The wonders of winter activities

Keeping busy over break

Ari Lissauer

Park student slides down hill on Dec 22. Winter activities have slowly begun as snow starts to fall.

Sarah Peterson

Although the time off school during winter break is much needed, it can get boring. There are many fun things to do by yourself or with friends and family. Here are a few ideas to keep you active during break:

Sledding

A classic winter pastime in Minnesota, there are many hills around Park that are ideal for sledding. Some popular destinations include Aquila Park, Dakota Park and Oak Hill Park. 

Watching a play

The Guthrie Theatre is open and has two new shows for this winter season. “A Christmas Carol” and “The Little Prince” are open and have shows almost every day from now through the end of the year. 

Visiting a museum

There are many different museums around the metro area that are a nice outing to experience with friends and family. Some favorites are the Bakken Museum, the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Art or Mill City Museum.

Watching movies

With the constant freezing winter weather in cities, sometimes there is no better way to enjoy a day than staying inside and having a movie marathon. Enjoy a variety of movies and TV shows on streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+, or visit a local movie theater with new showings like “The Fablemans,” “The Menu” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Building a snowman

Wondering what to do with all the new snow that’s accumulated over the last weeks? Building a snowman is the perfect way to get outside and get your creative juices flowing. You can make one in your own yard or in one of the many public parks Park has to offer.

Ice skating

With the lakes and ponds freezing over, winter break is the perfect time to take those skates out. Along with the several lakes around St. Louis Park, the city also has nine different outdoor park skating rinks

Ice fishing

Another outdoor activity to do when the lakes freeze is ice fish. With practically one lake or pond around every corner, ice fishing is a relatively easy and convenient thing to do. Popular ice fishing locations include Cedar Lake, Lake Harriet and Lake Minnetonka.

Playing winter sports

Some of the most popular winter activities are skiing and snowboarding. Some spots nearby to ski or snowboard are Hyland Hills Ski Area, Buck Hill and Elm Creek Winter Recreation Area.