If SPARK and Welcome to Weekends is helping you have great weekends, share your experience on Facebook @sparkhd and Instagram @sparkhd and use #sparkweekend to show what you have been doing. I hope you keep having wonderful weekends!

• Try your hand at drawing

This weekend will be a bit warmer than it has been, so take this opportunity to try to do a nature sketch. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect, just have fun trying to capture what you see. There is a technique called retinal painting/drawing where you just draw the blocks of color you see. This is a great way to get started if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. If you aren’t into drawing, you could try photography, or you could just go on a nature walk.

• Go thrifting

Mix up your weekend with a trip to the thrift shop. You can find some really cool stuff and have a lot of fun. It’s also great for finding stuff for creative projects, like painting or bleaching jeans.

• Take a break

For most, midterms are just about wrapping up, so take this opportunity to take a restful break. Whether that means watching a movie with friends or going on a hike or anything else, just make sure you take some time for selfcare.

• Watch the Falcon and the Winter Soldier 

Continue to experience the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+ with Falcon and Winter Soldier, a TV show following the title characters (played by Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan) as they deal with the trials of a world after Avengers: Endgame. The first episode begins streaming Friday (March 19). To learn more about the characters and production background, visit www.imdb.com/title/tt9208876/trivia.

• Ice Skating at Millennium Park

Millennium Park’s outdoor ice-skating rinks are opening up once again for the Holiday season. The McCormick Tribune Rink is a traditional oval shape perfect for beginners. The Ribbon, located at Maggie Daily Park, is a long circular path with level, uphill, and downhill skating for a slightly more experienced skater although beginners are welcome to try. Skates may be rented for $16-20 a pair, but bring your own, and it’s completely free of charge. Due to COVID-19, there will be limited capacity. Go to maggiedaleypark.com/things-to-do-see/skating-ribbon/ to make your reservations now or to learn more about skating downtown.

If SPARK and Welcome to Weekends is helping you have great weekends, share your experience on Facebook @sparkhd and Instagram @sparkhd and use #sparkweekend to show what you have been doing. I hope you keep having wonderful weekends!

1) Celebrate Dr. Suess  

Dr. Suess’s birthday is this Tuesday (March 2), so celebrate his work by reading one of his books, watching a Dr. Suess movie, or sit under a trufalla tree and relax.

2) Watch Tom and Jerry

Relive their anticks this Friday (Feburary 26) with Tom and Jerry as it goes to theatres. Watch the classic rivalry as it intensifies on the big screen. Watch the trailer here, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP9TfCWaQT4,  and try some Tom and Jerry trivia here, www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz152706117d1f8.html.

3) Eat some chili

Thursday (March 4) is chili day, so set your crockpots to cook and enjoy a warm meal. Try some new and unique chili recipes at www.tasteofhome.com/collection/best-chili-recipes-of-all-time/. My personal favorite is number 13- Thai-Style Chili.

4) Binge an old show

Catch up on an old show you haven’t watched in a while. Share with friends and relive the fun.

5) Ice Skating at Millennium Park

Millennium Park’s outdoor ice-skating rinks are opening up once again for the Holiday season. The McCormick Tribune Rink is a traditional oval shape perfect for beginners. The Ribbon, located at Maggie Daily Park, is a long circular path with level, uphill, and downhill skating for a slightly more experienced skater although beginners are welcome to try. Skates may be rented for $16-20 a pair, but bring your own, and it’s completely free of charge. Due to COVID-19, there will be limited capacity. Go to maggiedaleypark.com/things-to-do-see/skating-ribbon/ to make your reservations now or to learn more about skating downtown.

If SPARK and Welcome to Weekends is helping you have great weekends, share your experience on Facebook @sparkhd and Instagram @sparkhd and use #sparkweekend to show what you have been doing. I hope you keep having wonderful weekends!

• Watch The Kid

Appreciate cinema this Thursday (January 21) a Charlie Chaplin’s classic film, The Kid, celebrates its 100^th anniversary. In 1921, this iconic film was released, and it is considered one of the most influential movies of its time. Experience this piece of cinematic culture for free on IMDb TV or stream it on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max.

• Watch WandaVision

On Friday (January 15) the Marvel Cinematic Universe releases its first television series, WandaVision, where the Scarlet Witch and Vision traverse life in suburbia once they realize something isn’t quite right. Watch the trailer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj9J2ecsSpo. You can stream the series on Disney+. If you are looking for a refresher on who these characters are, go to Disney+ and watch the first two episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends.

• Appreciate dragons

Dragons are a part of many cultures and are a ton of fun. Why not use Appreciate a Dragon Day this Saturday (January 16) to celebrate these mythic beasts? You can appreciate dragons by watching a movie or TV series or reading a book that features a dragon, creating your own dragon artwork, or going online and research more about these creatures. Whatever you do, just have fun celebrating these cool beasts.

• Honor Martin Luther King Jr

Monday (January 18) is Martin Luther King Day, so use this holiday to remember this great man and his contributions to making the world a better place.

