Winter is quickly approaching, which means the majority of the season will be dreaded inside trying to stay away from the unkind weather. The good news is that there are many ways to enjoy the winter season indoors and even some fun outdoor activities for those willing to brave the cold.

Skiing and snowboarding are great ways to enjoy the outdoors and stay active during the winter season. In the Sioux Falls area, there is one place to go skiing and snowboarding at, and that is Great Bear. Great Bear is a ski valley located in the northeastern area of Sioux Falls close to Brandon, SD. Besides skiing and snowboarding, they also offer tubing. Great Bear usually opens in mid-December and closes in March. Great Bear is a great way to stay active throughout the winter months.

Ice skating can be an indoor activity or people could also bundle up and ice skate outside. In Sioux Falls, Scheels’ IcePlex has three indoor rinks and they offer public skating multiple times per week. Tuthill Park, McKennan Park and Memorial Park all have outdoor skating rinks in Sioux Falls. The outdoor rinks plan to open on Dec. 22 and close around the end of February. Ice skating is a great option to stay active while being indoors or even a great outdoor option if one is willing to take on the cold weather.

Sledding is an adventurous and thrilling winter activity that helps make the cold weather more bearable. Two popular hills to go sledding at in Sioux Falls are Tuthill Park and Spellerberg Park. To have a perfect day sledding, bundle up and bring a sled. By running up the sledding hill, it will make it seem a little bit warmer. Sledding is an all-around fun way to handle the cold.

Some cozier indoor activities include watching movies and baking. Gathering up all of the coziest blankets and putting on the most comfortable pajamas while watching the best Christmas movies is a great way to stay away from the cold. Baking takes a little bit more time and effort than watching movies, but it is worth it in the end with all the delicious treats. Since it is around Christmas time sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, peanut butter blossoms and many more baked good ideas can be found at 30 Best Christmas Recipes.   

The dreaded winter days will be here soon and there are plenty of enjoyable activities to make the winter months some of the best months of the year.