With El Niño setting in, winter in New England this year has taken an interesting turn of events, especially in comparison to all of the snow we got last year. Just when the groundhog told us that spring was going to arrive soon, snowstorms began to arrive, only for warm weather to melt the snow away. Growing up in New England, I’ve learned to take all types of wacky weather changes in stride. But in hopes of the winter weather staying a little bit longer, I’ve been dreaming of a few winter activities that I look forward to when hoping for some snow!

1. Skiing

Growing up, skiing was always a family adventure. I learned to downhill ski with my cousins over winter breaks, where I enjoyed the thrill of sliding down the mountain, and went on plenty of cross country ski outings with my girl scout troop, where I loved sliding between snow stricken trees. Downhill is hard to do if you’re not right next to a mountain, but cross country may be the thing to get you to town when the streets are still covered in snow after a huge storm.

2. Ice Skating

I’ve found myself lucky to live near rinks and lakes where I could learn to skate as a kid. In college, I’ve even had the joy of being on a campus with a pond that has completely frozen solid the past two years. Learning to skate can be a little strange since you’re suddenly balancing on these knives, but I always remember the advice given in the PBS show Dragon Tales: “Step, step, glide”

3. Sledding

From grade school and beyond, sledding was always the number one thing to do on a snow day; it was hard not to find a friend when I went. Even as a college student, I’ve found myself searching with teammates and classmates for sleds and other flat objects, like cardboard, to slide down hills on. This activity is probably one of the easiest to do since all you need is a hill and some snow.

4. Building a Snowman

As a kid, building snow-people and snow-forts wasn't hard to do, whether it was done in the backyard after school hours, or in playground at recess. Even in college, it’s a great study break. I just suggest some waterproof gloves or mittens—I don’t want anyone freezing their hands off!

5. Snowball Fights

When walking with friends in the snow, it’s sometimes hard to resist tossing the malleable snow towards an easy target. This can easily result in snow going down the back of someone’s coat, but as long as the snow is nice and fluffy, I think everyone will remain friends at the end of the battle.Building a snowman

6. Shoveling

When you live in places where winters are cold, this activity is necessary evil. It’s hard work and doesn’t always have the fun aspect that someone might look for on a snow day. Still, you’ll be grateful that it got done when you aren’t slipping on ice when you walk to school or work the next morning. You can even take a shovel break by making some snow angels in your backyard.

7. Drinking Hot Chocolate

Bonus points if you have a fire going in a wood stove. If you’re lacking in the fireplace department, cozying up with a warm blanket and a nice book or Netflix is just as perfect. Personally, I love to put some whip cream with a teeny shake of cinnamon on top. Hot chocolate is the perfect way to warm up after a day of cold, snowy activities!