It’s that time of year again. You have at least a week away from school, which means 168 hours to fill. Don’t waste them. A vacation from routine is no time for boredom. Instead, try something new and different. Gather with your friends or enjoying some alone time before the New Year starts with these nine unique winter break activities. Do one, or do them all!

Stuff to do with Friends to make Christmas Break Special

1. Make a Masterpiece – Create your own art studio at home. Invite some friends over. and have everyone bring their own blank canvas and favorite paint color (just make sure not everyone brings the same color). Invest in a set of brushes and set out plastic cups with water. Voila! You’re all set to create your own masterpiece.
2. Game On – Organize a Game Day at your local nursing home. The Holidays are a time when many people feel lonely, especially if their families aren’t nearby. Playing games with the residents for just a few hours will be sure to brighten their day. You can play Scrabble, cards, Monopoly or any number of other games available at the nursing home.
3. Learn Something New – Sign up for a class to learn a new skill. The list is endless. It can be kickboxing, jewelry making, sculpting, glass blowing or a creative writing class. Challenge yourself. Perfection is not required. It’s okay to mess up or say that you don’t know how to do something.
4. Farm Fresh – Connect with a farmer in your area. Many vegetables still grow in the winter, such as sweet potatoes, winter squash and hardy greens. Farm work is difficult work so farmers are always in need of helpers. You may even be able to squeeze milk from a goat while you’re there!
5. Food and Entertainment – Speaking of food, pick a country that entices you and try making a meal from that region. Attempt cooking Indian food for the first time then go to a yoga class. Invite your friends over for Spanish tapas. Or rent a French movie with subtitles and eat baguettes with French cheese!
6. Social Awareness – Be an advocate for a political or social issue that’s really important to you. Maybe you feel passionate about the environment or budget cuts to your school district. Now is the time for your voice to be heard! Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper expressing your opinions. Urge your state representative to vote for or against a particular piece of legislation. You can also organize a petition-signing campaign and see how many signatures you can get in a week!
7. Theatrical Performance – If you have a local theatre around you, find out what will be playing during your break and volunteer to be an usher. You can see the show for free while guiding guests to their seats. To make it even more fun, get permission to dress up as one of the characters or wear a themed outfit.
8. Craft a Goal Collage – This is the time of year to reflect. Think about all the things you’ve accomplished in the past year; from getting an A on a tough exam to scoring points during a basketball game. Write them down. Then write down your goals for the coming year. But go even further. Look through old magazines and tear out images that represent something to you. Paste them all together into a collage that you can look at throughout the year for inspiration.
9. Kindness Challenge – Do a random act of kindness every day of the week. It can be big or small, like opening the door for someone. Take hot soup to your neighbor on a cold day. Send a nice note to your best friend. Go through your closet and donate all the items you don’t wear anymore. Tell your parents how much you love them. Think about how you can make someone else feel special and then tell your friends what you did, or better yet tell us!

You have plenty to do in 168 hours. Fill that time with special memories that will last a lifetime!