Don’t let the cold keep you and your friends huddled up inside this winter. College students often hibernate in the cold weather, choosing to stay inside and study more often. This is especially true as finals season creeps up. It’s easy to overwork yourself during the colder months, so finding a healthy balance between work and play is essential.

Stress is a physiological response originally meant to help us. It releases some crazy hormones such as epinephrine for a fight or flight response. However, in modern society, it can be devastating to our bodies and minds.

Taking a break is not a permanent solution to stress, but it will help you relax in the long run. What better way to relax and destress than to escape campus with a group of friends? You definitely don’t have to stay cooped up inside this winter with all the fun, affordable options Westchester has to offer!

Need a break and aren’t sure where to begin? Here are six affordable activities for college students in Westchester.

1. Ice skating

Try keeping the cabin fever away by hitting the ice for some classic winter fun. Ice skating can either be serene and peaceful or rambunctious and exciting. Go fast and let yourself experience the feeling of flying down the rink at Ebersole Ice Rink in White Plains. Ebersole is Westchester’s premier outdoor ice rink, which is typically open late October through mid-March.

2. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tour

Whether you are a history buff, love sculpture or just interested in lovely scenery, go visit the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. There about 90 acres of land to cover, but make the most of it by unlocking secrets not yet discovered. Feeling a little daring? Try the nighttime tour. With a flashlight in hand, be sure to keep an eye out for the Headless Horseman.

3. Bronx River Reservation

Before it snows, get back to nature and visit Westchester’s oldest park, which is open seven days a week, dawn to dusk. The main features are the ponds, the footbridges and the different plant life the park contains. This is a great outing to take before it gets too cold. Sometimes a nice walk and some fresh air are all you need!

4. Clay Art Center

Have you ever played with mud as an adult? Well, now you can at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester. Come and be inspired in one of the many classes they offer. Sculpting and shaping clay is not only fun, but it can serve as a great stress reliever. It’s a messy, squishy and mushy kind of fun.

5. Ice cream at The Blue Pig

You can’t go wrong with ice cream, so go visit The Blue Pig ice cream shop in Croton-On-Hudson. According to their website, the ice cream from the Blue Pig is homemade from locally sourced and antibiotic-free dairy and fresh local produce. The atmosphere is also fun – it is the kind of place you might call shabby chic with a twist. Remember, it’s never too cold for ice cream!

6. Museums

Westchester County is a very old and historic area, so there are plenty of museums and historic homes at our disposal. Try checking out places like the Thomas Paine Cottage Museum (right down the street), Kykuit (the Rockefeller Estate), the Lyndhurst Mansion or the Philipsburg Manor.

7. Sky Zone

This is the ultimate way to destress! Looking for a fun indoor activity while still being active? Check out Sky Zone in New Rochelle. Sky Zone is an indoor trampoline park which features dodgeball, free jumping and much more. Though a little pricey at $22 an hour, this activity is worth the splurge!

Westchester is full of different ways to destress and distract yourself in the cold weather. Whatever activity you choose, stay warm and have fun this fall!