When life gives you snow, make a snow fort
Amanda Page, 10, of Arlington Heights, waves from behind her snow fort. She built it with her sister Emily, 7, and mom, Katie, during a snow day. Katie Page teaches physics at Rolling Meadows High School, so it was also a snow day for her.
Courtesy of Katie Page
The Diazes of South Elgin built a snow cave that can hold up to six people and there's room for grilling hotdogs.
Courtesy of Gene Diaz
Joel Neumann of Palatine built this fort for stepdaughter Grace Worthington. Her mother Brenda Neumann said the project was a bonding experience for her husband and daughter.
Courtesy of Brenda Neumann
Rolling Meadows High School students Michael Medsker, Nick Doyle and Dan Vockeroth have created a snow cave with 2 rooms, a chimney, sledding shoot, chairs, all carved out of a mound of snow in the parking lot of a Rolling Meadows office building
Mark Black | Staff Photographer
Brad Kruse, Jake Kruse, Tom Small and Chris Taylor built this a neighborhood snowfort in Elgin, complete with rope lights and carpeting.
Courtesy of Terri Kruse
Nick Doyle, Michael Medsker and Dan Vockeroth, who is 6'5", can stand in portions of their snow cave, which has 2 rooms and a chimney carved out of snow in the parking lot of a Rolling Meadows office building.
Mark Black | Staff Photographer
Emily Page, 7, left, and her sister Amanda, 10, of Arlington Heights, show off their snow fort.
Courtesy of Katie Page
The Wagners, from left, Nicolas, Atheena, Thomas, Scott and Lorie gather in one of the rooms of the igloo style snow fort they built at their Schaumburg home. The fog in the photo is from their breath as the room begins to warm.
Bill Zars | Staff Photographer
The Corso family have fun on their giant igloo at their home in Palatine.
Bill Zars | Staff Photographer
Eleven-year-old Conor Loy of Arlington Heights, left, built this fort with cousins Peter Mallory, 9, and Noah Mallory, 11, who were visiting from Ohio. They used recycle bins to mold the snow bricks.
Courtesy of Kathy Loy
Joe Corso is joined by his children, from left, J.D., Jace, Joey and Kylee inside their giant igloo at their home in Palatine.
Bill Zars | Staff Photographer
Ryan Sadorf - pictured with wife Gretchen and daughters Katelyn, 2, and Samantha, 4 built this snow castle in December 2007 with the girls' grandfather, Al Willer, at Willer's Barrington home.
Courtesy of Al and Pat Willer
Ten-year-old Ethan Hand of Arlington Heights built this snow fort after the family dog destroyed an earlier effort. With him is little sister Jaclyn.
Photo courtesy of Christin Hand
Katelyn Sadorf, 2, and sister Samantha, 4, play in a snow castle built in December 2007. The Sadorfs were visiting from Florida and this was the girls' first experience with snow.
Courtesy of Al and Pat Willer
Kailyn and Ethan Parham of Elk Grove Village peer out from their fort. The siblings started digging in from either side of the mound of snow piled against their home and met in the middle.
Courtesy of Karen Parham
Gene "The Caveman" Diaz of South Elgin said he built this snow fort for "making memories for my quickly growing" teen daughters, Meaghan and Melissa. "These diversions make the long winter more tolerable."
Courtesy of Gene Diaz
This has already been one of the snowiest winters on record, great for making snow forts, like this one by Rolling Meadows High School students Nick Doyle, Michael Medsker and Dan Vockeroth.
Mark Black | Staff Photographer
A window is but one feature of the Diaz family snow fort in South Elgin.
Courtesy of Gene Diaz
Rolling Meadows High School students Michael Medsker and Dan Vockeroth watch as their friend Nick Doyle slides into the cave after coming down the sledding shoot.
Mark Black | Staff Photographer
Kyle Borst, Kyra Kelley and Megan Salt built a pyramid-style snow fort in Arlington Heights.
Courtesy of Linda Borst
Johnny Dattilo of Arlington Heights built this fort with the help of mom Susan.
Courtesy of Susan Dattilo
Kailyn and Ethan Parham of Elk Grove Village post with their fort. The siblings started digging in from either side of the mound of snow piled against their home and met in the middle.
Courtesy of Karen Parham
Caitlin Burke, then 6, and sister Clare, 4, pose with a snow fort they built with mom Chris back in 1995. Chris, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., who now lives in Lake Barrington, said the family would make the snow caves into little clubhouses.
Courtesy of Chris Burke
Eleven-year-old Torrey Gleason and siblings Tabor, 8, and Eamon, 6, roast marshmallows by candlelight in their snow fort in Cary.
Courtesy of Gleason family
Kelly and Carol Zilinskas of Schaumburg built this fort with the help of parents Tina and Brian. They were disappointed they didn't get a chance to use it in a snowball fight before rain and warmer weather took their toll.
Courtesy of Zilinskas family
Meaghan and Melissa Diaz pose with Cubbie inside their snowfort in South Elgin, built by dad Gene.
Courtesy of Gene Diaz
Joel Neumann of Palatine built this fort for stepdaughter Grace Worthington. Her mother Brenda Neumann said the project was a bonding experience for her husband and daughter.
Courtesy of Brenda Neumann
Peter Lee of Wheeling helped daughter Amy and son Timmy build this fort back in March 2002 after a late-season snowfall.
Courtesy of Susie Lee
Nicolas Wagner stands by what appears to be just a big pile of snow but the family worked together to carve rooms inside with one tall enough to stand in.
Bill Zars | Staff Photographer
Brenden Gran, 6, of Bartlett, built this fort with his dad Dave.
Courtesy of Dave Gran
Russ Peters of Streamwood built this fort for sons Jeremy, 2, and Jake, 4. It had a ledge to store snowballs and a tunnel.
Courtesy of Kelly Peters
Daniell and Tanner Stewart of St. Charles made this two-roomed fort with help from dad Ryan. The family dog Oreo has also enjoyed it.
Courtesy of the Stewarts
The annual snow fort project at Brianna and Jacob Yarwood's home in Bartlett usually doesn't happen until late February but came early this year because of all the snow. This one is more than 6 feet high and about 11 feet wide.
Courtesy of Yarwood family
The De Witts of Palatine spent three hours making this fort, using old recycling buckets to mold the snow. Pictured are Katie De Witt, in pink jacket; Geoffrey De Witt, in front; neighbor Danny Carson, right; and the De Witts' cousin Caroline Gauri in back.
Courtesy of Susan De Witt
Bruce Lindsey of Barrington built this fort over the family's patio. Daughter Erin, who's inside and says it's cozy and warm, explains that their dog, Coco, loves to run up and down the sides of the igloo.
Courtesy of Lindsey family
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