Watching TV and relaxing at home is nice on cold winter days, but due to my antsy and hyperactive habits, I can’t stay at home and entertain myself for more than a day. To those of you who are happy to lay in bed and listen to the John Mayer Pandora station all day, kudos to you. However, for those of you who get cabin fever during the cold Chicago winters, I am pleased to tell you that there are hundreds of cheap, fun, and entertaining activities to do with friends in places where you won’t contract hypothermia.

The best place to start is with fun activities for broke high school girls (like me and you!). Here are a few fun events and places that won’t cost you a dime.

The Garfield Park Conservatory is a tropical urban escape split into six sections, each hosting a different biome. There are palm trees, cactuses, flowers, ferns, venus fly traps, and hundreds of other plant life species; all of which are enclosed under a warm, steamy house of glass. The feeling of the warm air melting the imaginary ice in your bones is good enough to spend the entire day exploring there. What’s even better is that the Garfield Park Conservatory is accessible from the Green Line Conservatory-Central Park Drive L station. 

The Maggie Daley Ice-Skating Rink is a personal favorite of mine. It has just become cold enough to actually use it, and it is open until 10:00 pm on Saturday and 9:00 pm on Friday. The admission is free, so for anyone who owns their own skates it is free of charge. Skate rental is twelve dollars.

Laser Tag is a game I haven’t played in years, but after doing some research, I am trying to rally a group of friends to go this weekend. There are two nearby locations found on Harlem Avenue and Golf Road called Laser Quest and Party Time Palace, each of which runs no more than 10 dollars a person. For those of you who don’t know what laser tag is, it can be described as a “recreational activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in which the game is played,” according to Lazer Warzone. Essentially, it’s a no-contact game that grows more and more fun with every person that joins.

The Lincoln Park Zoo is completely free and open to anyone who wishes to explore it. It’s open 365 days a year, and is home to all of the mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians that you could ever dream of. According to the zoo’s website, “the animals we exhibit serve as ambassadors for their wild cousins. From reclusive reptiles to massive mammals, the species here in Chicago educate visitors on animal facts and help zoo scientists protect wildlife around the world.” The only part about your day at the zoo that will cost you money is the parking, which is $20 per car. If you wish to spare yourself, I would recommend taking the train or parking a small ways away and enjoying a short walk in.

Since Cook Country maintains beautiful forest preserves scattered all around the district, Cross-Country Skiing is a great way to enjoy the woods in the winter and clear your head. There are cross country ski rentals at Northerly Island and the Heller Nature Center in Highland Park. I have skied at the Heller Nature Center, and I absolutely loved it. Cross country skiing is a low impact way to get exercise, it’s not dangerous, and it’s relatively easy to get the hang of.

Don’t let your winter become boring! We live in a beautiful place where there is never a time when there’s truly nothing to do. That is a perk of living in Chicago, right? Beat the winter blues with any of these fun, almost-free activities.