Do you have a snow fort memory from your childhood? I do…
One of my fondest childhood snow forts was in rural Norway. My father took the day off on a snow day and helped us build a snow fort. Or, maybe it was more like a snow hut? He made it with a roof of pine boughs and I remember we could stand up in it and it became “the” hang out place for the neighborhood kids.
Well, this weekend, I made a snow fort with my kids. When I was a child, I made it by making big snowballs and stacked them. But, lately I have seen many forts made with blocks. I don’t know if this is how the Inuit make igloos or what, but I decided to try out this different approach in making a snow fort.
Make snow a fort with snow blocks and branches
1 Box made of hard plastic for making snow blocks
Snow that packs well
Branches (we used branches from our Christmas tree which is good for birds and wildlife too)
First, we decided where we were going to build the snow fort. We put it close to the fence so we only had to put up 2 walls.
Use a spade and get the kids to help you to collect the snow. Pack it down and start with the first layer. It’s a little bit tricky, but you need to get the first layer right or the whole fort may not stand up to the weather.
When you have the walls, take your branches and cover the roof. We also covered the ground with branches to make it better to sit on.
Other ideas
One of my neighbors also made snow forts this weekend.
He made one with blocks, using a shape for snow blocks that was from smaller container then mine. The walls look much more like bricks, so next time I’m doing that. He also made a more traditional snow fort, using a shovel and digging a hole in a big pile of snow.
Don’t have snow?
Make fort out of sheets and blankets
