(ABC 6 News) – While we’re still well behind snowfall totals from where we were a year ago, one Mason City grandmother has gotten creative with building some winter fun for her grandkids.

Shelly Neve loves building snow men with her family each winter, but with small amounts of snowfall, she had to get a little more creative with building a snow fort.

That’s where the idea of a water balloon fort came in to give a place her 11 grand kids could play in the snow.

“I used water, put it in a bucket and scooped it up like a little spoon then pack it with my hands tight,” Neve said. “And it was 278 balloons I blew up. Not blew up but put water in, put food coloring in and tied them off.”

The water balloon igloo took almost 24 hours over a week to put together, but Neve says that her grandchildren, and even their parents, are enjoying every second they spend in it.