Winter With Best Buddies

 

(Image Description: A buddy family at Homestead High School decorating holiday cookies during their December chapter meeting.)

Winter With Best Buddies

Happy Holidays and New Year!

With the start of 2023 comes the cheerful, yet sometimes brutal winter season. Whether you love drinking hot chocolate or prefer the warmer temperatures, winter is undoubtedly one of the most iconic moments of the year. Many Best Buddies chapters have begun to host engaging events that are perfect for the winter season. Here at the YLC, we hope to provide you some ideas for winter chapter activities!

(Image Description: A buddy match at Homestead High School painting a Christmas ornament together during their December chapter meeting.)

Winter Chapter Event Ideas

1. Snow days: If your school ends up having a snow day during the year, arrange a time to meet up with some of your buddies and/or members to go sledding, have friendly snow fights, or make snow angels together. However, make sure that your chapter members can travel securely to and from the destination so that everyone remains safe. If the weather is too hazardous, try to reschedule the snow activity for another time.
2. Holiday art creation: As pictured above, my chapter recently painted Christmas ornaments from a local pottery company during our December school meeting! Some other winter art ideas could be decorating gingerbread houses, making snowmen out of construction paper, or painting winter landscapes. The options for holiday art are virtually endless!
3. Baking: This could be anything from no-bake puppy chow to sugar cookies shaped out of holiday cookie cutters! As an example, my chapter brought already baked sugar cookies to our meeting and several different colored frostings for buddy families to easily decorate their cookies. Alternatively, your chapter could have a "winter potluck," where each member brings in a holiday-themed snack or treat from home!
4. Bowling: Since the temperatures are starting to drop, consider doing an indoor activity like bowling! Recently, my chapter combined with another local high school chapter and rented out a nearby bowling center, which presented a nice alternative to the snowy outdoors. Note: when renting out large, often noisy places like bowling alleys, make sure that the strobe lights and/or music levels are fully accommodating for your members.
5. Movie nights: Another indoor activity are movie nights at your local movie theater! Your chapter could either rent out a theater and see a custom movie (if time/resources permit), or you could bring some members to see an already showing movie.
6. Another indoor activity: Once again, the opportunities for activities during the chilly season are nearly boundless. Whether it's engaging buddy families within in-school events or hosting an indoor holiday party, the great thing about Best Buddies are the vast opportunities that your chapter can pursue. If possible, play a holiday music playlist in the background to spread some holiday cheer. :)

We hope that this blog helped you and your chapter brainstorm some winter event ideas! Feel free to comment below a fun activity you have done during the winter season.

In friendship,

Nathan