Winter can be pretty dull for everyone. It’s cold, and most outdoor activities are off-limits. It seems all our friends and family are hibernating and don’t plan on leaving their homes until Easter.
We’ve cleaned all we can clean and chilled out our way through all of Netflix, so what now? As adults, we often have trouble occupying our time. Suppose we’re not outside the house busying ourselves with work, kids, or other responsibilities. It can be challenging to think outside the box about spending a day inside when it’s blustery outside.
But the truth is there are many relaxing and productive activities in which to partake. Some may take a bit of planning, and others can be done spur of the moment. If you’re sitting around twiddling your thumbs, watching the flakes fall, you’re in luck. This blog will touch on several recreational activities adults can do indoors.
1. Reading A Good Book
A good book can fill a dreary winter day with adventure, drama, gossip, or whatever your heart desires. It’s one of those tremendous recreational activities you can do alone. You can stay in bed with your coffee or grab a cozy blanket and some tea and snuggle into the couch.
A good book can have you so swept up you won’t even notice the day has passed. You can coordinate other activities to go along with your reading, too. For book enthusiasts, there’s nothing more satisfying than strolling through a bookstore or even a flea market and finding some paperback gems.
Once you’ve got your treasures home, consider building a custom mantel to display them. It’s not difficult, and it will give your literary adventures somewhere to wait for that next cold winter day. In the meantime, it will add some personality to your space.
2. Doing An Indoor Remodeling Project
While a home project isn’t the first thing we consider when pondering recreational activities, it can be fun. Whether on your own, with a partner, or with the kids, a DIY project can be fun and an excellent use of a damp and dismal day. You can even invite some friends to come out from under the covers, order some pizza, and have a party.
Choose a smaller, inexpensive project that doesn’t require many materials or home loans. Consider painting a room, doing an accent wall, refurbishing an old table, or switching out the backsplash in the kitchen. If you’re feeling adventurous, try installing a sliding barn door to separate open areas or conceal clutter.
Maybe you’ve been wanting to redo those sad-looking kitchen cabinets. Well, grab some paint and go to town. Better yet get a screwdriver and take the doors off, creating a more open and airy space. If you have a fireplace, give it a facelift with some fresh paint. A cluttered laundry room can always use attention, add new shelves, and get organized.
The possibilities for indoor remodeling projects are endless. Look around and see what needs to be done. If nothing needs work, think about what you’d like to spruce up the place.
3. Having A Bar Night With Friends
While you could go out to a bar with friends, it’s often safer and more fun to have a bar night at home. This is especially true if the weather outside is frightful. An in-home bar night is nothing more than a good old-fashioned cocktail party. You can put a fun spin on it by creating a theme around a movie you’ll have played, organizing a trivia game, or maybe a scavenger hunt.
But the star of the show will be the drinks. Design a few signature cocktails for people to choose from, but keep the old faithful like beer, wine, and whiskey on hand, too. Be sure to include non-alcoholic drinks for folks that don’t imbibe or need to drive. Sparkling water with fresh fruit is always a good choice.
Don’t forget the food and snacks. Typical cocktail party fare like meatballs, shrimp, bruschetta, and bacon-wrapped anything are always good choices. But it’s your party, so if you’re not in the mood to cook, order pizza or Chinese.
One formality that should be followed is to send invitations. Be sure to have a clear start and end time. Usually, 2-3 is standard for a nice bar night. You don’t want people getting overserved and in trouble. Casual recreational activities shouldn’t include a bail bond company!
4. Taking A Hot Bath
If bad weather and being stuck in the house makes you stressed, try taking a nice hot bath. It’s a delightful way to spend an hour or two, and it’s one of those recreational activities that are practically free. Start by setting the mood. Grab some scented candles and that good book you’re reading.
Then, fill the tub with some relaxing extras. Epsom salts are great for detoxing the body and for sore muscles. You can also add oils like lavender for some aromatherapy or coconut to help out that dry winter skin. If none of that appeals to you, stick with the old stand-by of bubbles or bath bombs.
Before diving in, drink a glass of water to help keep you hydrated, and make a nice glass of tea or pour some wine. The solitude and serenity of submerging yourself in a decadent bath can go a long way in washing those winter blues away. While in there, you may want to contemplate bathtub refinishing as one of your indoor remodeling projects.
5. Growing Plants Indoors
Growing plants indoors is one of those recreational activities that can quickly turn into an all-out hobby. What starts as a single housewarming plant can become a lush indoor garden, and you become an amateur botanist. Bringing the outdoors into your home during the winter months can not only help pass the time, but it can help with mental health and add personality and warmth to your home.
