17 Fun Winter Activities To Try This Year

The Joys Of Winter 

The winter season is a staple of living here in Canada. The thought of seeing 30 centimetres of snow on the ground is something everyone in this country sees as being just as Canadian as poutine, maple syrup and our signature winter sport of hockey. While it does come with a lot of work, such as shovelling and needing to keep in mind winter driving tips, the coolest season of the year also comes with some fun opportunities. There are a lot of fun winter activities you can do to take advantage of the opportunities that only this season can provide. 

Indoor Activities 

It might not seem like you can do fun winter activities indoors. After all, even in winter, the snow stays outside (hopefully). However, some fun things you can do inside are thematic with the cold winter months. Some of these are designed to warm you up just a little bit and lessen the negative impact of the cold weather. The large majority of them can be done either independently or as an excuse to spend quality time with those who mean the most to you. 

1. Make Hot Chocolate

It seems as if every season has its own beverages that make it special. Spring and summer share a wide variety of iced drinks and lemonade, fall has its pumpkin spice, and winter has hot chocolate, a favourite from many childhoods. However, there is no rule stating that when you become an adult, you have to leave this delicious beverage behind. The colder months are the perfect time to treat yourself to a nice, warm mug of hot chocolate that you made yourself. To get started with this fun winter activity, you can either simply buy one of the many chocolate powders or syrups, add water, and warm it up, or you can create your own custom flavour just for yourself. Just remember to make it delicious. 

2. Cook Some Chilli 

Given that there are winter-appropriate beverages, it would make sense that there's also winter-appropriate food. This would be a correct assumption, as chilli is a winter classic. What gives you the chance to make this fun winter activity truly yours is that there are so many ways to make chilli. Do you want a very meaty, protein-heavy chilli that will fill people and keep them full while building some muscle? Sounds great. Would you prefer a vegetable-filled mix with many health benefits while tasting great? That's awesome. Do you want something with many custom sauces and spices to create its distinctive taste? Go for it. Do you want to do something that checks all three boxes mentioned? Perfect. Chilli can also be stored long-term, meaning a big enough batch can feed your family for quite a while. 

3. Decorate Holiday Cookies 

Another seasonal type of food that you can bake and customize is holiday cookies. Like with chilli, you can customize these cookies however you want. You make them from the dough that you want, make them in the shape that you want, and add whatever extra ingredients and sprinkles you would like. You can theme the cookies to whichever holiday you and your family celebrate, allowing this to become one of the most unique and customizable fun winter activities you can enjoy. 

4. Sit By The Fireplace 

Nothing is quite like feeling the warmth of a fireplace to heat you up a little bit on a cold winter night. While you can recreate the visuals on a surface level with the fireplace channel, the waves from the TV don't provide the quality or quantity of heat you would want to receive. Make sure you clean out your fireplace and chimney when winterizing your home to ensure this can be one of the fun winter activities you enjoy. 

5. Make Your Family Nights Winter-Themed 

Something very simple you can do is take an activity that your family usually does and make it winter-themed. If your family does a fun trivia night, you can have winter or holiday-themed trivia. Maybe you can read your kid's winter or holiday-themed bedtime stories. Maybe on your board game night, you can play ones with a winter theme or talk about how all the passengers taking the train when you play Ticket To Ride are all travelling to see their families for the holidays. A creative spin on an existing activity can make it feel very wintery. 

6. Enjoy A Holiday Movie 

Holiday movies are often some of the most wholesome and are almost always fun winter activities for the whole family. Whether you're watching a new adventure for the first time or throwing on a classic that, despite being around for decades, will never be considered old to you, a holiday movie can provide some real family fun. 

Outdoor Activities 

While there are certainly plenty of things you can do inside that you can add to your winter bucket list, there are even more fun winter activities that you can do outside. Keep away the winter blues, use the snow to your advantage with these activities and start an outdoor adventure. 

7. Tobogganing 

It can be a lot of fun to accelerate downhill. Whether you've given yourself a running start or got a push from someone else, you can feel like you’re going down a snow rollercoaster as you pick up momentum quickly. All you need to enjoy one of the most classic fun winter activities is a proper toboggan and a nearby hill. Please be careful to ensure that you are tobogganing in a safe area free from obstacles, roads, and other dangers. 

8. Cross Country Skiing 

If you don't want to keep climbing back up a hill after coming back down, or you just want to do something that's a little more slow-paced, a cross-country ski adventure might be right up your alley. Skiing without using things like ski lifts while navigating the ground below is great exercise, and you can control the level of challenge you face. The practice has been around for over 5,000 years and started in what is now Scandinavia. If you want to stay on things like sidewalks for a simple time as you go for a walk with just a bit more speed, that can be a great way to get started. If you relish the challenge of hills or facing terrain that's a bit more uneven, then you can enjoy the thrill of traversing the winter landscape. Any type of terrain near you will almost certainly be a valid way of enjoying this fun winter activity. 

