After a long semester, students deserve a period of relaxation and rejuvenation. If you’re looking to do something fun over break, here is a list of some relatively affordable and fun activities you can do alone or with others.
- Hot Chocolate Bar
Brew a huge batch of hot chocolate. Have whipped cream, crushed candy canes, marshmallows, chocolate chips, sprinkles, and chocolate syrup handy. Put on your favorite Christmas movie while drinking your favorite hot chocolate combo.
- Make a Holiday Sangria (21+)
There are plenty of recipes for holiday sangrias online (I highly recommend TikTok for recipes). For an extremely basic and cheap sangria that’s also seasonal, grab a bottle of red wine, Sprite (or prosecco), cranberries, oranges, and rosemary. Cut up the fruit and put at the bottom of a large pitcher with the rosemary. Add your wine and Sprite. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before enjoying.
- Make Ornaments
There are many ornament making kits you can buy. I personally love the ones where you fill a plastic or glass ball with whatever you want. There are also ornaments you can paint. Anything to show off your personality while getting in the Christmas spirit!
- Make Christmas Candles
Making candles from scratch is not nearly as difficult as it seems. At your local craft store, you will most likely find a candle making section. Pick out a wax (I recommend soy wax). Grab green coloring and a pine scent. Choose a pack of wicks with a sheet of wick stickers. You can also use a wick centering tool, which will make your candle look a little more uniform. Lastly, pick out your favorite jar to hold the candle. Once you are ready to make the candles, start by heating a few scoops of your wax in a saucepan on medium heat. While your wax is melting, attach a wick sticker to the bottom of your wick, then stick the wick onto the bottom of the jar. Place in the center, then place your centering tool over the wick. Once the wax is completely melted, turn the heat to low. Add your green coloring (a little goes a long way, so watch how much you put in. Since the candle is Christmas themed, a dark green would look great, so it’s no big deal if the color is super dark). Next, add your pine scent. Other scents that would work well include peppermint, gingerbread, or vanilla. You can also mix scents as well—such as peppermint and pine. Once coloring and scent is incorporated, fill your jar. Once the wax hardens, you can decorate your candle with anything you want. Pine needles, rosemary sprigs, crystal chips, even glitter would work very well.
- Give Back to Your Community
The holidays may not be easy for some people. Some ways to give back to your community include writing Christmas cards for your local nursing home. Sending love and positive energy to those in nursing homes can remind them that they are being thought of during the holidays. You can do the same with hospitals as well; children’s hospitals would be great to send Christmas cards to. If you have some extra money, bringing some toys to a children’s hospital or puzzles to a nursing home is a great way to give back to your community. A few Christmases ago, my family participated in USPS Operation Santa. The program is for families who cannot afford to buy Christmas presents. My family chose another family to buy presents for from anonymous letters posted on the USPS website. This experience was rewarding, as knowing a mother and her daughters had an amazing Christmas because of my family was incredibly fulfilling. If you are able to participate in a program like this, I highly recommend doing so.