As someone with a winter birthday, it can sometimes feel impossible to find fun, engaging activities to do on your birthday while having to deal with below-freezing temperatures. After dealing with the awful planning process 20 times now, I’ve learned a thing or two about winter activities. Although you might hate the cold, there are still so many ways to make your day feel special. So, here are my top five favorite activities you can do for your winter birthday.
1) Crafting
There’s no better activity to get you in the holiday spirit than a craft, especially when it becomes a competition. Pretty much any craft can be turned into a competition, such as gingerbread houses, Christmas cookies, ornaments, snow globes, or even candles. Crafts are the perfect way to keep your friends engaged, while also staying warm and indoors. They don’t even have to be holiday-related. Painting, slime-making, and bracelet-making can all also make a great hangout.
2) Holiday Markets
Snowport, Bryant Park, Christkindlmarkt — no matter where you are in the Northeast, you are guaranteed to find a holiday market in your state. Put on a cute outfit, pack your (or steal a friend’s) digital camera, and indulge in a night of retail therapy. Even just walking around with an over-the-top hot chocolate while people-watching is a great way to spend your special day.
3) College Basketball Games
My favorite part of winter? Basketball, basketball, and more basketball! My perfect day would have to include a UConn women’s basketball game, so imagine my excitement when the season’s schedule dropped and I saw Dec. 7 as one of the game days. Living in the basketball capital of the world, it’s fairly easy to find a free or inexpensive game, basketball or not, to attend. You can even attend a game at a college in your hometown if your birthday falls over break. St. John’s or Villanova are Northeastern powerhouses. Basketball games are so much fun, whether you devote your life to it or don’t know a single player’s name. Especially at UConn, the energy at a home game is unmatched.
4) Game Night
You can never go wrong with a game night with friends. Game nights can be birthday-related with games like birthday girl trivia or Kahoot, or just regular old board games like Pictionary or Uno. I grew up in an extremely competitive board game family, so I absolutely love games. My personal underrated favorites include Anomia, Codenames, and Rummikub. If you don’t like board games but want the vibe of a game night, you can get creative with a PowerPoint night or what I will definitely be doing with my friends: our own Tik Tok edit Oscars.
5) Embrace the cold
If you’re someone who enjoys freezing temperatures, embrace the snow with activities like sledding, ice skating, or skiing. If you don’t like being outside, you can still embrace it while remaining indoors by attending a hockey game. You might think the cold ruins your special day, but instead, it allows for a bunch of new activities you might not have thought of.
Learn to love winter
As someone who loves summer, I sometimes loathe my December birthday. However, over time, I’ve definitely grown to love it. Being indoors forces us to get creative, but it brings us closer together. Personally, I now love being at home with my friends, drinking hot chocolate with whatever craft we can get our hands on. Embrace the weather since you can’t change it and celebrate in it the best way you can.