For some, winter is a long cold and depressing season; however, with some creativity, there are many ways to enjoy the weather that only this season offers! If outdoor sports (like snowboarding, skiing or snowshoeing) aren’t your thing, why not try something like making a snow fort. Below, are tips to create a winter fortress that will capture the attention of all those that see it!

Create a Perimeter

Regardless of how grand you plan on making your fort, it’s important to start the building process by creating a perimeter. This will outline the shape of the outer walls and give your fort clear size.

When tracing the perimeter of your snow fort consider how much snow you have available. If you don’t have tons, you’ll want to factor that in when determining the size of your fort. 

Begin Construction of the Walls

Ideally, the walls of your fort should be constructed with snow bricks. These can be created by filling containers with packing snow, much in the same way you would pack wet sand into a bucket when building a sand castle. 

To find good packing snow, gather snow closer to a house, street or landscaping. These areas give off more heat and will hold wetter snow, which makes for better packing. 

Now you can begin packing your snow into your container to form the bricks for your wall. Lay the bricks along the perimeter you created in the beginning and you’re well on your way to forming the outer layer of your snow fort!

Reinforce Your Walls

Once you have laid the bricks along the perimeter of your snow fort, they’ll need to be reinforced to prevent a cave-in. To commence this process, take additional snow and fill in any crevasses between the bricks of your snow fort to provide additional strength and durability. 

Once all gaps have been filled, it’s time to add ice! An icy finish enables your fort to withstand even the harshest of weather and attacks. The best way to do this step is to pour cold water on the inside and outside of the walls. Freezing temperatures will cause the water to freeze over the walls, adding a harder outer layer.