Five indoor activities for the holiday season
The dreary winter season can be hard to embrace, but there are ways to still have fun and be festive from the warmth of your home
Regardless of the activity, the best way to get into the holiday spirit is to spend time with loved ones. (Unsplash/Eugene Zhyvchik)
As the holiday season comes around again, Christmas decorations are up and that one song by Mariah Carey plays on loop everywhere you go.
However, as the weather gets colder and snow fall is upon us, or in the Lower Mainland’s case, rain, it’s not always pleasant being outside. Whether it’s doing some gift-shopping for friends, going to parties, or attending festivals, some people can only last so long in the colder weather.
But, there are plenty of activities to do indoors while getting into the holiday spirit, so here are some ideas to get you in the festive mood.
Watch holiday movies
Whether it’s watching beloved classics like Home Alone or another wild and over-the-top Christmas special released on Netflix, there’s always something to put on the screen and enjoy.
It’s impossible to go wrong with Home Alone. There’s something so satisfying and fun about seeing the “Wet Bandits” fumble into every trap set up by Kevin McCallister in his home.
For those who still miss Halloween or want to get spooky in December, The Nightmare Before Christmas is also a solid choice to watch while staying inside.
While there’s debate on whether they count as Christmas movies, I would recommend Die Hard and Spider-Man: No Way Home as well, considering both movies take place during the Christmas season, and the latter was released in December 2021.
Decorating your place
While I assume most people do this anyway, it’s an important activity to note because it really puts you into festive spirits that last the entire season. Whether it’s setting up a small Christmas tree in the corner of a room or putting up holiday decorations, tinsel, and Christmas lights everywhere, you can bring the festive energy to the comfort of your living space. In terms of my own decorating, I mainly put a small Christmas tree up on a shelf and call it for the season.
Making holiday-themed food
Whether it’s traditional baking like a gingerbread house or unique drinks like the many variations of pumpkin spice, having a sweet treat during the holiday season is always enjoyable.
Although I haven’t done it in a while, I hope to get back into making gingerbread people and houses like I did back when I was in elementary and high school. It’s at least better than getting into those debates on whether people like the polarizing eggnog or not. I don’t even want to get into conversations about fruit cakes.
Playing games and hanging out with people online
Just because going outside isn’t always pleasant doesn’t mean you can’t still spend time with friends. Playing games is a great way to socialize and stay cozy indoors. You can also connect with friends virtually by playing online games with voice chat on.
Some recommendations I have for online multiplayer games are Mario Party Superstars, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. To those who don’t own this console, there’s other fun party games such as The Jackbox Party Pack, Fall Guys, and Among Us that can be played on a laptop or phone.
There’s also physical games to play like old-fashioned card or board games you probably have hoarded away in a random cabinet in your home. There’s also puzzles to build and games on your phone you can play as a group like Heads Up!
When you don’t feel like bracing the winter season by leaving your festive home to go out in the cold, wet weather, it doesn’t mean you can’t still meet up with people.
Whether it’s hanging out in a Discord server, FaceTiming, or messaging friends to chat about various topics or that big announcement they saw on social media, there’s still ways to stay connected with people during the holidays.
