Kickstart your Winter Bucket List!
Happy New Year! There's officially only 170 days until the first day of summer! Yes, winter is still here – it's cold outside, we haven't even hit the February blues, and you've been stuck in the house for what seems like forever. Stop your winter whining and welcome the wonder of winter while earning some badges on your Winter Bucket List! If you don't have one, now is the perfect time to start! Every season presents a unique opportunity to discover something special and create new traditions both indoors and out. So bundle up and buck up little snowflakes - it's time to give old man winter a hug (virtually, of course).
Winter doesn't have to be a time to hibernate. Here are just a few ideas to inspire creativity, learning, and fun.
1. Go for a wintery walk in the woods
Nothing says magical like a snow-covered forest. Winter is a spectacular time to see some of nature's most hidden wildlife at play. Tommy Thompson Park/The Leslie Spit is a bird watcher paradise, ideal for spotting snowy owls, cottontail rabbits, snow hares, foxes, coyotes, and if you're lucky, deer. Be sure to bring your camera!
2. Explore outdoor art
Check out the giant art installations at Winter Stations 2021, a competition that invites the international design and art community to reimagine the lifeguard stations along Toronto's east end beaches.
3. Make a snowman
Get creative and bring some fabulous fashion sense to Frosty or invite your friends to show off their snowman skills and end the day with a good old fashioned snowball fight!
4. Heat up the comfort food
Mac n Cheese, lasagna, hearty chili and Guinness stew…getting hungry yet? Discover your culinary prowess in the kitchen with classics to keep you warm and cozy on the inside. Get creative and explore new recipes like spicy curries, jerk chicken, and your own version of hot and sour Ramen soup.
5. Stir up something hot and steamy
If you're feeling the chill of winter, now's the perfect time to warm up to a fancy mug of love. Take your hot cocoa up a notch by making chocolate bombs or mix things up with some spicy mulled wine made with cloves, cinnamon, and a shot of brandy.
6. Learn a new stitch
Pick up the needles and knit or crochet yourself a cozy wooly scarf. There are a ton of easy tutorials online and if you start now, you'll have it ready for next winter!
7. Movie Marathon
Call it a snow day, stay in your jammies, cuddle up on the couch and settle in for the biggest binge
fest or movie marathon. Extra butter on the popcorn, please.
