There’s a long gap in between winter solstice on December 21st and summer solstice on June 20th. We sit through a lot of long nights, and short days, with very little sunlight in the cold months. How about some winter party ideas to bring some light to the gloomy winter months?
We love a good party, and with the early sunsets, you can get the party started early! To make it even better, theme parties can be a great way to keep things fun after the holidays are over, especially when the only thing we’re looking forward to is Spring. Here are some fun winter party ideas to liven up this gloomy winter season.
There are a lot of holidays in the winter, and after spending most of them with family, why not gather your friends to celebrate them all together? You can decorate with holiday decor from Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s Day.
It can be difficult to get all of your friends together for a celebration around holiday family gatherings—so why not combine them all into one party? Have your friends bring their favorite traditional dish or dessert from their favorite holiday. This can be a really fun way to get rid of last year’s decorations that you’ve been stockpiling in your storage.
No, you don’t have to be a kid to have a sledding party. Invite your friends or family over and caravan to a local sledding hill or skating rink. It can be a blast playing some pick-up hockey games or forming a human chain on the sledding hill. Afterward, head to a local brewery to warm up with a cold beer, or make your home the warming house with some soup or chili waiting in the crockpot when everyone returns. That sounds like the perfect winter day to us!
This can be done inside or outside, or after your fun sledding party. A build-your-own hot cocoa bar can be a fun way to get everyone together to enjoy some cozy winter fun together. If you have a giant thermos or even a crockpot, stir up a big batch of hot cocoa for easy serving, or have a carafe of hot water to pour over some cocoa mix. Then, go for it!
Set out marshmallows, candy canes, sprinkles, whipped cream, and whatever else you could possibly think of to top your hot cocoa with. You can even buy flavor syrups like mint or caramel and make your own coffee-shop style flavored hot cocoa. Yum! Ask your friends to bring some other snacks or treats to share, and make an afternoon out of it!
During the winter we are all guilty of wanting to hole up and stay cozy under blankets with movies and sweatpants. Why not do it with friends? The best part about throwing a movie and PJ party is that you don’t have to leave your house. Tell your friends to wear their coziest sweats, and bring a DVD or movie idea, plus a snack to share.
Fill your living room with pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags so everyone can relax and get a good view of the movie. You could even make a game out of it! Make everyone take a drink or do a push-up whenever someone in the movie does something like sends a text or embarrasses themself in front of their crush—this can be a hilarious game! It works best if you’ve all seen the movie already so you don’t miss anything, otherwise just cozy up and enjoy the show!
On a nice mild winter day, when the temp is at least above 30 degrees, turn your backyard into an outdoor bar! There are some really fun things you can do that use the cold weather and snow to your advantage. You basically have a built-in cooler out there, so designate a little area to have your outdoor “fridge”.
Shovel your snow into a little pile or if you really want to commit, shape it into a cooler and stick those beers and soda cans right into the snow! Snow is also good for holding red solo cups steady while you play some outdoor beer pong in the yard. Get a fire pit going and it can make for a great place for everyone to enjoy the winter day, while warming up when they want to.
Some other winter party ideas include a tropical getaway theme, with board shorts and sunglasses—bring the warmth to Minnesota! You can also have potlucks, chili cook-offs, and any number of parties where people gather, eat comfort food, and enjoy getting out of their homes for an evening. Not into sledding or skating? Head to the indoor pool or one of our other party rooms and amenities that Bigos has to offer in their buildings. Party on, and stay warm!