Visiting a few florist shops is an excellent way to start your new hobby. The floral experts can guide you on what plants do well indoors and how to coordinate them within your space. If you love vegetable gardening in the warmer months, there’s no reason to stop because the weather is not agreeable. Many companies offer hydroponic kits that allow goodies like lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and various herbs to be grown inside.
This will keep you busy all winter, as well as keep you stocked with fresh veggies. If you don’t have the space or time for an entire hydroponic system, you can pare it down. Get a few pots, soil, and seeds for lettuce, basil, and parsley. These multiply with just a little attention.
6. Going To An Arcade
Not all recreational activities must keep you bound to the house all winter. Arcades are open all year round and can be a great way to spend an afternoon. The entire family will have a great time playing everything from skeeball and pinball to virtual reality games and classics like Pac-Man.
Many arcades have extended their offerings and call themselves fun centers or sports centers and offer trampolines, go-karts, basketball, and laser tag. Some even provide 4-D theaters. If you’re an adult with no kids but want some kid fun, grab your friends and head to someplace like Dave and Busters. Here, you’ll find the usual arcade games along with dodgeball, trivia, pool tables, and televisions. The best part is they have $5 Happy Hour and $5 Bites.
Arcades have been around forever, and they never fail to be entertaining. You can get some exercise while you’re at it. Keep them in mind when you can’t be in the house one second longer.
7. Lifting Weights
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As far as indoor recreational activities go, lifting weights is one of the best for your body and mind. It helps pass the time, and weight lifting also helps with metabolism, weight loss, sleep, flexibility, and overall energy. All these benefits can, in turn, help with seasonal depression and anxiety. This exercise can also help keep the winter flab away so you’re ready for the big short-sleeve reveal in the spring.
While you can hit the gym, it’s not necessary. You can easily fit a bench or weight set into even the smallest home spaces. Lifting weights at home benefits many as it’s more cost-effective and less intimidating than a gym.
If you’re starting out, a simple set of dumbbells can work wonders. Be sure to consult with a doctor before starting, and always warm up properly. The last thing you want is a visit to the emergency room in the dead of winter.
8. Building A New Computer
While building a computer is not everyone’s idea of fun, don’t cross it off your list of recreational activities because you think it’s too hard. The truth is building your own computer is surprisingly easy. Depending on how intricate you want to get, it can be as simple as assembling a table from IKEA. All it takes is the right parts, proper tools, a good YouTube tutorial, and some patience.
First, you’ll need to decide what you want: a computer for gaming, work, school, etc. Then, gather your parts, including the motherboard, central processing unit, memory, and storage case. Make sure to have a large workspace where you can ground yourself on a hard floor.
Carpeting can cause static electricity, and it can damage the unit. You don’t need a computer repair service before the system is even finished! Building your computer can be an excellent activity for kids, especially if they attend a STEM school or love technology.
9. Cleaning Out Old Documents
Most of us have found ourselves at one time or another loaded down with paper clutter, from junk mail, old bills, and memorabilia to kids’ artwork, receipts, and even take-out menus. Why they fail to make the trash is one of the mysteries of life. But the good news is being stuck in the house is the perfect time to tackle the piles that have taken over your home.
While it’s not the most exciting of recreational activities, it will certainly pass the time and give you a sense of accomplishment. If that doesn’t get you, think about all the extra counter space you’ll have. Start by gathering everything you want to sort.
Then, separate them into 3 piles: keep, shred, and recycle. Recycling should be any paper you don’t want with no identifying information, like ads, menus, etc. The shred pile should contain anything with personal information like credit card information, your social security number, and old health records. The keep pile should have only the documents you absolutely need, like current receipts, paperwork that you need to send out, and tax returns.
If you loaded down with artwork the kids have been doing since preschool (and they’re now in college), consider taking photos and creating a file. If the thought of trashing the treasures is too much, get a scrapbook to keep everything in one place. Toss your recycling pile appropriately, find a dedicated space for the keep basket, and find a document shredding service for everything else.
10. Playing A Fun Video Game
There’s nothing wrong with kicking back and passing a winter’s day off from work by playing some video games. You can play online with friends or invite them over for a day of gaming. If you don’t have a gaming system, there are plenty of fun games you can play on your tablet or phone.
If funds are an issue, consider looking for a pre-used game console. So many people update their gaming systems that there’s always secondhand fun to be had at a discount. Just don’t get so carried away that you need to use the backup generators.
We hope our list of indoor winter activities for adults helps bring out your inner child. There are plenty of fun recreational activities to get you through those cold days. Don’t worry. Spring will be here before you know it.
