According to the groundhog, the cold weather is here for the next few months. Although you might enjoy getting outdoors on a cold day, you could find plenty of entertaining indoor winter activities to keep yourself busy inside your warm, cozy home. Don’t let the winter doldrums creep in. Try these 16 ways to take the fun inside.
#1. Have an indoor campout. Push aside the furniture and pitch a tent inside your home. It’s easy if you have high ceilings. Set up your camping gear, including chairs, a small camping stove, and lantern. Electricity and electronics are forbidden! You can step outside for a campfire, in your outdoor fireplace or fire pit, but the rest of your camp-out stays inside—or light up your gas fireplace indoors. Share stories, play old-fashioned board games, and do a crafting project that requires nothing but supplies and your two hands.
#2. Work through a reading list. Challenge yourself to read more. Better yet, make a reading list. Asks friends and family for recommendations or go online to sources like Goodreads. Consider branching out into book genres you might not normally choose, like autobiographies, historical fiction, money management, or classic literature (e.g., “Catcher in the Rye”, “East of Eden”, “To Kill a Mockingbird”). You might discover a whole new passion!
#3. Take up a new hobby. Fill those empty hours with a hobby, like painting, needlework, woodworking, scrapbooking, collecting, refinishing furniture, writing, or even doing jigsaw puzzles. Learn to play an instrument or reap the rewards of yoga. Get some ideas for a new hobby at HobbyLark.
#4. Bake. There’s nothing as comforting as the fragrance of something freshly baked coming out of the oven. Whether you prefer homemade cookies, bread, pie, cake, muffins or some other tempting treat, experiment with recipes—maybe a new one each week. If you’d like to try baking bread but feel a bit intimidated, use a bread machine. You can make everything from cinnamon roll dough to fully baked bread.
#5. Take an online class. Is there something you’d like to explore? Enroll in an online class so you can stay indoors and expand your knowledge. Teach yourself a different language, sharpen your writing skills, increase your technical abilities, or get started on a degree or certification. Many classes allow you to work at your own pace, so you can study when it’s convenient.
#6. Redecorate. While you’re indoors this winter, you’ll undoubtedly see rooms and spaces that could benefit from a makeover. Pick the place and start with a fresh coat of paint. Use a low-VOC or no-VOC paint to avoid the fumes. Browse around your home to find furnishings and décor that you could use in this area. Try your hand at no-sew pillow covers to create a new look.
#7. Get organized. Dedicate some of your indoor winter activity to de-cluttering and re-organizing your home—from your kitchen cabinets to closets to the play room, basement, home office, or other area that’s become disheveled. Pick a day and a room and get yourself ready to purge. Gather up boxes, bins, bags, and a label maker to restore order.
#8. Fix what’s broken. Do you have a leaky faucet or creaky door? Every home has those nagging problems that we ignore. Stop saying, “I’ll fix that someday” and push the repairs to top priority. Make a list of the tools and materials required. Make sure you have everything you need and then plan a fix-it day. Feel free to add in clothing that needs mending, the oven that is due for a cleaning, and ceiling fans that should be dusted.
#9. Plan out your plantings. Brighten up your spirit by thinking ahead to your spring gardening. Design your gardens and choose the plants, containers, and yard art. Spend a little time browsing online for seeds, bulbs, and supplies so you’re ready when the ground is.
#10. Stir up something in your slow cooker. What’s more inviting on a cold day than a crock pot filled with homemade soup, chili, stew, or macaroni and cheese? A slow cooker makes it easy to prepare and serve this comfort food. Just place all of the ingredients in the pot, set the temperature, and let the appliance do all the work, without you having to monitor it. Choose a slow cooker recipe, and perhaps pair the meal with something freshly baked from Tip #4.
#11. Host a movie marathon or tv show binge. Use your video streaming device, cable, or set of DVDs to spend a lazy day in front of the television, bingeing on movies or television shows. Make the day truly indulgent by staying in your pajamas. And keep the popcorn coming, please!
#12. Shop in your closet. We all have items stashed away that we’ve forgotten. Go through your closet and pull out the clothing that isn’t getting enough wear. Lay it out on your bed and combine the pieces to create outfits, including the accessories that have also been exiled to the distant corners of your closet.
#14. Make a scrapbook. Remind yourself of all the fun you’ve had. Print the photos that have accumulated on your computer or phone. Get creative and design scrapbook pages—which you can put inside a scrapbook or a frame.
#15. Pamper yourself. Turn your bathroom into your personal spa. Indulge in a long, luxurious soak with a bath bomb in your jetted spa tub, surrounded by the soft glow of candles and your favorite music. Give yourself a spa-quality facial, followed by a manicure and pedicure.
#16. Host a game night (or day). Bring your family and friends together to enjoy some simple fun, with classic games like charades, Pictionary, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, or look for some different games to create your own fun (hint: Pinterest is a great source for inspiration and instructions).
No matter how you’re spending your winter, make sure you’re in a home that enhances your lifestyle. If a new home is in your future, spend some of your indoor winter activities browsing Homes By Taber’s floor plans and new home communities. We build throughout the Oklahoma City metro region. If you’re ready to move now, be sure to look at the list quick move-in homes—brand new and move-in ready!