8 Things Everyone Has To Do This Winter
With the winter season now in full swing, there are so many fun activities to do! Whether you live somewhere warm or cold, there are so many ways to enjoy the ‘winter vibes’ that these months bring.
Rather than spending every winter day lying in bed and waiting for the nice weather to come back, here are eight things that everyone has to do this winter to get the full, seasonal experience!
1. Decorate Cookies
While this is often a popular Christmas tradition, cookie decorating isn’t just limited to the holiday season! Whether it’s heart-shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day, or simple snowflake cookies for wintertime in general, decorating cookies is a fun way to enjoy this time of year and stay warm inside your cozy kitchen, baking up a storm!
Gingerbread houses also fall into this activity, and even when Christmas is over, this is still a fun baking activity to do in the winter; you can even turn this into a competition with friends and family! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have a fun day of winter baking and cookie decorating, because it just doesn’t feel the same during any other time of year.
2. Make Snow Ice Cream
Ice cream might not be one’s first choice of a winter treat, especially if it’s cold outside. However, if there’s snow on the ground, you can actually use it to make ice cream! This is such a fun and unique winter activity, and if you’ve never tried this before, it’s an absolute must.
Snow ice cream is pretty simple, and you’ll only need a few things:
- 300 ml can of sweetened condensed milk
- 10-12 cups of fresh, white snow
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- Measuring cup
- Large bowl
- A wooden spoon
The full recipe and instructions can be found here.
3. Have a Movie Marathon
A cozy, winter day can be perfected by a major movie marathon. This could be a Christmas marathon with all of the holiday classics, a seasonal rom-com fest, or perhaps a binge of the whole Harry Potter series. These are all great ideas for a winter movie marathon and being snuggled up inside with warm blankets and hours of movies is the perfect way to spend a chilly day.
4. Make Paper Snowflakes
Paper snowflakes are a classic, winter craft that can be used for many different purposes. These are great, festive decorations that you don’t have to worry about taking down right after Christmas, because they can stay up all winter! And it’s a super fun activity to take part in.
These are pretty easy to make, and all you need is some sheets of white paper (or really any color you’d like to use) and a pair of scissors. You need your paper to be a perfect square, so measure out the dimensions or fold your paper over in a triangular direction and cut off the excess paper. Then, keep the paper folded as a triangle, and then fold that triangle three more times. Now you can cut shapes and indentations to get a beautiful, paper snowflake! You can find more detailed instructions here, as well.
5. Go Ice-Skating
This is a pretty self-explanatory idea, but it’s just a classic winter activity that everyone should do at least once a year. Even if you’re terrible at ice-skating (like me), it can still be so much fun and it’s a great thing to with friends, family members, or with a significant other.
There are ice-skating rinks pretty much everywhere, and it’s usually not too expensive! Plus, you can typically do it either indoors or outdoors, so there are plenty of options no matter where you live.
6. Have a Pajama Day
Much like having a movie marathon day, enjoying a full day of being cozy in your pajamas and lounging around is one of the best ways to spend a winter weekend or, depending on where you live, a snow day. When the weather is windy and frigid and the roads are bad, use it as an excuse to stay inside all day in your pajamas!
You can combine this with many of the other activities on this list, such as cookie decorating or having a movie marathon; taking a whole day to enjoy winter festivities and relax is something that everyone should make time for during these next couple months.
7. Make Homemade Hot Chocolate & Whipped Cream
Hot chocolate is a quintessential winter drink, and the season wouldn’t be complete without making it at home. Powdered hot cocoa mix is pretty delicious, but you simply can’t beat a homemade recipe!
First, to make the hot cocoa, here’s what you’ll need before beginning:
- 4 cups of milk
- ½ cup of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped bar or chips)
- ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Start off by putting the milk, cocoa powder, and sugar in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and whisk frequently until it grows warm. Then add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted into the mix. Stir in the vanilla and then serve!
To add an extra special touch, whip up some homemade whipped cream with three simple ingredients! You’ll need the following:
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream (should be cold)
- ½ cup of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Just put these ingredients into a bowl and use an electric beater to mix them together until it begins to form peaks. Now you can add this to your hot cocoa for a fully homemade, seasonal beverage!
8. Go Sledding
Much like ice-skating, this is a winter activity that can’t be missed. While dependent on weather and location, if you have snow near you, you’ve got to take advantage of it and go sledding! This is such a fun way to enjoy the outdoors, and there’s absolutely no skill required. No matter your age, you’ll enjoy this classic seasonal “sport” and have a great time with your loved ones on the hill.
