The holidays are over and the temperature outside is starting to plunge into the obscene. For some of us, hell is not flames and lava for eternity, but snow, ice and sunset at 4 p.m. While you may be tempted to hide in your blanket fort, binge watch Cupcake Wars and pretend life outside of your comfortable 70-degree walls doesn’t exist, you’re bound to get cabin fever at some point this winter. So put on your big boy/big girl jackets and see what might be a welcome reprieve from boredom.

‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ Ideas

Go skiing/snowboarding: Try your legs out on the slopes. Skiing and snowboarding are great calorie-burners, and with some really adorable North Face jackets out there, you can be stylish while you work out. Plus, think of all the great YouTube inspiration when you and your buds fall face-first into a snow pile. If you aren’t in love with the sports after trying them for a little while, get cozy near the fire in your ski cabin. At least you tried it.

Go sledding/tubing: Be a kid again. Buy a cheap plastic sled or snow tube from your local department store, find a nearby hill and just have a great time with some fun-loving friends. Be careful that the end of the hill is not on a busy street, and – as tempting as it might be – we do not recommend recreating National Lampoon’s sledding scene.

Go ice skating on the Common: For a small $5 fee (plus $3 for skate rental), the Worcester Oval behind City Hall is open for public skating Friday-Sunday and on school vacation weeks.

Check out the stickwork exhibit at Holy Cross: Patrick Dougherty, the artist-in-residence at Holy Cross, combines architecture and the environment to create beautiful works of art. During his residency, he, along with some volunteers, has been creating a sculpture on the Linden Lane lawn.

Walk: Though I wouldn’t recommend this in the absolute bitter cold, if it’s bearable, bundle up in every piece of outwear you can find until you look like that kid from The Christmas Story and take a walk, alone or with a friend/partner. Take some pics with your phone or camera, because although snow is a nuisance, it really is beautiful at times, and the winter birds (blue jays, cardinals and woodpeckers) provide a pop of color on the trees.

‘Stay warm, but get out of the house’ Ideas

See a show: We are lucky that Worcester has some outstanding venues to catch world class entertainment. The Hanover Theatre is offering John Cleese and the Holy Grail, Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy, Decades Rewind, and Elvis Lives in January. Mechanics Hall has a CDMMEA Festival Concert, the second annual Winter Soiree, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the 10th annual Worcester’s Best Chef Competition. The DCU Center is hosting Monster Jam, Artists Simply Human, a Bridal Expo and the 2017 Worcester Auto Show. The Palladium has August Burns Red, Old Wounds and Blaze Ya Dead Homie this month.

See some art: I love being able to walk out of the cold and into a place that is not only warm but beautiful. The Worcester Art Museum always has a great selection of rotating exhibits. This month, check out Picket Fence to Picket Line: Visions of American Citizenship or Facing the World: Modernization and Splendor in Meiji Japan. Beginning Jan 19, the Davis Art Gallery will open its Parallels exhibit, a selection of art by Lowell artists in an effort to show the parallels of our two city scenes.

Catch a movie the old-fashioned way: Just a short drive and $27 per car, the Mendon Twin Drive-In is open on weekends for movies, sometimes with double features and celebrity guests. Plus, you can crank up your car’s heat to any temp you want. Then, on the way back, you can marvel at how many people still have their holiday lights up.

Take a spa day: I can’t think of many things that are better to do when it’s cold outside than go to a spa. Try the Coconut & Lime glow treatment for a tropical-like escape from reality over at Tu Moda Spa on Pleasant Street or the Moroccan Massage at Mocine Day Spa on Park Avenue, where you can save 10 percent with your local college ID. I recommend visiting Bellisimo Spa on Chandler Street for their Chocolate Crème Experience, which has a cocoa polish, a chocolate mud wrap, a chocolate crème massage and a cup of hot chocolate.

Since we have three more months of winter, let’s make the most of it – whether that means reorganizing our stuff, going to a tanning booth (or getting a spray tan), baking cookies or volunteering for a great cause. There actually is plenty to do if we peek out from under our blankets and take a look around.

By Jennifer Russo