Rumspringa ("running around") is an Amish term for the period of adolescence in youth, and also to the practice of indulging certain 'rebellious' behaviors, which often includes leaving the community for a period of time to experience the outside world before becoming baptized adult members of the church. When Amish boys and girls reach the age of sixteen, they can choose to leave the community for the period before adulthood, or remain at home, but they are permitted to dress as they like, to travel outside of the community, and to indulge in behaviors that while ordinarily frowned upon in the community, may be viewed on the outside as typical teenaged behavior. This indulgence is in keeping with the the Amish belief that one must enter into Baptism willingly, which some believe may only be accomplished with knowledge of the world.

This period is often characterized by the media as a period of partying and wild abandon, but is usually much more sedate. Amish teens who choose to participate often relocate to dormitories near the community, and while adults may look the other way, "bad behavior" is not openly encouraged. Once the rumspringa period is over, one either chooses to become a conforming, baptized member of the community, or leaves it, after which one is usually shunned.