Outdoor Winter Activities
If you’re anything like me, basically once the holidays are done & over with, I’m pretty much done with the snow & winter. It’s not something that I hate, and can’t deal with, but let’s be honest here - January and February are the worst months during the winter season. The next coming holidays are relatively far away, so there’s not much to look forward to, and the temperatures are most definitely at their lowest… what can I say? All I want to do is sit in bed in my flannel PJs, wrapped in a blanket sipping a cup of tea! If this is also something you struggle with & want to get out more in the winter, here’s some ideas of how you can enjoy the winter months a bit more.
01. GO FOR A WALK ON A TRAIL
There’s really nothing quite like going for a walk along a beautiful winter trail, if you ask me. Though, I will admit I have so much more fun doing this now that I have a winter-loving dog… there’s something about watching him run through the snow that warms my heart in a way I can’t explain.
02. GO SKATING
This is probably my favourite thing to do in the winter, so I had to start off with this one. At least once during the season, I like to take my skates out of storage, get them sharpened, and go to an outdoor skating rink. If you ask me, there’s something extra magical about skating outside, rather than indoors. This is a great activity that is not only fun, but something you can do with friends or family as well.
03. CHECK OUT A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP
An easy, relatively cheap option is just to get out and take a stroll in your town or city, and pop by a local coffee shop. I personally love doing this with my husband, and I love taking photos of the streets as we walk too. Once we’re in the coffee shop, we’ll grab a coffee, hot chocolate or a tea to warm up, and just chat. It’s a very low key, simple thing to do, but can keep you busy for hours, and gives you time to catch up with people that you’re meeting up with.
04. GO TO A WINTER FESTIVAL
If you live somewhere that hosts any winter festivals, you should definitely pop by them and check them out! This is something that I’m trying to make an effort to do more of in my own city, not just in the winter, but any time of the year. There’s usually tons of things to see and do, as well as food & drinks to try out. One of my favourite things to do is check out winter beer festivals. They’re usually indoors, and warm enough for you to take off your coat (and leave it with coat check!). It also gives you a good opportunity to find some new breweries in your town or city that you haven’t tried before.
05. WINTER CAMPING
Alright, I am not going to sit here and tell you “I love to camp, camping is my favourite!” because that is absolute, bold-faced lie when it comes to me. I don’t camp, it’s not my thing at all. Too many bugs, and wild animals… no thank you (as much as I do love animals, I’m not trying to hang out with them unprotected). However, if camping is your thing, then a great way to spend some time with your family is doing some winter camping! I don’t know if I’d necessarily recommend doing this if you aren’t already a seasoned camper or outdoors enthusiast who knows how to properly keep warm in the middle of the winter, but if it’s something that’s up your alley, getting off the grid & disconnected from technology for a little while to reconnect with your loved ones seems like a great thing to do this winter season.
And there you have it! I hope this blog post gave you some ideas on fun things you can do with friends & family during the cold winter months that may make you forget about how frigid it is… okay, maybe not forget, but at least tolerate it!
