Sustainable Bucket List for Winter: 20 Eco-Friendly Activities to Do This Winter

The beauty of having different seasons not only results from a change of scenery, or the process of transformation that leaves go through until they become soil, or from a change in our clothes and our surroundings. A new season means new activities, and perhaps new habits! I have already suggested various eco-friendly activities to do in summer, autumn, and spring, and now I’m finishing what I started by bringing you the sustainable bucket list for winter!

To me, winter always meant birthday season, since mine is in July and it’s a winter month in Argentina. Now, as a US resident, I’m a summer-birthday-girl. Except for that detail, winter still holds the same meanings as when the months were inversed: coziness, freshness, and a longing for warmth. The drawback: shorter days. I don’t like coming home from work at night, but I do appreciate the selfless caress of a warm coffee while cuddling my cat, the possibility of snow covering entire cities, and the fun task of layering clothes.

In Miami, we only have a few cold days, in which Floridians get too excited and start dusting off their boots, sweaters, and coats, even if it’s only 60 degrees outside. I enjoy those days, since I think they are a great opportunity to train outdoors without the suffocating strains of humidity, or to go to the beach with a hot drink in my reusable mug. During wintertime, Miami combines summer plans, like being outdoors, with indoor plans, like sipping coffee or reading. You get the best of both worlds. Nonetheless, when my body and soul deeply crave an authentic winter, I plan a getaway to the north. My favorite option is visiting my dear friend in New York, and discovering coffee shops, seeing Broadway shows, walking around Central Park with a parka, or seeing the sustainable side of this beautiful city.

It doesn’t matter where you live (in tropical weather like I do, or in the coldest of cities), these are some sustainable activities you can do to enjoy winter!

20 ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONSCIOUS ACTIVITIES TO ENJOY IN WINTER

1. PLAY WITH SNOW

For those who live in a snowy city, playing with this amazing magic powder is a synonym for wintertime. Growing up, I used to watch movies where they showed a snowy winter, and I could never relate but was always so curious about what it would feel like to wake up every day to a winter wonderland. I think I was fourteen the first time I touched snow. Ever since, I’ve seen it a couple more times when traveling, and it has gifted me special moments I’ll never forget. Snow has always been a little luxury to me and not my everyday life, and therefore still holds that magic factor, which may be lost in routine and consistency.

To enjoy snow sustainably during winter, you can build a snowman, make a snow angel, have a snowball fight, or use a snow sled. These activities are gentle on the environment, and so much fun, especially to do along family or friends.

2. bake a plant-based treat

Colder days may invite you to be indoors a bit more, and what better use of your indoor time than baking? To make it sustainable, try some of the many vegan recipes online, and prepare some delicious plant-powered cake, bread, muffin, cookies, or whatever your cravings dictate! If possible, buy as many ingredients as you can in bulk, so you reduce packaging waste.

Baking is also a great opportunity to share, whether it is a moment–by cooking with someone else–or as a little gift–by cooking for someone. Besides, it’s a great therapeutic activity that can lower your stress levels, get your mind off everything that has been bothering you, and allows you to create something with your bare hands, which helps with self-love and self-accomplishment!

3. Leave a book you no longer use in your nearest little free library

Have you ever seen a Little Free Library in your town? I’m always pleasantly surprised when I spot one, which is usually in the most unexpected of places! It’s an awesome organization that promotes sharing books and the joy of literature. You may have seen these little wooden houses where you can take a book and leave one in return (or just leave one!). If you have books that you no longer use at home and were thinking about donating them, check their website to see if you have a Little Free Library near you. The last time I dropped some books, I also left some little notes inside with motivational quotes, so whoever grabbed it had that little gift from an anonymous stranger that could make their day better. This way, you give a second chance to something that has been collecting dust at home and promote the use of secondhand books!

Walking around Central Park under the snow

4. Have a self-care day with sustainable products

When it’s too cold outside, you can find the opportunity to pamper yourself, which is something we tend to procrastinate. But those days are over! Grab a sustainable bathrobe, light a vegan candle, moisturize with a vegan and sustainable lotion, or exfoliate with a sustainable scrub. There are many ways to take care of your body in a way that’s environmentally friendly, and many brands that have assumed a responsibility towards the planet. Happy you, happy Earth; it’s a win-win.

