Enjoy the cooler temps in Granite City with these winter activities.
The holidays are rapidly approaching in Granite City, IL, and that provides plenty of opportunities for winter fun. You can take this opportunity to make the most of the season with 6 tips and activities around the area that can both entertain and take care of your health:
1. Catch up with friends over lunch.
Wintertime can be one of the busiest times of the year, with the holidays on the horizon and more than enough to worry about when it comes to the weather. Finding time for friends and family is important, even if it’s just catching up over lunch.
While there’s no end to the dining experiences you can find throughout surrounding areas and across the river, you can also find unique restaurants right in your own backyard. Apple Tree Family Restaurant is a wonderful place to stop for a homestyle meal, and Park Grill offers a fantastic selection.
There are dozens of restaurants throughout Granite City offering the full range of dining options, so there’s always an opportunity to catch up with a friend and try something new.
2. Make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin D.
Are you getting enough vitamin D in the wintertime? Your body naturally produces vitamin D in response to sunlight. This means that your levels can drop dramatically during the wintertime. Not only is there less daylight, but you also spend more time indoors, and you cover up more once temperatures drop.
Vitamin D plays a key role in bone health, including the health of your teeth. A lack of vitamin D reduces the remineralization of enamel, making it easier for tooth decay to take hold. Fluoride helps remineralization, but getting enough vitamin D is essential as well.
A variety of foods include high levels of vitamin D, such as many types of fish, mushrooms, and eggs. Dairy products are often fortified with added vitamin D as well. Eating more of these foods can help, and you can consider supplements if recommended by your doctor. You can even explore light therapy!
3. Plan fun activities with your kids.
The holidays are a busy time, but it’s essential to look for opportunities for fun with your family. You can make sure that you’re spending enough quality time by planning some holiday activities with your children.
This can be as simple as planning a Christmas movie night, and there are so many classics to choose from. Activities like baking cookies are also hallmarks of the season, along with fun outdoor activities like sledding.
If you’d like to take a quiet drive with your family, Granite City is filled with lights throughout the season. So many homes are covered with gorgeous and unique light displays—it’s really a sight to behold.
4. Greet the world with a bright smile.
You might not be able to enjoy the holidays as much as you’d like if you’re constantly concerned about your smile. Whether you think your smile isn’t quite bright enough, or you have cracked, misaligned, or chipped teeth that are bothering you, there are many cosmetic dentistry options that can help.
Professional teeth whitening can provide a noticeable difference in the brightness of your smile right away. It’s a safe and affordable way to add an instant boost to your self-confidence.
While some other treatments take a bit more planning, looking into options like dental crowns, clear aligners, and other cosmetic treatments can provide long-term improvements to your smile.
5. Explore educational experiences for the whole family.
During the wintertime, it can be nice to find some entertaining indoor activities for the whole family. Just across the river from Granite City, you can access an extensive range of family activities that are both fun and educational.
Visiting the St. Louis Aquarium is an exceptional experience sure to delight visitors of all ages. Check out their massive 250,000-gallon shark habitat, or the unique changing rivers exhibits with otters, turtles, and other river wildlife.
The St. Louis Science Center is another wonderful educational experience. You can learn about space flight and astronomy, ecology and dinosaurs, and technology at this center, with over 700 interactive experiences spread across 10 galleries. Best of all, visiting the St. Louis Science Center is free for the whole family.
6. Keep up with your oral health.
The holidays are a busy time, but your health doesn’t need to take a backseat. Make sure that you and your family are keeping up with routine dental exams and cleanings and that you’re following up on other dental issues as well.
Metro East Dental Care is here for all of your dental needs in Granite City. We can help you beat the winter blues with a bright smile sure to give you a feel-good boost. Contact our office to book your appointment today.