• Ice Skating at Millennium Park

Millennium Park’s outdoor ice-skating rinks are opening up once again for the Holiday season. The McCormick Tribune Rink is a traditional oval shape perfect for beginners. The Ribbon, located at Maggie Daily Park, is a long circular path with level, uphill, and downhill skating for a slightly more experienced skater although beginners are welcome to try. Skates may be rented for $16-20 a pair, but bring your own, and it’s completely free of charge. Due to COVID-19, there will be limited capacity. Go to maggiedaleypark.com/things-to-do-see/skating-ribbon/ to make your reservations now or to learn more about skating downtown.

If SPARK and Welcome to Weekends is helping you have great weekends, share your experience on Facebook @sparkhd and Instagram @sparkhd and use #sparkweekend to show what you have been doing. I hope you keep having wonderful weekends!

• Have a Happy New Year!

2020 is finally over. 2021 here we come! As always try setting up your new year with a resolution. If you need help coming up with a resolution you can actually keep up with for the entire year, go to Harvard Health for some help (www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/seven-steps-for-making-your-new-years-resolutions-stick). Happy New Year!

• Celebrate the Festival of Sleep

January 3 (Sunday) is the Festival of Sleep—a day dedicated to hitting the snooze button, So use this day to sleep in, take a nap, or go to sleep early. You could also use this day to start getting your sleep schedule on track for school. Since many classes are starting in about two weeks, use this day as a reminder to (regrettably) start sleeping better.

• Do some trivia

Trivia is a great way to hang out with friends and learn completely random facts that you’ll probably never need to know. January 4 (Monday) is Trivia Day, so why not pull out Trivial Pursuit and play with friends or family. If you can’t play together due to COVID-19 restrictions, you can always set up a video call and ask each other the questions. If you do not have any trivia-based games, go to www.opinionstage.com/blog/trivia-questions/.

• Watch Ant-Man

In January 1962, Ant-Man (Hank Pym) made his first appearance in Tales to Astonish #27. Celebrate the character by watching him appear on your screen. Watch Michael Douglas portray this character in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp. If that isn’t enough Ant-Man for you, you can see Paul Rudd portray the second Ant-Man in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. All appearances of Ant-Man are available on Disney+ and to rent or buy on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and Vudu.

• Ice Skating at Millennium Park

Millennium Park’s outdoor ice-skating rinks are opening up once again for the Holiday season. The McCormick Tribune Rink is a traditional oval shape perfect for beginners. The Ribbon, located at Maggie Daily Park, is a long circular path with level, uphill, and downhill skating for a slightly more experienced skater although beginners are welcome to try. Skates may be rented for $16-20 a pair, but bring your own, and it’s completely free of charge. Due to COVID-19, there will be limited capacity. Go to maggiedaleypark.com/things-to-do-see/skating-ribbon/ to make your reservations now or to learn more about skating downtown.

If SPARK and Welcome to Weekends is helping you have great weekends, share your experience on Facebook @sparkhd and Instagram @sparkhd and use #sparkweekend to show what you have been doing. I hope you keep having wonderful weekends!

• Make a Christmas Ornament

Since many traditional Christmas activities are canceled due to COVID-19, why not do something from home to celebrate the season? Try making your own decorations this year. Go to https://www.housebeautiful.com/entertaining/holidays-celebrations/g2818/homemade-christmas-ornaments/ for a bunch of ideas. My personal favorite is a little yarn hat ornament on slide 4. Slide 12 shows you how to make simple but elegant paper ornaments.

• Watch Kindergarten Cop

On Monday (December 21), Kindergarten Cop turns 30 years old. Join in the fun as Arnold Schwarzenegger, a gritty cop, is assigned to find and protect a dangerous criminal’s ex-wife, but the only way to do that is to go undercover as a teacher in a kindergarten classroom. You can watch Kindergarten Cop on Hulu and Amazon Prime or rent/buy on YouTube. To learn some trivia about the film, visit https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099938/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2.

• Go caroling

Even though the Christmas season looks different this year, you can still celebrate the season with your family by caroling. Use Go Caroling Day, which is this Sunday (December 20) as an excuse to get outside and share some Christmas joy!

• Look on the bright side

Monday (December 21) is Look on the Bright Side Day. 2020 has been an unusual and difficult year for everyone, and it can be easy to look at it negatively. Use this day to reflect on all of the good things that have come from this year. For example during quarantine, you probably learned a new skill or got in touch with a friend who hadn’t talked to in a while.

• Ice Skating at Millennium Park

Millennium Park’s outdoor ice-skating rinks are opening up once again for the Holiday season. The McCormick Tribune Rink is a traditional oval shape perfect for beginners. The Ribbon, located at Maggie Daily Park, is a long circular path with level, uphill, and downhill skating for a slightly more experienced skater although beginners are welcome to try. Skates may be rented for $16-20 a pair, but bring your own, and it’s completely free of charge. Due to COVID-19, there will be limited capacity. Go to maggiedaleypark.com/things-to-do-see/skating-ribbon/ to make your reservations now or to learn more about skating downtown.