5. See a play at your local theater

Even though the cold days make it easier to stay home guilt-free, sometimes we need to get out of the house and avoid being outdoors at the same time, because we still don’t want to freeze to death. Behold the theater! An amazing way to drench in culture, art, and community, and to have a fabulous time, either alone or with someone. Find your local theater or opera and peruse their schedule. Maybe the Nutcracker is a suitable choice for this time of the year.

6. Make soup or vegan fondue

In case you aren’t a baker, but you like to cook, I recommend another gastronomic activity to prepare this winter, and to make it an eco-friendly one, I suggest you prepare these meals in their vegan form, since a plant-based diet is more sustainable.

My favorite vegan soup to make is pumpkin soup, for which I sauté some garlic and onion with olive oil, boil cubes of pumpkin, and mix everything in the processor with some spices (maybe I add just a tiny bit of vegan milk, but I like it to be as creamy as possible). For the vegan fondue, make sure to find a plant-based cheese that melts well, and use a vegan wine (since regular wine uses animal-derived ingredients for the fining process).

7. Visit a local winter or Christmas market

A great way to spend some time outside the house this winter, and maybe even support a local business, is to go to your local winter or Christmas market! Several cities host these, and it can be a great sustainable opportunity to grab some groceries, bread, or eco gifts for Christmas from a small business. An extra perk for you is that it will also be an opportunity to do a different activity or share some quality time with your friends or family.

8. Drink hot vegan cocoa

One of the joys of wintertime is hot chocolate! You can be a rebel and drink hot cocoa in summer, but I don’t think it will be as enjoyable or as cozy as doing it when the temperatures have dropped, you are wearing a sweater, and you are staring out a window and seeing the snow (or just imagining snow, if you live in a place like Florida).

To make this a sustainable winter activity, make sure that your hot chocolate is plant-based. This means using a plant-based milk and chocolate. In case you want to go an extra mile and make it even eco-friendlier, make the plant-based milk at home. For plant-based chocolate, you can use organic cocoa powder or buy a vegan chocolate in bar.

Enjoying a park in NYC, even during really cold weather!

9. Volunteer at a food kitchen

A sustainable activity can also be one that contributes to society in general. Volunteering at a food kitchen can be a great way of helping the community, using your time to do something meaningful, and also supporting an organization that helps people and reduces food waste.

These kind of activities have a spike during the Christmas season, but you can do it before or after, or year-round, and even find similar volunteering opportunities in your city, like playing with animals in a shelter, handling medals at a race, or helping at a local cleanup.

10. engage in outdoor sports

This may sound a bit unappealing to you, especially if you are very sensitive to cold weather, but the reality is that winter is a great time to do sports outdoors. For instance, if you live in a small town with lots of green spaces and you get snow, you can go tobogganing. Winter can also be an ideal season to go hiking, ice climbing, or cross-country skiing.

On the other hand, if you live in an area where it doesn’t snow, like I do, you can enjoy the benefits of being sporty outside. Personally, during wintertime, it’s easier and more enjoyable for me to go running in Miami, since the high temperatures drop, and so does humidity. My heart rate is more stable, and the sun isn’t so harsh if I want to go for a run mid-morning or at noon. Running, rollerblading, walking, riding your bike, are all activities you can do in winter, and that aren’t bad for the environment.

11. Put together a puzzle you bought secondhand

I love it when some activities from this list can be combined. For instance, you can make yourself a delicious vegan hot cocoa to sip while you put together a puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to put your mind to work, while focusing on one task at a time, which is great for anxiety or stress. This is also an activity that is versatile in the sense that you can do it alone or with someone else.

To make it a sustainable activity this winter, don’t buy new puzzles. Because of the nature of puzzle-making, most people just put it together once, and then don’t use it again, which is very unsustainable, considering the resources and materials that go into this. Try finding secondhand puzzles at your local thrift store, Ebay, or Goodwill.

12. Catch snowflakes with your mouth

Again, this one is for those people who will witness snowing during the winter. Whether it’s the first snow of the season, the second, or the hundredth, you can lay down, make a snow angel, and catch snowflakes with your mouth while you stare at the sky. This activity will have zero impact on the planet, but a huge influence on your well-being, not to mention your inner child will be jumping joyously.

