Upstate New York is a beautiful place to live and people come from all over to experience the fall foliage. Yet, many who love here during the winter tend to struggle. Not only is there cold and snow, but it’s also long, dark, and gray. However, winter can be so much more than staying at home and fearing the snow and cold! Our area offers a ton of activities that you can only do in winter, so it’s a great season to take advantage of. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the upcoming winter months in all price ranges.
Know How to Enjoy the Outdoors
- Dress for the weather. We always make sure to have winter gear from reputable brands that are rated for outdoor activities such as skiing. This way we can stay outdoors for hours feeling warm and dry. We buy most of out gear at consignment shops, on clearance, or online marketplaces to help with costs. If you are someone who gets cold quickly, using HotHands in your gloves or shoes can help.
- Explore outdoor activities. Our area has a ton of options for winter fun.
- Where To Go Skiing In Rochester
- Where To Go Ice Skating In Rochester
- 10 Sledding Hills In Rochester
- Where To Go Cross-Country Skiing In Rochester
- Snowshoeing at Tinker Nature Park
- Snow Tubing at Greystone
- Feed the chickadees on the Birdsong Trail near Wild Wings Inc.
- Visit the Seneca Park Zoo
- Check out Maple Farms during Sugar Maple season
- Attend annual winter events. Many organizations put on fantastic winter events such as the Rochester Polar Plunge.
- Decorate your yard with nature. Winter is a great excuse to have fun decorating by making ice luminaries, globes with food coloring, or a snowman/snow animal.
- Do fun activities in your yard. We’ve made snow volcanoes, an igloo, slow motion videos of shattering ice globes, curled/bowled with ice globes, made feeders for birds and animals, and blown bubbles to watch them freeze.
- Warm up quickly. After a long day outdoors, or even a short time, it helps to warm up quickly. A hot shower/bath and a warm drink will help your body warm right up inside and out. It feels even better followed by warm jammies and a cozy blanket.
Know Where to go for Indoor Fun
- Participate in library events. The Monroe County Library System has incredibly active libraries that have free activities and events for the community. There are also a ton of Library Storytimes for younger children.
- Town Recreation Programs offer a lot of options for fun ranging from one time events to 12 week sessions. You can register for classes and events in other towns for just a few dollars more.
- Free indoor play spaces are sprinkled throughout our area. Some places we go for a change of pace are the play area at the Mall at Greece Ridge (near Entrance 2), children’s rooms in the libraries, or open play times at town recreation centers.
- Memberships at Community Centers. Community centers like the YMCA and the JCC are a huge help for keeping active over the winter months. They can offer a warm place to exercise, large indoor play areas, childcare, and places to swim. (Be sure to ask about income-based sliding scales or if your health insurance will help cover the cost.)
- Explore local museums. For a small city, we have access to a vast selection of museums. They can range between local history museums, the Strong Museum of Play, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Memorial Art Gallery, Eastman House, to the Lamberton Conservatory, etc.. (Many museums are free, have small fees, have free days, or offer discount programs. Be sure to check out the list. of VIP Passes at the MCLS.)
- Indoor play and entertainment areas. There are many indoor play spaces available at various pricing. Check out our Guide to Indoor Playspaces.
- More indoor play and entertainment spaces include: Adventures and Art, bowling alleys, Breaking Free Skatepark, Central Rock Gym, Chuck E. Cheese, Dave and Busters, escape rooms, Fantasy Raceways, Flower City Amusement, IndyKart Raceway, LASERTRON, Minnehan’s Fun Center, NOVA Trampoline Park, Paintbox Kid’s Art Center, Perinton Community/Aquatic Center, The Playhouse // Swillburger, Pure Imagination Cafe, Radio Social, The Rochester Parkour Gym
- Drop-in on a class or open play. Some businesses that will allow people to stop in and play at designated times are include: Aerial Arts of Rochester, Dick’s House of Sport, Fastbreak Sports, indoor ice rinks, Northern Hemisphere Gymnastics, Total Sports Experience, and town recreation centers.
- Attend sporting events, concerts, and shows. Keep an eye open for shows that are available at venues around the city such as Geva Theater or Tykes Theater.
- Support high school and college programs. Almost all schools have plays, musicals, and sporting events that are open to the public for reasonable prices. Some of our favorites include the Eastman School of Music and Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble.
Finding Fun at Home
- Have regular family game nights. Take advantage of the cold season by slowing down together and creating memories.
- Keep your toys and entertainment fresh. Borrow toys, games, videogames, movies, puzzles, and books from the local libraries. You can even have many sent to your closest library for free using the hold/interlibrary loan system online.
- Experiment with hot drinks. Create a hot cocoa buffet with all of the fixings and discover your new favorite drink.
- Discover a new hobby. Try something new by borrowing an Experience Kit from the library or online drawing tutorials with Art for Kids Hub.
- Cook together. Look up yummy recipes and try new cuisines.
- Fix up your space. Take advantage of indoor time to finally do those projects you’ve been putting off.
- Get active indoors. Make obstacle courses, build forts, install swings from the rafters or door jams, and do pilates or Cosmic Kids Yoga.
- Read together. Snuggle up and read your family’s favorite book series together.
Prepare Your Home for the Weather (so you can have peace of mind!)
- Prepare your home for the winter months. One of the best gifts you can give yourself is to prepare so you can enter the season with confidence. Check out our guide to Preparing your Home for Winter.
- Have the right supplies on hand. Being prepared for the snow can make a huge difference. Over time we have gathered some of these items: pet safe sidewalk salt, kitty litter in the trunk (for extra weight and to create friction under your tires), an ergonomic snow shovel/pusher, snow covers, a roof rake, a good car scraper/brush (I love my True Temper Ames-ABTT5212), snow tires, and if it’s in the budget; a snowblower, and an automatic car starter.
- Plan for an Emergency, just in case. We know that snow and ice can sneak up on us. Don’t get caught unprepared.
Last, but not Least; Take Care of Yourself
- Light Therapy. Give yourself an extra boost when the sun is hiding by spending some time in front of a light therapy box.
- Take your vitamins. I’m not a doctor, but I know vitamins are important. And when we lack regular sun and fresh veggies, we might need to supplement a little.
- Make sure to exercise. Again, not a doctor, but I know moving is important. Get your blood flow up with some cardio on YouTube, or a snowy hike. The fresh air, even if it’s cold, can be refreshing and revitalizing.
- Get warm and cozy. Treat yourself to some fuzzy blankets, a heated mattress pad, and comfy slippers. Make the most of your snuggle time with a good book or favorite tv show.
- Mandatory quiet time. Being stuck inside with others can really start to wear after a while. Everyone needs some healthy space and a daily mandatory quiet time is a great way to take a deep breath and enjoy some peace.
