How to build an igloo out of snow (Easy secret tip!)

If you ever wanted to know how to build an igloo out of snow — this is how we did it. Our kids don’t get many snow days, growing up in the Carolinas, but luckily, we grew up in Pennsylvania, so we learned to build everything from DIY igloos to building the perfect snowman. 
When it gets too cold to be outside, we just bring the fun indoors and paint the snow INSIDE. 

Anyway- after they built one a few years ago, I snapped a picture of it & shared it online.  Friends & family asked how we build it, so I asked Mickey to explain how to build a snow house without ice blocks. 

The kids LOVED building an igloo with Mickey and played in it for days!

Our kids really have always loved playing in the snow. While they dream about taking their snow shovel and digging a long tunnel, we don’t get enough snow in the Carolinas for that. It’s rare that we get lots of snow, but every few years, we’ll get a pretty good snow storm. Not so much snow that they can dig a tunnel, but enough snow that they can start building and creating an igloo.

When we heard that it was going to snow, we turned our weather forecast into a science and social studies lesson. Before they went out to build, I took about an hour and taught the kids all about igloos.

We learned about how “igloo” is the Eskimo or Inuit word meaning “snow house.” Next, We looked at pictures of the domed igloo and the Russian igloo to compare them. Then, we talked about how the traditional method of building one used vents, final blocks of snow, and powdery snow to fill in the cracks, etc.

Lastly, we read about how they are built, why they are used, and where to find them. Of course, this sparked their interest in igloos, and they wanted to build an igloo with their dad!  So… they did!

HOW TO MAKE AN IGLOO OUT OF SNOW

Before you begin building a domed igloo, you’ll want to test the snow – is it just top powder (powdery snow) or the denser stuff?  You’ll need both to make the whole thing, but the denser snow is going to be what is better for the bricks.

The bricks you make must be hard-packed snow. You should also be sure that you have enough. I would check that the snow is at least one to two feet deep.

Note: Traditional igloo is 6-12 feet in diameter. The traditional igloo blocks are 3 feet long, 15 inches (38 cm) high, and about 8 inches (20 cm) thick. You may need to cut a narrow rectangular trench to accommodate several blocks this size. We made ours one of the smaller igloos since we didn’t have a ton of snow.

Directions to build an igloo out of the snow: 

1. Make snow bricks – (just blocks of snow) for your first row. You will need to pack the snow into blocks.
2. Move the blocks into a circle (this will be your base) on the ground.
3. Don’t forget about leaving an opening for the entrance. No matter how many feet or cm in diameter you make your igloo, leave enough room for a door.
4. You need to make your snow blocks (your wall) at least 8 inches- 12 inches thick.  If you need thicker bricks or more than one row of bricks, you can do it now.
5. Start stacking it high. (Tip: You may want to bevel the edges to help them fit together easier.)
6. For the next layer, use loose snow to act like cement to pack it in. You are compacting the snow.
7. When you get to the top of the igloo door, you need to use something to support more snow on top.  My husband used a skateboard.

• You can also add a window halfway up. These are great ventilation holes, too. You can leave bricks out of your igloo to create windows or cut blocks in half and make a small window this way. You can use a snow knife, hatchet, snow saw, machete, or even a shovel to cut the blocks.
  
• Tip: Don’t make the window too big, or it will be cold inside! Try to keep it a small hole or window so that your snow shelter igloo can still keep the body heat in and keep the cold air out.

More Directions for your full-size igloo: 

• Pile more snow on top of the wood or skateboard above your door and pack it down. This will begin to support the roof.
• As you get to the top, start slanting it towards the center, gently & slowly. This is going to make your snow cave look like the perfect dome.  You are going to be forming a snow mound carefully.
• When you get to the top, you can either use a circle sled or something and then put snow on top of this roof. This is why it’s important to make your walls thick with layers of snow.  They will be supporting the roof.
  • Optional: if you want to leave the top open as a ventilation hole, that’s an open. We left the door open instead. You could also make small ventilation holes in the igloo if you decide to close in both areas.
• Next, we went inside & packed snow on the interior wall to fill in the crevices and gaps (again, using the snow to act like cement mortar).  While you could use a trowel, we just used our hands.
• Do this on the outside, too. Add enough snow to create a dome look.

That’s it! Have fun! You can bring in a plastic bin or bucket to use as chairs.

For more fun, let them spray it with food coloring (mix food coloring & water, put it in a spray bottle & paint the igloo.). If you don’t want to do this, they could paint the yard or hillside around it, instead.

Supervise your kids when playing in it!

Don’t let them play in it without you because when the snow starts to melt, this could fall apart (just wait until the snow does start to melt because this is when the REAL fun comes in, and the kids get to knock it down and stomp on it until it becomes slush.)

The whole process of building an igloo was fun. They loved building the igloo out of snow, playing it the igloo and the snow, eating snacks in their igloo… and then knocking it down when it started to melt (to avoid anyone getting hurt.)

MORE SNOW ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS! 

• Paint the Snow (inside)
• Make Snow Cream 
• Make SNOW with glue & shaving cream (come inside for a little while!)
• Make snowman pancakes
• Decorate simple snowman cookies