Make winter holidays the time to remember: 19 cool ways

Winter holidays are the most international and variable depending on traditions, cultures and religions – Christmas, calendar New Year or a Lunar Year. What unites them all is the expectations of something new and magic, lots of gifts and of course, tons of outdoor activities no matter if you live in the tropics or enjoy the snowy white outdoors. Are you excited to try all the 19 ways listed below? All of us do, too!

Gifts

1. Play Secret Santa

Fun way to get an unexpected gift from a random person and also a good way to train your ability to give to someone you don’t know. This may proceed to very regular charity donations – helping someone you’ve never known in real life.

2. Craft your own holiday cards

Transform these boring notecards into masterpieces! Use paints, crayons, stamps, dried leaves – whatever you have at hand.

3. Make a DIY gift for a past or a present teacher

Yes, while gifting our friends, family members, co-workers, we simply forget about school, college and university teachers.

4. Treat someone you’re not close with an unexpected gift

There are people around us who do their job well and are committed to what they are doing. Your postman or a cashier associate or someone who cleans your household or your subdivision deserve attention as well. All people enjoy gifts even if it’s a couple of muffins in a box or a cute ornament.

5. DIY advent calendar for your family

…not only kids will greatly appreciate it. Store-bought advent calendars save time, while a homemade one embraces your creativity. You may use very unusual containers (for example mason jars or galvanized pails) and fill them with candies or trinkets.

6. Volunteer at a local food pantry or a soup kitchen

Giving back to the community is the best way to celebrate.  You may find a local organization around you or use word of mouth to investigate. Or simply donate to any charity of your choice.

Outdoors fun

7. Embrace cold weather and gather your friends at the ice-skating party

Hot mulled wine is a must! No cold weather or no skating rink? Not a problem, enjoy outdoor picnics with all the festive attributes like Santa hats, red sweaters and cookies right at the bench of your park. Be respectful to the community though.

8. Build a snowman if you are lucky to have snow

If your area is not a white Christmas, limit (or unlimit) yourself to snowman ornaments or cakes. Yum!

9. Share fun with the birds!

Here’s a perfect Christmas activity for kids to do with their parents—and it yields some pretty practical results too. Create a birdseed ornament that looks good, and it’ll help attract goldfinches to your yard.

 Indoors fun & decor

10. Decorate the Christmas tree with the ornaments from your travels

Almost all the main tourists’ sites and places of interest have gift shops with souvenirs like T-shirts, puzzles and fridge magnets. Instead of cluttering your home with the overpriced and mostly non-functional stuff, opt for the themed ornaments from those places. They are more affordable and later you’ll have the whole Christmas tree filled with memories.

11. Make a fun winter photoshoot of your own 

…as a small party idea for the friends. Some fun and festive backdrops are pretty cheap online. Settle a dress code like pajamas, ugly sweaters, matching costumes, serve refreshments and enjoy the night!

12. Why not start celebrating even earlier, as early 

…as December 5^th? Let’s appreciate the Dutch tradition of greeting Sinterklaas, the Dutch Saint Nicholas. Follow the nice tradition to leave small gifts or candies in the guests’ shoes (that’s not me, Sinterklaas did that!)

13. Creative tree toppers are everything! 

Not only the angel or the star, think of a Santa hat, or a reindeer, or a polar bear – here are just a few ideas. Why not use a starfish instead of a star? Santa himself instead of an angel?

14. A movie marathon is always your favorite

…especially when you are looking for an activity pleasing different generations of your family.  Old movies and family romcoms might be equally enjoyed by your senior auntie and your sassy pre-teens.

15. Try a holiday hide-and-sick game

Hide a ‘lucky’ ornament on a tree and let everyone look for it. The one who finds it gets a prize. It can be a Starbucks gift card or a movie ticket with an open date. Don’t drop a tree!

16. Videochat with an old friend

Winter holidays are a perfect reason to connect to someone you don’t meet really often but still want to be in touch with.

17. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 

Create the most decadent playlist of all times. No matter what you’re going to include in it – classical carols, Christmas gospels, winter songs from your childhood – create it, embrace it, enjoy it!

Winter is a time for cooking together

Cooking desserts and comfort food together is the best winter indoor activity ever. Gingerbread house, hot cocoa, Santa cookies are entertaining, uniting and filling your heart (and stomach).

18. Make a festive waffle bar 

…for the Christmas breakfast instead of splurging yourself with a takeout. Cook lots of plain waffles and serve toppings (berries, bacon bites, cheese) and sauces (maple syrup, chocolate, honey). This might become a new tradition for your friends and family!

 19. Impress your friend with a unique hot chocolate

Instead of the regular milk chocolate use white chocolate or chocolate with exotic flavors (like chili or salted caramel or orange). Make them guess about the flavor and be sure, they’ll ask for more!

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Do not get upset if you don’t manage to try all the activities. Magic tip from us: try them at any season! Like some cafes serve breakfasts all day, serve and customize your winter activities at any season and make it the most wonderful time of the year!