Inuit of the Arctic Snack Craft

Blimey, it’s cold out there! I know much of North America is covered in snow right now, even places that don’t usually get any snow (Thinking of you, Texas!). This is a perfect opportunity to make a yummy snow-related snack craft!

Every day my kids and I have been trying to get outside for a hike in order to enjoy winter more, and feel less cooped up. We have just finished a 28 day lockdown, during which time the only building my kids have been in is the dentist office. One of the acceptable reasons to leave your property is exercise, so to help them feel like they’re allowed out and about we’ve been finding new hiking trails around our city. And how beautiful they’ve been! We’ve found some real treasures, like this place, which is just a 7 minute drive from our house:

My kids always like coming in and having a cup of hot chocolate to help warm them up and feel all cozy! How lovely to come in from the cold and have your hot chocolate with your very own Marshmallow Igloo. Mmmm! This is a lovely, easy craft that is not only cute, but edible, too! I let my kids eat as much of their marshmallow igloo as they wanted, and when they finished eating (and they didn’t even manage to eat the whole thing!) they all felt sick afterwards…oops! So, maybe give your kids a warning! #cautionarytale

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Supplies:

• Ice cream cones – the one with the flat bottoms
• A sharp knife for an adult (or responsible kid – use your good judgement, of course) to cut the cone
• Icing – I used Betty Crocker, but you could make it…I suppose🤔
• Table knife to spread the icing
• Big marshmallows (2 per igloo)
• Small marshmallows
• Paper plates (optional, but it was nice for clean up, and it muffled the constant clatter of knives)

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Instructions:

1. Using your sharp knife cut just above the bowl section of your cone.

2. Take the handle part of your ice cream cone and cut two thirds of the way across. Eat the small bit, and use the larger bit to make the tunnel into your igloo. I did all the cutting ahead of time, so all the kids had to do was assemble their igloos.

If you’re doing this craft with a group:

We were supposed to do this craft with friends, but then we entered the red zone for coronavirus, which meant we couldn’t be in the same house together. Instead, I made a bag for each child, with the cones cut correctly, and the marshmallows needed. You could do this if you’re making your Marshmallow Igloo for a party or a classroom. Simply put the paper plate and a plastic knife in the bag, too, then all you have to do is give each child a bag and put a dollop of icing on their plate.

3. Because your ice cream cone igloo now has no roof we need to use the two big marshmallows to make it structurally sound. Just shove them both in the igloo, one on top of the other.

4. Cover that beauty in icing. I used Betty Crocker vanilla (on account of it looks like snow❄). Bonus: it’s pretty amusing to watch little ones putting icing on ice cream cones. Expect much mess if your kids are little too, but they’ll have so much fun! And, once again, they’re working their fine motor skills!

5. Put the little marshmallows all over your igloo. I put mine in a very strategic order so it would look like ice blocks stacked one on top of the other…my kids didn’t feel that need. Their marshmallow igloos are rather chaotic🤷‍♀️.

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I came up with this snack craft as part of our study of the Inuit of the Arctic in our series, Canada’s Natives Long Ago. Whether this is a stand-alone activity, or if you’re using to educate your children on the people of the arctic I really hope you love it as much as we did!