Whether we like it or not, winter is officially here and the snow storms have clearly begun. As I look outside my window and wait for two feet of snow to accumulate, I realize there are some pretty fun activities to do around Storrs in the winter time. Here are just a few:
Go Ice Skating
Now that UConn has built its very own outdoor skating rink, there’s no excuse not to go. The rink is located on the Great Lawn and is open Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Skates are available for one hour slots. You can sign up here. Signups for each week begin Wednesday at noon. Swan Lake, a little pond by the chemistry building where hockey games are frequent, is another place to go ice skating. Ice skating is one of those activities that’s not only fun to learn, but you never lose it once you do!
Sledding down Horsebarn Hill
If you’re looking for a workout and some fun at the same time, bundle up and go sledding on Horsebarn Hill! One of the most famous winter activities around Storrs, Horsebarn provides the perfect hill that will send you and your sled racing down … except there’s one downside: walking back up. The sledding of course is fun, but be prepared to trudge up the gigantic hill with all your 10 pounds of snow gear layered on.
Build a snowman
Of course, I can’t forget about the most traditional winter activity of all. My personal favorite growing up was making snow angels, but building snowmen, or even better, a snow family, will do. If you live on campus, you can build your snowman right on the Student Union lawn, or if you live off campus you can create a snow family to greet everyone by Mirror Lake. If you want to get super creative, run to Price Chopper and pick up a carrot nose and mushroom eyes. There’s just nothing better than finding good packing snow and putting it to use.
Cozy up
If you’re one of those people who enjoys watching movies or reading, that’s perfectly fine too! Grab a nice cup of warm cocoa and your favorite book and cozy up for a day in. Some winter classics are the Harry Potter films, “Frozen,” “Eight Below” and of course, saving the best for last, “Game of Thrones.” If you want to spice things up even more, take some time to bake your favorite treat. What’s better than good food and a movie under the blankets?
Of course, these are just some of the activities that can be done in our specific surrounding area. If you have a car, there are plenty of ski mountains that can be reached in a matter of short hours. While virtual school may not allow us to have the snow days we were once used to, it doesn’t mean we can’t make the most out of chilly weather!
