As any Albertan knows, the best way to beat winter is to get out in it. Skiing, snowshoe hikes, hot chocolate at a winter festival – there is always plenty to do outdoors in Edmonton when fall gives way to winter. But even the hardiest of us have their limits, and most of us will be spending a lot of time indoors in the coming months.
If you’re at a loss for what to do during the long dark days, then the internet is your friend. We have some suggestions for fun, interesting and educational online activities to help take you through to next spring.
Play Games
Whatever kind of games you are into, you can find one to suit you online and even for free. Puzzles to challenge your brain, multiplayer games to collaborate with friends or strangers, even gambling games at new online casinos such as those found here https://casinopilot.ca/new-casinos/. Everyone needs some downtime, and gaming can be a great way to counteract the effects of the long winter evenings.
Take a Virtual Tour
Games are all very well, but they shouldn’t take up too much of your time. One great use of your laptop is to go on virtual tours of museums, galleries and many other sites of cultural significance. Many of these tours are offered for free, and you get the chance to see artefacts and works of art from around the world. Even Edmonton’s own Royal Alberta Museum offers virtual tours, although you may prefer to visit that one in person.
Learn a New Skill
Not too long ago, if you wanted to learn something new you needed to find a class or a tutor – and that cost money and time. Today, there are so many things that you can learn by using free online resources. Video hosting sites and blogs have hundreds of thousands of videos and tutorials on almost every skill you can imagine. Want to learn how to knit or crochet your own garments, cook a five-course gourmet meal, or learn the fundamentals of computer programming? You can find out how online.
Watch a Webinar
Skills are great, but sometimes we want to improve our academic knowledge as well. Not all of us can stomach reading textbooks (which also cost money) but a lecture or seminar is another matter. Webinars have become very popular in recent years, and whether you are interested as a casual learner or as a professional in the field there are a lot of resources out there. Many institutions now produce their own webinars – such as the ones available from the University of Alberta. They can be watched live or accessed via a video archive. A whole world of learning at your fingertips.
Get Creative for Christmas
As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, there is one thing on the horizon that we all look forward to. The holiday season is not far away, and most of us have already started thinking about what to buy and how to decorate. Look online for festive inspiration, from crafty homemade gifts and tasty treats to cute and inventive Christmas ornaments. Making stuff for Christmas is especially fun if you have young children, but it’s also a great way to save money and resources at what is too often a wasteful time of year.
Winter is the perfect time to get cosy and relax, but it’s also a great opportunity to learn something new. We hope we have helped to inspire you a little bit for the months to come.