13. go Snowshoe hiking

I separated this one from the outdoor sports group so it could get the spotlight, as it sounds like a fun winter activity that’s gentle on the planet but is also an amazing exercise. It could also be a great cross-training activity if you’re a runner. What is more, it’s cheaper and more sustainable than ski and snowboarding, and is also a great winter activity for beginners, since you only need a few basic techniques and less equipment. This type of hiking can be done in regular hiking trails and in national forests and state parks, meaning you don’t need a special area (like the slopes for skiing and snowboarding), which, again, is better for the environment, and more accessible. Spending time in nature is also one of my favorite ways to reconnect to the roots of our sustainability journey and our responsibility towards this planet.

Amazing lunch my friend and I had at a vegan restaurant in NYC

14. Decorate plant-based cookies

Do you want other ideas to stay indoors when it’s cold outside, although you want to use that time productively? Here is my proposal: decorate plant-based cookies! This can go two ways: you either bake the cookies yourself, or you buy the cookies, and you only take care of the icing. Either way, there are many recipes online for plant-based cookies and icing.

This is an excellent way to release your creative mind, as well as making something delicious (and sustainable) that you can enjoy afterwards or, even better, gift someone. There is nothing like receiving homemade cookies from your neighbors, friends, or family. Spread love while taking care of the planet through food!

15. Do a random act of kindness

This activity goes beyond seasons and is as timeless as ever. Doing an act of kindness is zero waste and it can also improve a person's day. The possibilities are infinite, and you can do it for your loved ones or for a stranger. For instance, you can pay for the coffee of the person next to you in the line, send money for a hot chocolate to a friend, give a compliment to someone on the street, prepare a meal for a homeless person, leave random motivational quotes in people’s cars, or offer someone to take their supermarket’s cart back to the store. These are just ideas, but you can come up with millions of other ones. Kindness is contagious!

16. go to a museum

In my opinion, museums are perfect for really hot summer days, or for cold winter days. It’s a great way of getting out of the house while staying warm, learning, and being inspired at the same time. To find the museum you’re most interested in, you can open Google Maps, and type in ‘museum’ in the search bar; you will be amazed at how many museums you haven’t heard are in your area (besides the most popular ones).

17. Store bags and papers from Christmas gifts, to use them next year

More than a sustainable activity, this is a sustainable habit that you can build over time. Whenever I receive a gift that comes wrapped in a nice paper or in a bag, I save these in a drawer to use them when it’s my time to give a present to someone.

For that reason, this winter, and especially during Christmas time, when gift-giving has a peak, save those gift wraps or cute Christmas-themed bags (or birthday-themed, or plain brown bags), so you can reuse them later. This is a very easy–not to mention affordable–option to reduce waste.

18. Try a new plant-based restaurant or coffee shop

One pastime I love is trying new vegan/plant-based restaurants  wherever I am. Locally, I enjoy revisiting my favorite vegan spots in Miami. However, when I travel, I always look up the best plant-based restaurants or coffee shops, and try them out.

Not only will you be enjoying a delicious meal that’s gentle on the planet, but you will also be supporting a local restaurant that is promoting change!

19. Have a movie marathon and make your own popcorn

The old traditional movie night, that was roaring in the noughties, is still as fun as ever. Just like Lorelai and Rory in Gilmore Girls, you can spend a whole night watching the complete saga of The Godfather, other classics, or even new releases. Unlike them, however, avoid the food waste and takeaway. You can be less wasteful by avoiding takeaway/ordering-in containers and packaging, and instead prepare your own food. Moreover, say ‘no’ to microwave popcorn, and make your own at home. For this, you can buy corn kernels in bulk, and cook them in slow heat with a bit of olive oil or sugar, until they pop and are ready to be devoured.

20. go to the beach

As I proposed a few activities that involved snow, I’m brining justice for those who live in warmer climates, like me. The last activity on this sustainable bucket list for winter involves the beach!

I love going to the beach in winter, change the bikini for a sweater, and enjoy the frisk air with a cup of coffee or mate. It’s a perfect context for reading, doing yoga, meditate, or go for a walk by the coast. Another good thing about this time of the year is that the beaches are less crowded, which means you can enjoy the silence being enveloped by the sound of the waves and seagulls.

Which sustainable activities will cross off your bucket list this winter?

Please don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to receive more tips on how to be more sustainable and lead a conscious life.

Hi, I’m Melina,

I’m the creator of Sustainable Rookie, and my goal is to share what I learn throughout my sustainability journey, so that I can help other people live a more conscious life.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy: