How to Make an Igloo or Other Snow Structure

January 9, 2023 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

If you live somewhere consistently cold and snowy, making an igloo or structure out of frozen bricks is a fun winter activity.

This does take a fair bit of preparation, time for the bricks to freeze, and work making the structure over the course of several days, but if your kids are game it sounds like one of those unforgettable childhood memories in the making.

Check out the post on Frugal Coupon Living for all the details on how to prep and set up this fun winter activity!

[Photo: Frugal Coupon Living.]

Here are some more articles we wrote.

How to Make an Igloo or Other Snow Structure

DIY Milk Jug Igloo

7 DIY Igloo Kid Crafts

Building an igloo is a fun and exciting winter activity for kids. It allows them to use their creativity and problem-solving skills while having fun outside in the snow. While the traditional method of building an igloo is to stack blocks of snow, there are other ways for kids to make an igloo in their yard. Here are 5 different ideas for building an igloo using different materials and techniques.

Snow Brick Igloo – Children can make an igloo using snow bricks. These can be made by packing snow into plastic container or by using a snow mold. Once the bricks are ready, kids can stack them up to create an igloo shape.

Cardboard Box Igloo – Kids can make an igloo using cardboard boxes. Cut the boxes into the shape of bricks and stack them up to create an igloo shape. Cover the boxes with snow to give it a traditional igloo look.

Ice Block Igloo – Children can make an igloo using blocks of ice. To do this, fill plastic containers with water and freeze them. Once the blocks are frozen, kids can stack them to make an igloo shape.

Snow Fort Igloo – Children can make an igloo using a snow fort as the base. They can stack blocks of snow on top of the fort to create an igloo shape.

Shaving Cream Igloo – Children can make an igloo using shaving cream. Spread shaving cream on a flat surface and shape it into an igloo using your hands or tools. Once it is shaped, you can freeze it or let it dry to create an igloo shape.

Each of these alternatives is fun and creative way to make an igloo, however, do keep in mind that weather conditions and area may vary, so make sure to be safe, and supervise children while making these projects.

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Activities for The Snowy Day

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Book Review: Las Mañanitas

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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