Can’t Go Out? Here are some things you can do during the holidays…

Written by Prakrati Kadekar

Edited by Minna Chow

Ah, your winter break has arrived! Finally from all the stress in your schoolwork in December it is finally time for you to relax.

But this winter break is different. You usually go out to see your relatives and spend some time with them during the holidays, or go out and see the large Christmas tree lit up in New York City seconds before Christmas day.

But, your plans won’t be the same now this year because of COVID. So what things can you do to have fun during the holidays?

Not to worry, here’s a nice list of things that you can do that don’t require you to go outside!

1. Bake holiday goods - Spend a day baking food! There are so many creative recipes you can try with the ingredients at your home, like caramel apple pie, fudge, pound cake, and many more. Or, you can keep it simple and bake some chocolate chips or gingerbread cookies! You can google “Holiday recipes” and there will be a ton of recipes you can use to bake something. Here’s a list that could help you.

2. Make a homemade gift for a family member - You don’t have to buy an expensive product from the mall to make someone happy. Sometimes the effort you put into making something special for a loved one goes a long way. Here are some things you can make during the holidays

• Jewelry

• Key chains

• Sleep masks

• Personalized mugs,

• Photo books,

• Welcome mat,

• and so many others!

Remember, you do not have to make your DIY holiday-related.. YouTube provides a lot of tutorials on how to DIY a lot of these products! My favorite DIY channel is Sea Lemon. Check her channel out!

1. Make cards - Holiday cards, even though they are simple, are a great way to show gratitude for your loved ones. You do not have to buy a store-made card; paper and pen would do the trick! Make a card with colorful paper or even white printer paper at home and write a sweet, loving message inside. Decorate it with colors, stickers or any other decorations you have. You can even donate some of your cards to various charities that will send them to people who could use some love during the holiday season. You can find a lot of these charities on social media. Here’s a website with 230 organizations worldwide that can sell your cards to those who need them, helping their own charity in the process.

2. Watch holiday movies - What better way to spend the holidays than watching movies with your family? My favorite movies I love to watch over and over again are “A Christmas Story,” “Elf,” “The Grinch,” “Klaus,” “Home Alone,” “The Santa Clause,” and so many others. Don’t know what to watch? Browse this catalog and choose a movie to get started! It is a great way to spend the time.

3. Take a family photo - You may not be able to visit your loved ones this holiday season, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make memories. Take photos of what your family is doing during the break, like decorating the tree, opening gifts or wearing ugly sweaters. At the end, you can take a grand family photo to celebrate the holidays. While it may not be the holiday season you wanted, photos are a great way to cherish the memories you have.

This is a starting point of ideas for you to spend your holiday season. Try to make memories and relax over the break. Happy Holidays! And cheers to a better year ahead of us.