chance for a teenager to be with kids who have their interests and none of the stress of school,” Schwartz says. TeenLife lists more than 4,000 summer programs, including hundreds of free ones in different areas of interest, including the arts, sports, nature, academics, leadership and volunteer opportunities.

While many parents put pressure on their kids to make up a grade or take a chemistry course for credit, Schwartz says “this is not the time to do that. Allow students to acquire experiences, not grades.”

That doesn’t mean teens should avoid academic experiences this summer. Many colleges offer summer sessions for high-schoolers that bring in students from across the country and world and let them explore a new city. Boston University, for instance, offers several noncredit programs that allow students to meet peers and get a feel for the college experience, including its two-week Summer Challenge seminars in topics like abnormal psychology and the chemistry of medicine. Amanda Kautzman, associate director of Boston University’s Summer Term, says that after two years of virtual learning, applications for most of their in-person programs are up, in large part because students are seeking community.

Many college summer programs offer financial aid or partner with community organizations to increase access for low-income students, so it’s important for teens to ask upfront what the options are. Commuting vs. staying on campus is cheaper. And a surprising number of colleges and universities offer free in-person programs, with selective and nonselective admissions, including a two-week philosophy class at UMass Amherst.

Then there’s nature. One of the most iconic images of summer is the tire swing over a lake, and that’s for a reason. The benefits of time in nature for children of all ages are well-known, and it gives adolescents the opportunity to take age-appropriate risks. “Neurologically, teens are primed to want excitement more than adults and children,” Damour says. “It helps them grow, and it can also be risky.” (This is why it might not feel like such a hardship for a lot of parents to stay home and watch Netflix night after night, but it’s agony for high-schoolers.)

With outdoor activities like water skiing or jumping into a freezing lake or going on a hike, “there can be a boundary-pushing, wonderfully ambitious quality that satisfies the sensation-seeking nature of teens,” Damour says. “I’d so much rather see a kid push boundaries that way, than involve themselves with stuff that does lasting harm.” There are many excellent wilderness programs, like NOLS, Outward Bound or Montana Wilderness School, which offers scholarships to in-state applicants. And many local and state parks hire summer workers who are still in high school. Time in nature also means less time in front of a screen.

Finally, while teenagers are hardwired to want new experiences, that doesn’t mean that after two years of a brutal pandemic, all adolescents are going to want to rush into the world and out of their comfort zone. Some will need nudges and help taking baby steps. “Talk about what’s negotiable and what’s nonnegotiable,” Damour says. For instance, parents can tell their children that they need to be out of the house multiple hours a day for a certain number of hours. For teens who live with an immunocompromised adult or may have underlying health conditions, it’s important that they still have access to new experiences and new routines. While this might require more precautions than their peers, or limiting jobs to work outdoors, it’s still essential that their summer also feel different from the school year.

Because summer is different.

Parents of a certain generation only have to listen to the opening riff of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out for Summer” to feel that reflexive adrenaline rush, the sense of freedom and opportunity that summer brings. After two years of the pandemic, it’s the kind of thrill we all could use.