The Best Winter Activities for Teens and Adults

This post is all about the best winter activities for teens and adults.

Wintertime is arguably one of the best times of the year! There is a lot going on between holidays, school breaks, and a change in weather.

Although there are plenty of fun things for kids to do, this season can also be super fun for teens and adults! Grab your roommates, high school friend group, or significant other to enjoy these fun winter activities!

Here is a list of the best winter activities for teens and adults!

Winter Activities

Out & about:

1) Go ice skating

All you need to do is find a rink, rent some skates, and enjoy sliding on the ice!

2) See a Christmas show

There are many local events you can go see during the Christmas season! You might find a local ballet production of The Nutcracker or a musical production of A Christmas Carol to enjoy.

3) Volunteer at a local food bank

There are many places during the winter season that need extra help to provide warmth at comfort to those in need! Enjoy a meaningful holiday season by finding a local place to volunteer your time.

4) See some holiday lights

Pile in a car and go see a Christmas light show! There are often places where you can pay to drive through a Christmas in Color light show, where lights dance along to Christmas music. Or, if you’re on a budget like me, you might simply enjoy driving through neighborhoods and admiring everyone’s Christmas-lit houses.

5) Go hot tubbing

One of my favorite traditions is to go hot tubbing while it snows! It feels surreal to be blanketed in warmth while snow falls onto your head. Call up your friends or check your local rec centers to find a hot tub near you!

6) Grab a holiday treat

Another great part of the holiday season is all the winter special treats! Places like Chickfila and Arctic Circle serve special flavors of shakes during the holidays. Local cookie shops, like Cheryl‘s, often have holiday cookies to try. Check your local creamerys, donut shops, and cake places to make sure you aren’t missing out on any delicious holiday specials!

Snow-related:

7) Have a snowman building contest

You don’t need much to build a snowman besides snow! You might grab some sticks, carrots, scarves, hats, and rocks or oreos to add details to your snowpeople. Have a third party judge everyone’s snowman and pick a winner!

8) Go sledding

All you need for sledding is a sled! If you don’t have one, they are actually pretty cheap to buy. Here’s a link to a cheap sled on Amazon. We’ve also had luck sledding on cardboard boxes and mattresses, if that sounds more doable to you!

9) Snowball fight

While you’re outside, why not start a snowball fight? You can keep it simple by pelting each other with snow balls, or you could even organize your snowball fight into a freeze tag type of game. Your call!

10) Build an igloo and camp out

I have always wondered how long I could last in an igloo… if you have ever wondered that, too, this year might be the perfect time to test it out!

Gather your people and some shovels to build your snow fort! Then, grab some snacks and blankets and see how long you can last in the igloo. I’ve even heard of people sleeping in igloos! Seems crazy to me but it might be worth a shot!

11) Go snowshoeing

If you have some snowshoes, don’t forget to go snowshoeing this winter! It can be so beautiful and calming to trek across a field of snow. Plus, the winter outdoors are absolutely breathtaking!

12) Go skiing

Skiing can be an expensive sport, but if you have the gear, it’s so fun to grab your friends and go ski for the day! If you don’t have the gear, most resorts have a ski rental option that you might be interested in.

Indoors:

13) Host a hot chocolate bar

Invite all your friends over for a hot chocolate bar! All you need is hot chocolate and some yummy toppings.

Some of my favorite toppings to use are:

marshmallows
candy canes
chocolate
peppermint kisses
whipped cream

14) Make gingerbread houses

A fun winter activity is to get a gingerbread house kit, make gingerbread, or even use graham crackers to make a house and decorate it with candy!

You and your friends might have extra fun by decorating your houses according to specific themes! Consider picking specific colors, movies, or real-life locations to theme your gingerbread houses after.

15) Have a white elephant gift exchange

One of my MOST FAVORITE traditions is a white elephant gift exchange! This even is always so funny and so fun for everyone!

Invite your friends, roommates, or neighbors to bring a wrapped gag gift. Then, let everyone draw a number and take turns picking a gift to unwrap!

I love bringing the most random things possible to my white elephant parties. Some of the craziest gifts I’ve seen are:

a live rat (gross! but also hilarious)
a used body pillow
a hot dog cooker
a storm trooper helmut
a twinkie maker

16) Watch holiday movies

There are plenty of holiday movies to watch this time of year! Grab your significant other or group of friends and cozy up for a holiday movie night!

Here’s a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies:

17) Make Christmas treats

Another one of my most favorite wintertime festivities is making Christmas treats. From peppermint bark and apple bars to sugar cookies and hot chocolate bombs, winter is full of delicious treats to make!

Looking for some yummy Christmas treat inspo? You’re in luck! I’ve got an entire Pinterest board dedicated to Christmas treats for you to check out!

18) Decorate a tree

Grab your ornaments and decorate your tree! Make sure to invite your tall friends over to help so that you can get those top most branches decorated.

For some additional holiday fun, you might decide to make some homemade ornaments!

Here are some ideas for making your own ornaments:

paint old ornaments to match your current color scheme
fill glass ornaments with ribbons, fluff, or glitter
color and cut out some paper ornaments
cut out some snowflakes and hang them up
shape some clay and dry it

19) Make ugly sweaters

If you’re feeling crafty, you might enjoy making some ugly Christmas sweaters! All you need is an old sweater, hot glue, and craft supplies.

Here are some things you might glue to your sweaters:

pom poms
garland
sequins
yarn
felt
lights

You can absolutely go crazy and make sweaters unique to you! You might also add some paint or glitter for the final touch.

Once you’ve made your sweaters, show them off at an ugly sweater party!

20) Have a game night

The winter season is the perfect time to cozy up inside for a game night!

Gather your favorite card or board games and some friends. Then, battle it out with your favorite games!

Related: 30 Indoor At Home Date Ideas

21) Make or buy a gift for someone else

Perhaps the most important thing we can do during the winter season is serve others around us!

While Christmas shopping, it might be fun to pick out a few extra gifts and drop them off to your friends or neighbors!

Another idea is to make a gift for your friends and neighbors. You might make some extra treats to share, craft an extra ornament, or make a snowman for someone else!

This post showed you the best winter activities for teens and adults.

Happy Holidays!