Winter 2026 · December 1 to February 28
Winter bucket list: 80 cozy things to do this winter
Winter is the quiet season. The days are at their shortest, most trees are bare, and a lot of nature is resting until spring. Cold mornings, early dark, and the occasional first snow.
It's a season for warmth and small rituals: a slow morning, something baking, a walk in the cold and a hot drink after.
Winter comes back on December 1. Save the ideas for then.
Out in the winter air
Go ice skatingan evening · outdoors · under $20
Go sleddinga half-day · outdoors · free
Build a snowman10 minutes · outdoors · free
Have a snowball fight10 minutes · outdoors · free
Make snow angels10 minutes · outdoors · free
Go snowshoeinga half-day · outdoors · under $20
Try cross-country skiinga half-day · outdoors · a small treat
Take a ski or snowboard lessona half-day · outdoors · a small treat
Take a horse-drawn carriage ridean evening · outdoors · a small treat
Find Orion in the winter sky10 minutes · outdoors · free
Go on a winter hikea half-day · outdoors · free
Join the Christmas Bird Counta half-day · outdoors · free
Catch snowflakes and look at them up close10 minutes · outdoors · free
Walk in the first snowfall10 minutes · outdoors · free
Have a winter picnic with a thermosan evening · outdoors · under $20
Go to the beach in winteran evening · outdoors · free
Go on a full-moon walkan evening · outdoors · free
Pick a Christmas tree at a tree farma half-day · outdoors · a small treat
Go to a Christmas marketan evening · outdoors · under $20
Drive around to see the Christmas lightsan evening · outdoors · free
Go carolingan evening · outdoors · free
Go to a Hanukkah menorah lightingan evening · outdoors · free
Do a New Year's polar plunge10 minutes · outdoors · free
Go to a winter festival or ice-sculpture showa half-day · outdoors · under $20
Make a pinecone bird feederan evening · outdoors · under $20
Cozy winter days inside
Go to a sauna or bathhousean evening · cozy inside · a small treat
Visit a botanical garden greenhousea half-day · cozy inside · under $20
Photograph frost on a window10 minutes · cozy inside · free
Decorate a Christmas treean evening · cozy inside · free
See The Nutcrackeran evening · cozy inside · a small treat
Host a holiday movie nightan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Do a Secret Santa with friendsan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make an Advent calendar for a friendan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Wrap gifts in brown paper and twinean evening · cozy inside · under $20
Send holiday cardsan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Throw an ugly-sweater partyan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Volunteer at a holiday food drivea half-day · cozy inside · free
Ring in the New Year with friendsan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make a vision board for the yearan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Celebrate Lunar New Yearan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Host a Galentine's Dayan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make valentines by handan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Go to a basketball gamean evening · cozy inside · a small treat
Host a fondue nightan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Host a game nightan evening · cozy inside · free
Throw a Super Bowl partyan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Build a gingerbread housean evening · cozy inside · under $20
Bake and decorate sugar cookiesan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Host a cookie swapan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make hot chocolate from scratch10 minutes · cozy inside · free
Bake cinnamon rollsa half-day · cozy inside · under $20
Make dumplingsan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make latkesan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make snow ice cream10 minutes · cozy inside · free
Make French onion soupan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Bake bread from scratcha half-day · cozy inside · under $20
Make peppermint barkan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make marshmallows from scratchan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make a London Fog10 minutes · cozy inside · free
Make a big pot of chilian evening · cozy inside · under $20
Knit a beaniean evening · cozy inside · under $20
Crochet a granny-square blanketan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Cut paper snowflakes10 minutes · cozy inside · free
Make an evergreen wreathan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make your own ornamentsan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Embroider a sweatshirtan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Start a junk journalan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Paint a winter scene in watercolouran evening · cozy inside · under $20
Sew a pair of pajama pantsa half-day · cozy inside · under $20
Make beaded jewelryan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Make a winter playlist10 minutes · cozy inside · free
Read a long classic novela half-day · cozy inside · free
Build a LEGO setan evening · cozy inside · a small treat
Have a spa night at homean evening · cozy inside · under $20
Choose a word for the year10 minutes · cozy inside · free
Have a Harry Potter movie marathona half-day · cozy inside · free
Spend a cold afternoon in a museuma half-day · cozy inside · under $20
Spend a morning reading in a caféan evening · cozy inside · under $20
Learn three songs on the ukulelean evening · cozy inside · a small treat
Build a blanket fortan evening · cozy inside · free
When does winter start?
Winter starts on December 1 if you count by the weather, which is how Seasons counts. On the calendar it starts at the winter solstice, on December 21 or 22, the shortest day of the year. It ends on the last day of February, or at the spring equinox in March.
Keep a stamp for every one you do.
Seasons is an app for living with the seasons. Save the ideas you like, do one, and it lands in your winter passport. It opens on mobile in November.
Join the waitlist