“Ancient symbols of Inuit culture traditionally used as landmarks and navigation aids, this grey granite statue representing a human form with outstretched arms is a well-known symbol in Canada of northern hospitality and friendship.”  ~text from the plaque found at the foot of a granite Inukshuk on the shore of English Bay in Vancouver, BC Canada.

An Inukshuk may be new to some of you, so I’ll take a minute to give you a bit of history on these special structures…

The people of the Canadian Arctic are called the Inuit. They used to be called Eskimos, which came from a Native American word for “eaters of raw meat.” Now the Arctic people are called the Inuit, which means “the people.” 

Inukshuk is pronounced In-OOK-Shook which is and Inuit word meaning “image of man.”  They are life-like figures of stone, built by the Inuit and they stand along Canada’s most northern shores.

“Guiding you home…the Inukshuk has always felt special to us. They are awesome and the sheer size is overwhelming. The Inukshuk symbolism is far reaching – they were a beacon to those looking for the right direction and safe passage.”  ~Julie Kinnear: source

Here is a photo of me standing next to the Inukshuk on the shores English Bay, Vancouver BC, Canada…They are pretty cool, huh? When we play at the river, we like to build little ones with the river rocks. However, seeing that it’s winter and the rocks are covered with snow, we can build them out of ice blocks! Coloured ones!

Materials Needed:  food colouring,  water frozen (and coloured with food colouring) in an assortment of containers, some fine-motor skills, and a little bit of patience.

These really are fun to build, and REALLY inexpensive! It doesn’t need to be cold outside for you to join in! You can make these right in your kitchen or playroom. Just be sure to build them on a tray or inside a plastic bin, so the melting coloured ice doesn’t spill on your carpet.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Arlee, Small Potatoes