Heavy snowfall can pave the way for several fun activities. While snowball fights or skiing are some of the most common ways to enjoy the winter snow, another fun family activity is to build an igloo. When it comes to how to make an igloo, there are a few different methods and this post will discuss the best techniques and other useful tips for how to build an igloo.
How to build an igloo that you can sleep in
“Igloo” is a word that derives from the Inuit term for “home”, so the Inuit are the clear experts in how to make an igloo that you can actually sleep in. Among the most common igloo FAQs are questions such as “are igloos warm?” and “do people live in igloos?” and the answers to both can be yes, but – and this is important – only if constructed properly.
The way to build a reliable igloo is as follows:
- Identify an area of hard-packed snow and cut blocks of bricks, with blocks of different sizes and with smooth edges.
- Place the largest blocks on the ground in a circle, leaving space for a door. This is the base of your igloo.
- Place more bricks on top of the base to add height, but use smaller and smaller bricks as you go higher. Overlap the bricks and place them so that they increasingly lean inwards the higher you go.
- When halfway through the igloo, place two vertical blocks where you left space for a door and add a third large horizontal block over the top, forming an archway.
- Continue adding bricks to form a dome. When your structure is missing just one final piece on top, shape a final brick to fit that hole but ensure it is a little larger than necessary, so that it doesn’t completely slide through.
- Collect more snow to fill in the crevices, but you should leave some holes for ventilation and to prevent carbon dioxide building up. It’s best to make these holes on the sides and not the roof.
This, then, is how to make an igloo that you can actually stay in. But, again, it should be stressed that if you aren’t sure how to make an igloo properly then it might not be structurally sound and could be unsafe. The point about ventilation is important too. If you’re wondering how are igloos warm, it’s because of the heat that is kept inside the structure, but that does still require the right ventilation.
How to build an igloo with snow in your garden
Few people need to worry about how to build an igloo that can actually be used for shelter. It’s more common to want to know how to make an igloo for some family fun on a snow day or during a trip to a snowy setting. For example, igloo building is one of the fun activities that can be enjoyed at Grandvalira.
When building an igloo just for fun and not for shelter, for example in your garden, it’s not necessary to go through all of the detailed steps outlined above. One quick and easy method for how to build an igloo with snow is to place some plastic tubs or boxes on the ground in a dome shape and to cover them with snow. Then, cut open a door shape, remove the boxes and tubs, and you have your igloo.
How to make an igloo craft
No matter which method you choose for how to build an igloo, you do need a lot of snow and, sometimes, the snowfall just isn’t deep enough. In that case, you can still have some family fun with an igloo craft.
Cotton balls have proven to be a great solution for how to make an igloo craft, as you follow similar steps to a normal igloo but use cotton balls instead of snow and, if needed, some glue.