The new year doesn’t just have to be about cutting things out, it can be about trying something new. New hobbies, new spaces, and new faces. If you are taking on Dry January, you can swap your nights out for experiences that feel good, spark creativity, and are best shared with friends.

Here are a few wholesome activities around the city to kick-start the year…

Chance & Counters is a board game café, located on Merrion street that is built for connection without booze. Here you can find shelves stacked with over 700 games, from quick party favourites to deep strategy classics. Friendly staff are on hand to help you choose the perfect game for you and assist you with the rules if you get stuck, so no one feels lost. Add great food, good coffee, and zero pressure to drink, and you’ve got the perfect setting for laughs, teamwork, and meeting new people. Think smash burgers, loaded fries, and wings as well as espresso and tea from Clifton Coffee to keep you energised. With social events also upcoming for this venue, Chance and Counters is ideal for group hangouts, low-stakes social plans and meeting someone new.

Located in the heart of Leeds city centre, you can find Yorkshire’s first charm bar, Adorn. Ditch the conventional bar for a charm bar with stunning, bespoke jewellery. You can curate the perfect piece of jewellery for you at their charm bar with a variety of charms and chains to choose from. Mix and match charms to perfectly match your personality. Once you’re all done, the team will expertly assemble your jewellery for a same-day collection. Want sometime a bit more permanent? You can also get a permanent and bespoke piece that you never have to take off. Elevate your style this January with something truly unique that you’ve created at Adorn!

There is nothing more wholesome than letting your imagination run wild this Dry January. Jack Rabbits Pottery offers a hands-on pottery painting experience. Choose a piece such as a mug or vase, pick your colours, and get creative. This is the perfect activity to just take time to chat, paint, and slow down. Perfect for wholesome catch-ups, birthday plans, or trying something totally new together.

Try out a hot new activity from Korea right here in the heart of Leeds. OMG Moru Garden has brought Moru dolls to the Corn Exchange. You can join in on one of their Moru Doll Workshops and create your very own doll with no sewing or knitting skills needed! The Moru experts will guide you with the process and help you create your very own doll. A Moru doll makes the perfect companion for a wholesome, booze free January.

Immerse yourself into a magic-theme mini golf that’s playful, and unapologetically fun. Hole in Wand offers friendly competition, themed courses, and lots of laughs all whilst you experience the hidden world of magic located in the centre of Leeds. Here you can play 9 holes of mini golf and explore hidden tunnels, a castle of ice and much more whilst you save the day for the magical world you’ve stepped into. Hole in Wand serves as a great reminder that being an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop playing.