How To: Build a snow fort

Watchout! Snowballs! You're outside. You're getting pummeled with snowballs. Time to build a snow fort and set-up teams... The snow war is on!

Step 1: Get dressed
Get fully dressed in your winter attire, including durable waterproof gloves.

Step 2: Find a spot
Head outside and scope out a strategic area for your fort. Natural barriers – like fences or walls – are good places to set up your fort. Determine where the front of the fort will be. If you're using a fence or wall, let it serve as your back wall, and build the fort in front of it.

Step 3: Mark out the fort's dimensions
Mark out the area of the fort by drawing a line in the snow with your foot or with a plastic food container or shovel.

Step 4: Clear away snow
Clear the snow off the floor of your snow fort, and collect it to one side. Pack snow on top of the line you drew to establish the foundation of your fort's walls.

Step 5: Build the front wall
Begin by building the front wall of the fort. Use the plastic food containers to shape bricks of snow.

Step 6: Build the side walls
Build brick by brick, or pack by pack, until the front wall is tall enough that you can hide successfully behind it. Use the same technique to build the side walls. Depending on your angle, you may not need to add significant length or height to the side walls. Remember, you'll need all the snow you can collect for snowballs.

Step 7: Scoop out gunner's turrets
When you're happy with your structure, scoop out gunner's turrets into the front wall so you can keep your opponent in sight.

Step 8: Sprinkle walls with water
If it's below freezing outside, sprinkle the walls with water, which will help to freeze the fort, making it impervious to oncoming snowball attacks. Now, duck behind it, start making snowballs, and prepare for battle!