Have a cosy time this winter in Animal Crossing: New Horizons!

Winter has come to Animal Crossing: New Horizons! With a chill in the air and snow covering the ground, there’s never been a better time to enjoy island life. But if you haven’t been back to your island since the Ver. 2.0 update or don’t know what to do over the holidays, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with some ideas on how to spend your time!

Cook up a feast

Nothing says winter quite like piping hot food and delicious treats. Thankfully, there’s now a whole range of tasty DIY Recipes for you to whip up!

Trade some Nook Miles for Be a Chef! DIY Recipes + from the Nook Stop in Resident Services, then grab the Basic Cooking Recipes from Nook’s Cranny to open the door to a world of yummy meals. Get some vegetable starts from Leif growing and soon you’ll have potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and more to get cooking with!

Create a new shopping experience

Harv’s been busy setting up a new plaza on his island! He’ll need your support to get going, so why not head on over to see what he’s been working on and consider contributing some Bells to the cause?

Once you get everything up and running, be sure to check out all the stores the plaza has to offer. You’ll be able to get a fortune telling from Katrina, get items customised to your liking by Reese and Cyrus, regularly pick up works of art from Redd, buy vegetable starts and plants from Leif and much more!

Take a boat tour

Who’s that down by the dock? It’s Kapp’n! If you chat to him in his boat, he’ll offer to take you to a distant island that might have mysterious flora or even an entirely different time of day or season. He’ll even serenade you with a song during the journey!

Warm up in The Roost

Nothing warms you up like a freshly brewed coffee, and that’s exactly what you can find in The Roost! If your museum is developed enough and you’ve spoken to Blathers, then you’ll be able to meet Brewster, the reserved but charming barista. Once the Roost opens, he’ll be on hand to serve up polite conversation and a steaming hot cup or two. Pop in and take a seat, or maybe invite a friend or two to join you?

Get some fresh air and exercise

There’s another way you can warm up in the morning (or any time of day): with some exercise! Just outside Resident Services, you’ll find a tape deck that can be used to start group stretching. Turn it on and then join some of the other island residents in a relaxing stretch with either motion or button controls!

Capture that special moment

Why not open up those airport gates and invite your friends* over for a holiday celebration? With the new Pro Camera App from the Nook Stop, you can really create some great memories of your time together. Use the Handheld Camera mode to get a different view of the fun, or even go into Tripod Camera mode and be in the picture yourself!

Send someone a gift

Of course, you can still send holiday greetings to other friends who can’t make it to your island by putting something nice in the mail to them*. Don’t forget, there’s a whole range of cards in the airport that Orville can help you send to a friend. You can even attach a gift to make the season extra jolly!

Build yourself a Snowboy

What’s snow without a Snowboy? Look for snowballs lying around your island – you can roll these through snow to make them bigger, or over places without snow to make them smaller. Push two together and boom…you’ve got yourself a Snowboy! Judge it just right when rolling to make the perfect Snowboy and you might even get something nice for your efforts!

Enjoy Toy Day

On December 24th, a friendly reindeer with a red hat and coat comes to town, bringing gifts with him for everyone on your island… it’s Jingle! Talk to him outside Resident Services and you’ll be able to help him deliver presents to all the residents of your island. He’ll even give you a special Toy Day Stocking which you can hang up in your house for a special surprise!

Show off your island

Have you tried the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Island Tour Creator? With this creative website, you can make posters and videos that showcase the best your island has to offer, then share them with others for a little inspiration. You’ll find new frames commemorating the end of 2021 available for your posters now, so why not make one today!**

These are just some ideas, but you might also discover other new content from the Ver. 2.0 update as well. You could even start a whole new career in design with Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise!

For everything else Animal Crossing, you can join the community on our Animal Crossing Facebook page or head to the official Animal Crossing Twitter account to get information direct from Isabelle herself. Have a great winter on your island!

*Internet connection required during online play. To use online services, you must create a Nintendo Account and accept the related agreement. The Nintendo Account Privacy Policy applies. Some online services may not be available in all countries. Online play requires paid online membership.

**The Island Tour Creator website for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a limited-time service available until 31/12/2021.