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How to Build a Giant Snowman


Benry
Benry the Snowman
Born: January 1, 2018
Height: 4 foot 8 inches

I have always wanted to build a giant snowman. It's been on my bucket list ever since I can remember, but I've never been able to successfully build one. 

This winter season, I went to Toronto, Canada where it snowed a lot. There was tons of fresh snow everywhere (great for skiing and sledding). And, that was the key to building a successful snowman: fresh snow and lots of it.

I built this snowman with my sister and cousins, so I can't take full credit, but I can say that it was a very rewarding experience although it was really cold and my toes and fingers almost fell off when I was taking pictures of our snowman. 

I have compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you build your own snowman:
  1. YOU MUST USE FRESH SNOW! The kind of snow that has just fallen and is perfect for making snowballs. Which brings me to my next tip:
  2. LEARN HOW TO MAKE GOOD, TIGHT, FIRM SNOWBALLS. It's pretty simple to make snowballs: grab some freshly fallen snow in your hands and squish it together. Easiest way to practice making snowballs: have a snowball fight with your friends, children, cousins, family, neighbors, dogs (but don't hit them too hard... you probably don't want to be responsible for hurting someone 😬)
  3. ROLLING DOESN'T NECESSARILY WORK, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SNOWBALL IS STILL SMALL. I found that it worked better to scoop fresh snow and pat it onto the snowball, rather than rolling it. However, when the snowball gets heavy enough, rolling the snowball works quite well. My theory for this is that the weight of the heavier snowball packs the fresh snow onto itself whereas light snowballs aren't heavy enough to pick up snow when you roll it.
    Once snowballs are big enough, rolling them is very effective.

  4. PATIENCE. It took my crew of four people roughly 4 hours to make Benry the Snowman. It might seem like your initial snowball won't get bigger, but I promise, as long as you have plenty of fresh snow and plenty of patience and dedication, your snowball will get bigger. Once you see it getting bigger, the snowball will rapidly grow in size.
  5. MAKE THE SNOWBALLS AS BIG AS POSSIBLE. Don't worry about making the snowballs into the exact size and shape you want the end snowman to be. Make the snowballs as big as possible because it's easier to shape and make the snowballs smaller than having to make the snowballs bigger.
  6. SHAPE YOUR SNOWBALLS AT THE END. This tip is similar to tip #5: make the snowballs as big as possible then shape them. I listed one reason in tip #5, but another reason is that this ensures the snowballs are packed tightly and prevents the snowballs from breaking apart. The heavier the snowballs are, the tighter and firmer the center of the snowballs are, the stronger the snowballs are. 
    Shaping the snowballs into the right shape and size after rolling the snowballs as big as possible

  7. WHEN STACKING YOUR SNOWBALLS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, MAKE A LITTLE WELL ON THE BOTTOM SNOWBALL WHERE THE TOP SNOWBALL CAN REST. This is pretty self-explanatory. You don't want your snowball falling off once you stack them together. I found the best way to do this is to flatten the top of your base snowball. Then in the center of that flattened area, create an indent (sort of like a bowl shape) big enough to prevent your top snowball from rolling off the base snowball. 
    Making a "bowl" shape on the base snowball to help secure the next snowball on top of it

  8. PACK SOME SNOW INTO THE CREVICE OF WHERE THE SNOWBALLS MEET. This makes the snowman stronger and keeps the snowballs from rolling off one another.
    Packing snow into the crevice between snowballs

  9. USE LOTS OF FRESH SNOW TO STICK ACCESSORIES ONTO THE SNOWMAN. Don't stab the carrot or sticks into the snowman, otherwise your snowman could break apart. Use fresh snow to help you stick the nose and arms onto the snowman. 
    Using snow to help stick the nose in place

  10. DON'T BUILD YOUR SNOWMAN WHERE HE WILL BE EXPOSED TO A LOT OF SUN. I did this... and my snowman now looks like this: 
Bending Benry -- January 7, 2018

With these tips and tricks, you'll be a snowman building expert! You can customize your snowman however you like: with 2, 3, or even 4 snowballs; with fancy hats and clothes; or maybe you can even try making an Olaf snowman from Disney's Frozen! (remember, the key is to shape the snowballs after you make them as big as possible. It will help you make Olaf's head).

If you guys do end up making your own snowmen, post a pic in the comments below! I'd love to see your creations! Or, if you have any questions on how to make a snowman, I'll do my best to answer them! 

Until next time.
Jenny 

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