9. Outdoor Skating And Hockey 

Snow isn't the only terrain type with a uniquely wintery feel. Ice also provides many fun opportunities. Ice skating is a fun winter activity that can be enjoyed in various ways. You can skate around at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery. You can have races with others, seeing who's the fastest. Maybe figure skating and doing tricks is more your style. Or perhaps you prefer some good old-fashioned hockey. No matter what your preference, skating outdoors can be tailored to your preferences. Be sure to double-check that your chosen location is safe enough for you to skate on safely. 

10. Snowshoeing 

Despite having many alternate transportation options available, you might still prefer to get around on foot. Perhaps there's still a part of you that wants to make a fun winter activity that takes advantage of the snow and ice. If this is the case, snowshoeing might be a fun winter activity that you would enjoy. Snowshoeing is winter hiking that uses specialized footwear (snowshoes) large enough to spread out the user's weight, keeping the user above the top of the snow. Although snowshoeing has existed for thousands of years, it was primarily practical and only became a recreational activity in the 1800's. This can be a way for you and your family to go out winter hiking without worrying about the snow being too deep for you to enjoy some of the best hiking trails out there. 

11. Dog Sledding 

This fun winter activity is popular in Northern Ontario, but there are a handful of places close to the southern portion of the province that also offer a dog sledding experience when the winter weather starts. Malamutes and Huskies are among the most common breeds of sled dogs, but other breeds do pop up from time to time. Each dog on the team has a specific role. Those in the front guide the team while being the most responsive to the person on the sled and finding the proper route. The smartest dogs on the team usually take this role. The dogs in the middle are the most responsible for 'steering' the sled and rounding turns properly and are constantly looking ahead. These dogs are often very agile and have plenty of stamina. The dogs in the back are generally the ones who are most responsible for providing the 'power' to move the sled forward and are generally the strongest members of the team. It's also important to ensure trust with the dogs you're with, so some bonding with them for a few minutes is also encouraged. 

12. Snowmobiling 

Snowmobiling can be a fun winter activity for those who like recreational vehicles during the winter. It can be a fun way to explore a snow-covered area without tiring yourself out. The concept of a sled with an engine was first patented in the 1800s, and over several decades, a series of ideas developed into the motorized snow vehicle with skis at the front that we are familiar with today. Ontario has plenty of dedicated trails for snowmobiles, allowing you to have a variety of places you can travel. It's best to remember snowmobile safety tips, practice snowmobile maintenance, and ensure you have the proper snowmobile insurance if you want to maintain this hobby. 

13. Snowboarding/Skiing 

Downhill Skiing and snowboarding combine the downhill thrill of tobogganing with the control, skill and challenge that snowmobiling does. Usually done on a larger hill, these two activities can easily take up an entire day and often have entire hills and mountains dedicated to them. 

Unlike skiing, which has a long history, snowboarding is new. It was created in the 1960s and became an Olympic sport in 1998. Regardless of which of these thrilling activities you decide to pursue, ensure that you have the right ski equipment insurance or snowboard insurance. 

14. Take A Sleigh Ride 

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. This fun winter activity will give you a feel of what travel was often like before cars, with one or more horses pulling a sleigh through a designated path. With practical uses of this transportation almost gone completely, it is now almost exclusively reserved for having a trained driver command the horses as the riders focus on relaxing and enjoying the scenery. This activity can be done in groups of various sizes, depending on where you choose to go. 

15. Ice Fishing 

Ice fishing is a unique fun winter activity in the fact that it can be both a very challenging activity and very relaxing. However, not just anyone can roll up to a lake, cut a hole, throw a line in and start reeling in their prize. In Ontario, you require a fishing license to partake in this activity. It's also vital that you understand the types of fish in the area and know how to properly catch them. Perch, Pike, Walleye, Bass and Trout are the most common species of fish you can catch in ice fishing areas, so ensure you know how to catch the type(s) you are after. 

16. Do A Polar Bear Plunge 

One thing we Canadians are proud of is our ability to handle the cold. The polar bear plunge is a fun winter activity that tests your ability to withstand the cold. A polar bear plunge is when someone jumps into very cold water. It's important to note that if you partake in this activity, you should limit how long you stay in the water and dry yourself off immediately. This activity is also not recommended for anyone with an existing heart condition. 

17. Make A Snowman 

A snowman is one of winter's most iconic creations. Like a snow fort and an igloo, a snowman can only be made in the winter. The concept of snowmen has been around for a while, with recordings of them having been around for hundreds of years, and the idea was thrust out to the public in 1950 with the children's song Frosty The Snowman. Building a snowman can also be one of the most customizable fun winter activities, as you can choose how it's built. There's no need to give him a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal if that's not what you want to do. You can have a snowman built with as many snowballs as you wish and have him wear whatever you want. Moist, wet, compact snow is best, which is most common when the temperature is between freezing and -12 degrees Celsius. 

Enjoy The Cool Weather 

Regardless of which fun winter activities you choose, what's important is that you enjoy them and ensure you're not getting too cold. If you're not feeling well, it's best to head indoors and warm up. Winter can be annoying, but there are also plenty of fun things you can only do at this time of year, so it's best to have some winter fun while you can.