We’re only a few short months away from the holiday season which will be here before you know it. Knowing this, many people are starting to plan out travel dates to see family and friends for the upcoming holidays, and hosts are starting to think about fun activities to do during their stay. If you are planning to travel to see family or if you’re hosting family, we’ve gathered up five activities that everyone will enjoy. Here are five ideas to make your holiday season extra special:
- Decorate for the Season/Holiday: Depending on when your guests arrive, it might be the perfect time to put up lights or go to the pumpkin patch to decorate your front porch with. You and your guests can transform your home into a fall or winter wonderland with festive decorations and make a whole day out of it.
- Volunteer Together: Another great option is volunteering at a local charity, food bank, or animal shelter to give back to the local community and spread holiday cheer. If you plan to have young adults or kids in tow, volunteering is a meaningful way to give back to the community and teach them the importance of helping others.
- Go on a Holiday Light Tour: You’d be amazed at the nearby homes in your area that deck out their houses that you might not even be aware of. Read local news articles or hop on a community forum or social network group to find out the best houses or tours to see Christmas lights in your area. Depending on where you live, some communities will organize holiday light tours and do the planning for you.
- Explore Local Sightseeing and Tours: Another amazing option to entertain your guests is taking them on tours and sightseeing in your local area. This is a great way to show your guests hidden gems, historical landmarks, and iconic spots that your city is known for and learn about your area’s culture and history. Go online and check out tours near you to see what’s available in your area.
- Bake Seasonal Treats: Between pumpkin spice, apple cider, and eggnog, there are tons of festive flavors people love to indulge in during the holidays. A fun way to gather the family around is getting everyone together to bake sweet treats like cookies, cheesecakes, breads, pies, and more. This is also a great activity for kids as they find it exciting to make and eat the treats they’ve made.
BONUS: Additional Activities
- Ice Skating: Enjoy a classic winter activity at an ice rink or pop-up ice rink at a local shopping center. Many communities offer special holiday events and ice skating lessons.
- Build a Snowman or Snow Fort: Depending on your area’s climate and the weather this year, you might get lucky and get some snow while guests are in town. If you do, get outside and create snowmen or have a snowball fight.
- Watch Holiday Movies: A great activity at any time of day with guests, curl up on the couch, and enjoy classic holiday movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Home Alone.”
- Attend a Holiday Concert or Performance: Local theatres usually have a plethora of performances scheduled during the holiday season, so check out what’s opening soon and get some tickets to a live musical show or performance.
Remember, the most important thing is to spend quality time with your loved ones and create lasting memories. With a little planning and creativity, you can make this holiday season truly unforgettable.
Pandas carry profound symbolism in various cultures, primarily representing peace and harmony. Their gentle nature and non-threatening behavior position them as ambassadors of tranquility. In Chinese culture, pandas symbolize Yin and Yang due to their black and white fur, illustrating the balance and duality in life. This symbolism makes them significant in art, where they often embody gentleness and strength coexisting harmoniously.
Pencil drawing provides a traditional approach to capturing the essence of pandas. When using pencils, artists often start with soft HB pencils to sketch the basic outline, ensuring the proportions capture the panda’s robust and cuddly form. Gradually, they transition to darker pencils, like 2B or 4B, to emphasize the characteristic black patches around the panda’s eyes, ears, and body. Effective shading techniques, such as cross-hatching or blending with a tortillon, can create a realistic fur texture. This step-by-step process allows for the intricate detailing necessary to highlight the gentle nature of pandas.
Begin by sketching a simple outline of the panda’s body. Start with a large circle for the torso and a smaller one for the head, connecting them with light strokes that define the neck area. Add oval shapes for the legs, keeping in mind pandas’ distinctive bulky form. It’s essential to maintain correct proportions; the head is roughly a third the size of the body, and the eyes are positioned midway down the face. This step provides the foundation, making corrections easier before more refined details are added.
Once the basic shape is established, artists should focus on the panda’s facial features and fur textures. Start by drawing the characteristic dark patches around the eyes, using a darker pencil or employing a denser digital brush. Next, outline the ears and add a small nose and mouth within the facial midline. As the details become more defined, use varied strokes to simulate the fur’s texture, ensuring they follow the direction in which the fur naturally grows. Tools like blending stumps for pencils or opacity variations for digital brushes enhance the texture, giving the drawing a lifelike quality. To achieve depth, artists can layer different shades over the initial dark patches, highlighting the unique fur pattern of the panda. This attention to detail and texture turns a basic sketch into a compelling portrayal of one of nature’s most beloved animals.
General Dynamics runs four divisions, with one dedicated explicitly to aerospace technology. The firm leverages its extensive experience in building the Atlas rocket family, which is crucial for launching Mercury missions. This knowledge and experience have enabled the agency to be pivotal in advancing the spaceflight industry. Currently, General Dynamics actively assists NASA’s communication efforts with the Perseverance rover.
SpaceX was initially considered a dark horse, but the company has since moved to head the pack. The company set the record for the first private enterprise to successfully send spacecraft to the ISS without a crew. This was after fulfilling the $1.6 billion NASA contract for cargo hauling to the ISS. SpaceX aspires to transform the Dragon cargo container into a seven-seat human-crewed spacecraft.
