How to Build a Snowman

When it comes to free winter fun, building a snowman is the perfect activity. They are simple to build and their joyful appearance can make any front lawn more festive during the holidays. The perfect snowman can be assembled with three easy steps.

Step one: Gather

Collect enough snow off of the ground to be able to compact and shape it into three separate balls ranging from largest to smallest. Repeat depending on how many snowmen are being made.

“To be able to build a snowman, you have to have the right snow,” junior Brookelyn McDonough said. “Make sure it sticks well and packs well so it doesn’t fall apart.”

Step two: Assemble

Roll the largest ball of snow into the desired position in the yard and keep it as the base. Then, place and compact the smaller snowballs on top of the base while leaving the smallest snowball for the head. The more the snow is compacted together, the less likely it is to fall over.

“Don’t build a snowman bigger than you can reach to put its face on, or it will end up being just lumps of snow,” McDonough said.

Step three: Decorate

For the classic snowman decorations, all that will be needed are two sticks for arms, a hat, a scarf, a carrot for the nose, charcoal or rocks for the eyes, mouth and buttons and a pipe, if desired.

“Usually [my family and I] get scarves, hats, and gloves and whatever we can find to make the face which is usually a carrot, maybe a celery stick,” McDonough said. “We use charcoal for the eyes, and one time we used grapes for the mouth.”

For additional items, jackets, beanies and other winter attire can be used to give the snowman even more personality.

Not only are snowmen a pleasing sight to front lawns during the holiday season, they can spark family bonding and memories that last a lifetime.

“One year we built an eight-foot snowman and he was thick,” McDonough said. “He was huge. We had to have my dad and my oldest brother put the body parts on because they were so heavy and so big.”

If any snow days arise, building snowmen will be the perfect winter activity.