Build an igloo

Igloos are homes that inuit build from snow when they go hunting. Follow this step-by-step guide and move into your own igloo.

What you'll need

  • Saw
  • Spade
  • A long plank of wood 

How to do it...

Find an area with a snow depth of about one metre. Stamp it with your feet so that it is packed down and get rid of all the soft snow. The igloo should be big enough for one or two people about (2.5m in circumference), any bigger, and it will take too long to build and won’t be so stable.

1. Nearby, there should be a quarry. Using the saw, start making building blocks. Try and make the solid enough so that they can be carried without breaking. They should be about 80cm wide, 45cm high and 15cm thick.

2. Because the igloo is a built in a spiral shape, the first few blocks should be a little shorter gradually become higher. One person should be working on the inside of the igloo. They need to work carefully because the blocks may slide, but once about three or four blocks are beside one another, they should hold together well. The person inside should also be adjusting the blocks and filling the cracks between them with snow. Any snow that falls on the ground should be shovelled out at this stage, too. It will be easier than trying to get it out of the entrance.

3. The block builder should cut the second layer with an angled base so the igloo begins to slant inwards towards the middle (otherwise you’ll end up with an ice tower). You can use the plank of wood to help do this.
 
4. When the blocks reach the shoulder height of the person inside, it’s time to begin creating the entrance. This is made by using two vertical blocks pointing outwards, with another solid block on top. It may look very small at first but the person on the inside should start digging down into the igloo and out through the entrance using the guidance of the person on the outside.

5. The final blocks for the top of the igloo can be placed from the inside. Make sure you remember to make some breathing holes. Enjoy snuggling up!

Top tip: You’ll need an adult’s help for this activity, plus, the more people you have helping, the quicker you can build it!

In some places there might not be enough snow to build an igloo. But don't be disappointed — why not have a go building a model igloo? It’s just as much fun, only smaller.