A Family’s Dream of Building an Igloo Comes True

For generations, many kids in Canada have gazed out at snowy days, dreaming of creating a snow fort big enough for the whole family, but few actually make it happen.

This year, a family from St. Thomas, Ont., decided to turn that dream into reality by taking advantage of the chilly weather and constructing a full-sized igloo made entirely from slush and ice.

Standing about five and a half feet tall, the igloo comfortably fits three people and features an artistic touch – colorful bricks that really pop against the white snowy yard surrounding it.

“We saw a lot of cold weather; we were looking for something fun to do outside. Then we found a photo online, and this is what we came up with,” said Abe Knelsen, who built the sturdy ice igloo along with his wife and two sons.

A spontaneous idea quickly turned into quite the project, taking around 25 hours to complete the entire structure.

After they got inspired, the family spent those hours filling about 30 empty lasagna trays with water and food coloring, waiting for them to freeze before setting them up in their front yard in batches.

Next, they used slush as mortar to hold everything together.

“If you look at how colorful it turned out, it’s quite a neat finished product,” Knelsen said. “It’s definitely warmer inside without all that wind and chilly air.”

The Knelsen family’s igloo, as seen at night. (Abe Knelsen)

The igloo wasn’t just an excuse for some father-son bonding; it also became an educational experience for Sam and Lucas Knelsen, Abe’s sons who are 12 and 10 years old.

The boys are homeschooled and shared that they learned plenty throughout the process.

“First we took a stake, measured out the radius and placed down the base blocks,” Sam explained while noting how building measurements tied into his math lessons.

Meanwhile, Lucas pointed out another lesson from their project regarding its uneven colors.

“It’s pretty cool how bright the colors are; but one end has faded from sun exposure,” Lucas said.

The Knelsen family’s igloo, photographed mid-construction. (Abe Knelsen)

Neighbours impressed

Abe mentioned that their creation has attracted attention from neighbors and other community members alike.

“It’s been cold lately. I think everyone’s feeling it; we purposely built it in our front yard,” he said.

“We thought if we did it well enough, it would bring some positive attention-and it worked!”

Abe noted that feedback has been overwhelmingly positive; some folks even stop by asking if they can check out what’s inside!

The family’s views on future projects differ greatly when it comes to what’s next.

Abe feels he’s done with building igloos for now after all that hard work behind him.

Left to right: Lucas, Abe and Sam Knelsen enjoy warm drinks along with cookies inside their igloo. (Abe Knelsen)

The kids have different ideas though; they’re thinking about making an even bigger igloo next year in a shaded area so those colors don’t fade as much!

No matter what happens next time around though-Abe believes that all these memories they’ve created will last long after their icy masterpiece melts away.

“We just had such a great time together as a family. Getting outside when it was freezing was fun! I’m sure these will be fond memories we’ll look back on for years.”

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