Southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois have begun their winters early with a snowstorm that produced a whopping 11 inches. I personally was very excited about this... until I realized that it meant I could no longer go skateboarding, go roller-skating, or wear shorts. This got me thinking: what is there to do in winter? Besides the painfully obvious such as have snowball fights, build snowmen, and build igloos, you can...

1. Ice-skate.

It's an unspoken tradition that once December rolls around and the air starts to get a little chillier, you bust out either your ice skates or $8 and head down to Red Arrow Park for a fun time. Who says the snow means you have to sit on your ass all day? It doesn't if pacing a circular slab of ice surrounded by pretty things in a pretty neighborhood is your idea of a good time.

2. Draw things on bodies of water that have been snowed on.

This is your canvas. Have fun, and try not to die.

Hey, someone once walked out onto the frozen-over Milwaukee River and drew a huge pissing dick on it that was visible from the bridge directly above it. Why not flex your artistic muscles? (Do proceed with caution, though. I like you to not be dead.)

3. Go for a walk and take pictures of all the pretty things you see, and post them to your Instagram account.

Right after you apply every special effect and filter ever, of course. #NoFilter is for tap water.

4. Go to the Urban Ecology Center.

You can volunteer, participate in their activities (my favorite one was the Candlelit Walk that I led in December of my sophomore year!), and enjoy their free sleds and skis complete with a hill you can use them on. If you come early enough, you could also have some of their free hot cocoa and snacks!

5. Pick up trash in a park outside the suburbs.

Parks outside the suburbs generally do not have groundskeepers who are paid to keep the park clean, and since people are litterbugs the park will often end up full of litter -- and with the snow on the ground, litter becomes far easier to hide. I know all you Milwaukee Public Schools children need to fill your graduation requirement of 30 hours of volunteer work (or your IB requirement of 150 hours of volunteer work), so if you're really bored and have nothing to do... why not?

6. Shop for winter wear.

OK, so technically this isn't outside, but it's outside your house so I'm counting it. If you're a shopping person, you could go to the mall and pick out a cute new coat, hat, and/or scarf... or buy those fuzzy gloves you've been eyeing. No money? No problem! Just grab a bunch of them, make a beeline for the dressing room, and take a bunch of selfies for Instagram.

7. Roller-skate.

I know I already mentioned ice-skating, but there are things you get from roller-skating that ice-skating just can't give you. Unlike ice-skating, roller-skating isn't just good exercise; it's a night club on wheels. At ice-skating rinks they play Christmas music and stuff you'd slow dance with your significant other to, but at roller-skating rinks they play all the hot pop songs. That way, you no longer have to choose between getting your groove on and going around in circles while moving your feet.

Although Incredi-Roll is a fabulous place to go roller-skating, it isn't that affordable. Rollaero, however, offers just as much fun for a fraction of the price.