We are not sporty or outdoor prone family, but we try to do things that they like, if we want to go to the theatre they choose the movie and before we go to the theatre we make a quick stop at the supermarket to buy candy, some sort of approved "misbehaving" because you are not suppose to bring outside food into the theaters, that make my girls laugh.
If we play board games, we try to use one that they would have the upper hand, I know that "beat the parents" and "Uno" are their favorite.
Also, I have the strict rule of not having dinner and watching tv, or having electronics at the table on week days (including Friday), so on Saturdays we do have a great time watching whatever they want on tv/Netflix/On Demand while having dinner.
It has helped us to know more about what they are into, their likes and dislikes, and you can discover amazing stories about what is going on at school and friends because, believe me, they do talk and share when they feel relaxed.
Hope it helps, be blessed and enjoy your teens.

We have a 14-year-old and then younger boys, so we try to do things with the teenager that the younger ones are not old enough to do (so he feels special), especially since we drag him to all the younger kids' things. So, we have a list of movies that my husband and I enjoyed when we were his age and have been going through watching those together on Netflix. One that was really interesting to get his take on was Truman Show. At first he didn't get that it wasn't real! With all the reality t.v. now, it was hard for him to realize that this was utter fantasy when it came out.

Anyway, my husband has started running with him in the evenings--just 20 minutes or so, but they time each other. I have asked him to help me with dinner (I think that's important especially for boys). I think that really anything that makes him feel like he is helpful rather than a burden is great. I also asked him to teach me his video games, which he appreciated. I hated it, but it was good to know how he is spending his time and also for him to see (1) that I cared enough to learn, (2) that I was willing to step outside my own comfort zone to meet him in his, and (3) how I handled sucking at something!

I will say, it takes a LOT of conscious effort to think of ways to connect. None of this comes naturally for me. So, keep trying and you will find something! They definitely notice the effort! Good luck.

My daughters 15 and 21 yo and I have almost every afternoon a nap. We cuddle and we talk about everything that happened at school or so and how they feel. It is very peaceful and quiet. Maybe you try it too