Minecraft winter builds for kids

Here are 6 snowy Minecraft builds for winter. The igloo takes 279 blocks and the ice castle 695; there is also a snow globe, a snowy cabin, a gingerbread house and Santa's sleigh. Every build is counted block by block and has a guide that shows the next blocks, one layer at a time.

Brrr! Pick a snowy build, or design your own.

Minecraft igloo

A snow dome with a way in. It takes 279 blocks, is 15 wide, 15 deep and 8 blocks tall. Build time by hand: about 14–28 minutes.

Block	How many	Stacks of 64
Snow Block	279	4 stacks + 23

Start building Change it: make it yours See every layer of the igloo

Ice castle in 3D: A little castle of ice with snowy towers

Minecraft ice castle

A little castle of ice with snowy towers. It takes 695 blocks, is 15 wide, 15 deep and 13 blocks tall. Build time by hand: about 35–70 minutes.

Block	How many	Stacks of 64
Blue Ice	370	5 stacks + 50
Packed Ice	176	2 stacks + 48
Snow Block	148	2 stacks + 20
Sea Lantern	1	1 block

Start building Change it: make it yours

Snow globe in 3D: A glass globe with a snowy tree inside

Minecraft snow globe

A glass globe with a snowy tree inside. It takes 544 blocks, is 13 wide, 13 deep and 11 blocks tall. Build time by hand: about 28–55 minutes.

Block	How many	Stacks of 64
Glass	233	3 stacks + 41
Spruce Planks	137	2 stacks + 9
Snow Block	97	1 stack + 33
Gold Block	36	36 blocks
Spruce Leaves	36	36 blocks
Spruce Log	2	2 blocks
Glowstone	1	1 block
Red Wool	1	1 block
Yellow Wool	1	1 block

Start building Change it: make it yours See every layer of the snow globe

Christmas house in 3D: A snowy wooden cabin with a chimney

Minecraft christmas house

A snowy wooden cabin with a chimney. It takes 244 blocks, is 11 wide, 9 deep and 9 blocks tall. Build time by hand: about 13–25 minutes.

Block	How many	Stacks of 64
Spruce Planks	121	1 stack + 57
Snow Block	99	1 stack + 35
Spruce Log	16	16 blocks
Glass	5	5 blocks
Bricks	3	3 blocks

Start building Change it: make it yours See every layer of the christmas house

Gingerbread house in 3D: A brown house with white icing and candy canes

Minecraft gingerbread house

A brown house with white icing and candy canes. It takes 524 blocks, is 13 wide, 11 deep and 13 blocks tall. Build time by hand: about 27–53 minutes.

Block	How many	Stacks of 64
Brown Terracotta	158	2 stacks + 30
Snow Block	144	2 stacks + 16
White Concrete	106	1 stack + 42
Brown Concrete	90	1 stack + 26
Red Concrete	15	15 blocks
Glass	6	6 blocks
Bricks	3	3 blocks
Lime Concrete	2	2 blocks

Start building Change it: make it yours See every layer of the gingerbread house

Santa's sleigh in 3D: A red sleigh with presents and 2 reindeer

Minecraft santa's sleigh

A red sleigh with presents and 2 reindeer. It takes 209 blocks, is 19 wide, 5 deep and 8 blocks tall. Build time by hand: about 11–21 minutes.

Block	How many	Stacks of 64
Red Concrete	79	1 stack + 15
Gold Block	56	56 blocks
Brown Wool	28	28 blocks
Red Wool	11	11 blocks
Green Wool	8	8 blocks
White Wool	8	8 blocks
Stripped Oak Log	6	6 blocks
Brown Terracotta	4	4 blocks
Purple Wool	4	4 blocks
Black Wool	2	2 blocks
Light Blue Wool	2	2 blocks
Yellow Wool	1	1 block

Start building Change it: make it yours See every layer of the santa's sleigh

Winter and Christmas challenges

6 goals with a badge each. 3 of them are draw-your-own: you design it, then build your own design to get the badge. Badges stay on this device.

Draw your own

Design your own Christmas bauble

Draw a bauble nobody has seen: stripes, stars, a face… At least 3 colours and 25 blocks.

Badge: Bauble artist

Start drawing

Draw your own

Draw a winter animal

A polar bear, a robin, a fox in the snow: your choice! At least 30 blocks.

Badge: Winter wildlife

Start drawing

Draw your own

Design your own snowy house

Build it in 3D: at least 4 layers tall, with snow on the roof.

Badge: Snow architect

Start drawing

Build it

Build the gingerbread house

Biscuit walls and white icing on the roof.

Badge: Sweet builder

Start the challenge

Build it

Build a snow globe

A glass dome with a tiny snowy scene inside.

Badge: Globe maker

Start the challenge

Build it

Build the snowman picture

A happy snowman with a top hat.

Badge: Snow buddy

Start the challenge

More Christmas ideas

Decorate your house with our Christmas decorations, build a tree and a snowman from the Christmas builds, or copy a picture from the Christmas pixel art.

Questions

What should I build in Minecraft in winter?

An igloo is the classic (279 blocks). For a big project, build the ice castle (695 blocks) or a snow globe with a tiny tree inside. Every build here has a step-by-step guide.

What blocks are good for winter builds?

Snow blocks, packed ice and blue ice, spruce wood, white wool and glass. Light it up with glowstone or sea lanterns so it glows in the snow.

Can I design my own winter build?

Yes. Design a snowy house in the 3D build planner by tapping where each block goes, then build your own design with the guide. That is one of the winter challenges too.