Stave off the Winter Blues With These Fun Indoor Activities
- Chyann Klahs
- Oct 20, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 7, 2024
As the temperature begins to drop, fun outdoor activities like BBQs and picnics will end, and we will retreat inside our homes once more. Seeing the changing leaves may fill you with dread for the cold months ahead, fearing the boredom and solitude that comes along with winter. But do not fret; plenty of fun indoor activities help stave off the winter blues. Some of these activities include creating festive crafts, cooking a cozy dish, and transforming your living room into a movie theater.
One fun activity that can help stave off the winter blues and get you into the holiday spirit is creating festive crafts and using them to decorate your space. It can become mentally taxing to be stuck inside the same four walls, looking at the same bland scenery for days on end. Creating festive crafts is a fun pastime that will allow you to brighten up your home and spark the joy of the holiday season.
One fun but simple holiday craft that can be created is paper snowflakes. All you will need to complete this craft is stationary or printer paper, a pair of scissors, and to follow a few easy steps. This craft may be simple, but you can get creative with it. Spice up your snowflake designs using colorful or patterned paper, or decorate them with glitter and makers. Make them your own and brighten up your home for the coming holidays.
Another fun but simple winter craft that can be created is a snow globe. Homemade snow globes can be used as beautiful winter decorations or be given as a thoughtful gift to a loved one. For this activity, you will need a jar with a tight lid, hot glue, some glitter, liquid glycerin or clear glue, and whatever fun things you want to place inside your snow globe.
To complete this activity follow these six steps:
Find an empty glass or plastic jar, such as an empty sauce jar or an old mason jar.
Pick a theme or concept for your snow globe, then find small objects or toys that fit inside.
Arrange your chosen objects how you desire, and use a hot glue gun to attach them to the lid of the jar carefully.
While the glue dries, place one tablespoon of glitter and two tablespoons of liquid glycerin or clear glue into the jar.
Fill the rest of the jar with distilled water, leaving one inch of room for the lid to fit snugly on top of the jar.
Place hot glue on the inside of the lid and screw it tightly to the jar to avoid any leaking.
Another enjoyable activity to participate in during the cold winter months is cooking a cozy dish. When the bitter cold begins to seep in, sitting by the fireplace in flannel pajamas may not be enough to dull the chill. Cooking a warm meal like chili or stew may warm your bones and your home. Food can become a comfort for many during the winter months. Our brains and bodies crave warm foods, and we begin consuming an increased amount of sugar and fat.
This is a natural survival response to changes in temperature, the amount of daylight, and declining moods. To our bodies, declining light and temperature means lower food growth and production rates, so we begin storing nutrients, fearing that food may become scarce. Our bodies also crave comfort food because it has been found to improve our mood and increase serotonin levels, which can be reduced during the cold dark winter. So, if you are stuck inside looking for an activity, cook yourself or your family a cozy dish, warm your belly, and prepare your body for the long winter months.
After you finish your delicious homemade dish, end the night by curling up on the couch to watch a movie. Creating an at-home movie theater is another activity that can be enjoyed with friends or family when the cold or snow keeps you indoors. Being stuck inside may seem like a bummer, but going out is overrated anyway! Stay at home in your favorite pajamas and bring the movie theater experience into your home.
Everyone knows that snacks are the most essential part of the cinematic experience, and the extra buttery popcorn is divine. But movie theater snacks can be expensive, so save some coins and make a concession stand of your own. Grab some tasty snacks, including movie theater-grade popcorn with extra butter and your choice of beverages, then lay it all out and enjoy!
To further transform your living room into a movie theater, you can decorate and rearrange your space to feel like a cinema. You can create and illustrate signs for the concession stand and the featured films you will be showing at the theater. If you want to get even more creative, you can even make customized popcorn bags by decorating brown paper bags with markers.
Now that you have transformed your space, it's time to dim the lights and turn up the volume. Cue up some movie trailers and pick a small selection of feature films for your friends and family to choose from. Once a movie is selected, sit back, eat some tasty snacks, and enjoy!
This article was written for Planted, Not Buried's segment Spread Your Roots, Grow Your Knowledge. Planted, not Buried is a non-profit organization that focuses on empowering, educating, and inspiring others through outreach, events, networking, and opportunities
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