5 affordable holiday activities to enjoy this season

SYDNEY BAYNHAM

As the holidays loom just around the corner, your stress levels may be running high as you try to organize just how you will spend your winter break. It’s the busiest time of year and alongside getting your plans in order, you may also have exams to study for, gifts to buy, family and friends to visit as well as everything else you usually must handle in your everyday life.

Before the chaos gets to become too much, remember why you put yourself through that stress. You get to spend a little time with all the people you love and celebrate with each other.

After all the chaos juggling and gift buying, it can get expensive and time-consuming to plan activities to do with your friends and family. If your pockets are feeling the pinch this holiday season, try out some of these cheap winter activities to get yourself in the spirit of winter.

The winter holidays are not all about the gifts that money can buy-- they’re about the time spent with people we love. Gather a few of your friends and plan an all-out sleepover.

Go the full mile and pull your mattress and blankets off your bed to put in the living room. Cuddle up together wearing matching PJ’s and a warm mug of hot chocolate to watch your favourite holiday movie.

This is the perfect activity to wind down after exams and fully get into the holiday spirit. The best part? It’s completely free!

The winter months can get a little dreary while waiting for the first snowfall to truly stick. The leaves have fallen off and the ground is mucky. Lighten up your mood by heading out onto the town for a tour of the Christmas lights around the city.

There are many downloadable maps of Guelph out there that highlight areas with Christmas light displays. Open one up and hit the streets for a colourful night of awe and laughter.

Don’t have access to a car in the city? Don’t fret! Take a walk around your neighborhood and find the displays nearest to you. Make it a game and vote on which display you and your friends think is best!

Another typical holiday activity is baking, but there’s a reason it’s so typical; it never fails to be enjoyable! Every holiday event deserves to be enhanced with some homemade baking, so make baking a whole event too.

Don’t be afraid to be daring and pick a recipe you think seems impossible, and with a few of your friends attempt to recreate it! Whether you fail or succeed, the time you spend arguing over how much flour to put in will be cherished.

To make this option even cheaper, split the cost of the ingredients.

Skating, Sledding Winter sports can get expensive when it comes to having all the required equipment involved. That’s why skating and tobogganing are some of the best winter activities!

Every year the Municipality of Guelph creates an ice rink downtown in the Market Square. It is free to use so bring your partner, your best friend, your sibling and do some laps on the rink.

Not used to balancing on skates just yet? No worries! Grab your toboggan and head over to the Mole Hill in Centennial Park to plummet down the snow hill. Remember to always be aware of your surroundings, and don’t forget your snow pants!

Christmas carols are nostalgic and always bring back some of that childhood holiday magic. That’s why this holiday season, go out and sing with your loved ones.

The few days leading up to Christmas, many churches put on carol nights where you can go and see a Christmas choir for free. Bring a few of your friends and sing your hearts out to the songs you used to adore as a child. Remember what Buddy the Elf said? Singing spreads the Christmas spirit.

The holiday season can be a very expensive time for many so it’s important to remember the connections we make with people are the most valuable part of life. Whether you’re lounging around watching holiday movies or flying to the Caribbean for this winter holiday, the people you do those things with are what make those experiences special. Don’t run yourself thin trying to impress your loved ones with extravagant, costly items; focus on the support and care you can offer instead.

Be sure to check out the skating rink in Market Square this winter! CREDIT: PEXELS