You can find the Christmas trees, you can find the Christmas dinners, you can - as I always do every December - fill your apartment with the sounds of Christmas music and the smell of freshly baked store-bought cookies, but one thing that's always missing in Shanghai during the Christmas season is that beautiful snowy winter. However, just because Shanghai probably won't be offering up a lovely white Christmas this year doesn't mean Shanghai isn't offering any fun winter activities that you can partake in to help balance out that second helping of turkey and that extra glass (or bottle) of red wine. Anything to do with snow or ice is sufficient enough to provide me with some holiday cheer, and there are enough options here in Shanghai to keep you active on the weekends during this festive season. To make up for the lack of snow in Shanghai, I've gathered some skiing and ice skating info for those of you who are seeking snowy activities to get into the Christmas spirit. As a kid, traditional holiday fun always included a trip to the ice skating rink with family or friends. Well, you can bring back those traditions in Shanghai by heading to the Super Rink in Pudong at the Superbrand Mall to brush up on your skating skills. The Super Rink offers 840 square meters of skating space at 65rmb for two hours, and 50rmb for two hours on Mondays. Another great option for ice skating is the Hongkou Swimming Pool Leisure Rink. During winter, they convert this massive 1,200 square meter outdoor swimming pool into a skating rink. This rink is arguably bigger and better than the one in Pudong, and it's half the price. The weekday price is 30rmb for two hours of skating time, and on weekends the price is 40rmb for two hours. And if you're serious about improving your skills, various courses are offered to teach the basics of ice-skating. Retired athletes work as trainers at the rink and often offer tips to visitors. So head out and lace up in Hongkou; nothing is more Christmas-y than bundling up and ice-skating outdoors. For those of you who already have your skating skills down and are seeking more of an aggressive sport, the Hongkou rink offers ice hockey pick-up games three nights a week. These games are open to any and all players, and all they ask is that you bring your own equipment. For more information on the pick-up games, head off to www.icehockeyshanghai.com. As Shanghai rarely gets snow and has no mountain terrain to speak of, skiing wasn't really an option in the city ... until someone up and built the world's second largest indoor ski slope. The Yinqixing Indoor Skiing Site covers an area of 100,800 meters with the slope being 380 meters long and 80 meters wide. The Skiing Site is a short 30-minute drive outside of Shanghai in the Minhang district. No need for any fancy gear or clothing, they have everything you'll need to get suited up and skiing. The slope itself isn't very steep, but it's great for beginners or those who just want a bit of snowy fun. Ski coaches are also available for those who want lessons. The price is quite reasonable at 138rmb daily and 158rmb on the weekends for two hours. Unlimited ski time costs 198rmb daily and 218rmb on weekends. So there you have it. Winter activity options to help you keep fit in this Christmas. Happy Holidays! Maybe I'll see some of you at the ice rink!