Winter is in full swing and the temperatures continue to drop drastically. The first instinct would be to go into hibernation mode and stay at home to keep warm. While spending more time indoors, there is a way to beat the winter blues. Many indoor activities can be done right from the comfort of your home and are budget-friendly. Read on to see the top 10 winter indoor activities to get through the season from knitting to having an at-home spa day.
Best Indoor Activities For The Winter
1. Read a book
To make those winter days go by fast, reading a book is your best bet. You can borrow a book from a local library, purchase one at a bookstore, or opt to read digitally on your phone or a reading device like a Kindle. Genres like fiction, non-fiction, drama, romance, and science-fiction, are just some of the options to choose from. Also, set reading goals for yourself to make reading fun and challenging to stimulate the mind.
2. Try a new at-home workout
Let’s say the weather is cold, snowy, and dreary —there’s no need to postpone your gym workout. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have a range of at-home workouts to do. It can require minimal to no equipment to attempt these workouts. Also, there are live online classes you can participate in — although a fee may be required to participate. It doesn’t matter whether you choose pilates, HIIT, cardio, or yoga workout — it is easy to break a sweat at home.
3. Play board games
For this activity, a friend or family member may be needed. Classic board games like Monopoly, Connect 4, and Scrabble are ones to choose from and have at a board game night. It is entertaining and a great way to get your mind off of the winter.
4. Try out baking or cooking
The cold weather can prevent one from going out to eat at a restaurant or grabbing a dessert at a bakery. Your best bet is to try cooking or baking at home. To go with the winter theme, savory recipes to try are soups, ramen, stew, or pasta. As for sweet recipes, hot chocolate, cake, brownies, or cheesecake are some dessert options to make.
5. Have an at-home spa day
Bring the spa ambiance right to your home. Light up some candles, play soft music, and put on a face mask you have lying around your house. In case you’re out of face masks, DIY face masks are a quick, convenient alternative. Ingredients like avocado, oats, yogurt, honey, or aloe vera can be used to bring you the ultimate facial glow.
6. Learn how to knit
If feeling on the crafty side, an indoor activity for the winter is to try out knitting. It is a timely, mind-challenging hobby that will have you occupied through the winter. The best thing about knitting is that you can knit winter accessories to wear like a scarf, hat, or gloves to keep warm.
7. Declutter your living space
If you pushed your spring cleaning, now is the best time to get it done — but let’s call it, winter cleaning. You can choose to clean out your entire house/apartment or focus on a specific section of your living space. A way to declutter can be to start deciding on what you need and what is no longer useful. After decluttering, use cleaning products to freshen up the space.
8. Binge movies or TV shows
With more indoor time, there is no better time than now to tune into a new TV show or movie. There are free online streaming platforms like Freevee, Pluto TV, and Kanopy that are home to movies and TV shows at no cost. Other platforms like Netflix, Max, Amazon Prime, and Hulu are available but require a subscription plan — prices will vary. Once you have your streaming platform, choose a film and TV show of your interest — be sure to grab snacks and snuggle your blanket to binge the night away.
9. Make a scrapbook
As another artsy activity, creating a scrapbook can be fun. Use art supplies you already have or head to an art supplies store to grab paper, a scrapbook template, decorations, and other items to make your scrapbook cute. You can just make it a personal memories scrapbook or create one that is winter-themed.
10. Have a paint night
It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an advanced artist, painting can help destress and unwind during the winter. There are videos of painting tutorials to paint different things. You can also go along with the winter theme by painting a snow background filled with trees and a house.
Main image by Gülşah Aydoğan
Will you be doing any of these winter activities?
Let us know in the comments!
