By Keilana Pang,
Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day. While the idea of socializing instead of studying might sound foreign, it’s time to take a break and celebrate a holiday that promotes all kinds of love — romantic and platonic. Although COVID-19 guidelines discourage close-contact activities, you can still find ways to connect safely. Whether or not you have a significant other, try these activities on Feb. 14!
Escape room
Purposely locking yourself in a room to see whether you can escape within an hour sounds suspicious, but most people can attest to the intense fun that escape rooms bring. Ideally done with a group of friends, this activity will certainly test everyone’s cooperation skills. If you can’t purchase the full in-person experience, you can choose from plenty of escape rooms in box form through Amazon and Target. You can also find virtual escape rooms to challenge.
Rock climbing
Test your inner monkey at the Hangar18 climbing gym in Arcadia! While the individual sport focuses on improving upper body and core strength, you can also scale the various courses with your friends for extra competitive motivation. Don’t let a beginner status stop you — the staff will give you a tutorial to start off your first-time experience!
Nature walk
Take a trip to The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, which features a wide array of vivid flora. Your student ID card allows you and three additional people to enter the gardens for free and without a reservation.
Arts and crafts
Valentine’s Day offers a collection of project ideas. Along with the traditional drawing mediums, try something more kinesthetic — plenty of cute crochet patterns fill the internet. Find the proper supplies at Michaels or Daiso and create yarn-work for or with your friends. Strings and knots not your style? Try origami crafts! You can purchase plenty of paper styles at Daiso and find a variety of folding patterns online.