Don’t Break the Ice

I know, this game is really old...but it is really good!  This is probably the game I recommend most to families I work with.  It’s a great multiplayer game that lends itself beautifully for fun, easy, group play.

The Look

The game is very basic. It’s just a simple plastic blue frame, white “ice” blocks, 2 hammers and a red polar bear figure that goes on top of the ice.  The children can set up most of the game but fitting in all the pieces will most likely require adult help at first.  The hammers are not of the upmost quality but durable enough for the purpose.  I wish the box it came in was more thoughtfully designed however. It comes in a flimsy cardboard box that easily tears when putting the game away and makes it very easy to loose some of the pieces.  You will most likely end up putting the game in a big ziplock freezer bag to avoid that.

How to Play

The players put the ice blocks in the blue frame and then put the polar bear (that has it’s own ice block) on top and take turns hammering the ice. The player that breaks the ice that causes the polar bear to fall down loses.  I find that most kids really don’t care if they are the ones who make the polar bear fall down.  They just want to hammer the ice and see it fall.  I don’t think I have ever played with “winners” or “losers” in this game, rather, it just ends when the bear comes crashing down.

Skills and Modifications

Turn taking: This game is perfect for kids learning to take turns.  I suggest just using one hammer if there is a child who has trouble waiting their turn.  This way, having the hammer in their hand is a physical cue to take a turn.  This is much better than having to verbally remind a child to wait their turn or having to block their out of turn hammer swings.  

Motor Skills: If the child’s motor skills make it difficult to break the ice with the hammer (which is possible since the hammer is so lightweight), then I recommend having them start with the hammer and just use one little finger to push out the ice piece.  

Cause and Effect: It’s fun for the child to see that by hammering the ice blocks it causes them to fall down.  It’s also fun to experiment by putting the big ice block where the polar bear goes in different positions other than dead center.  

Critical Thinking:  If playing with the objective of not letting the bear fall down then the child must strategize which piece he/she should hammer in order to accomplish this.  It also makes them aware of what degree of force they should use when hammering so as to control how many pieces end up falling down.

Short and sweet:  The actual playing time of Don’t Break the Ice is very short (maybe a couple minutes at most) but kids really do love seeing and hearing the ice and the bear come crashing down.  

Group Play: Don’t Break the Ice is terrific for a child that does not find playing with peers reinforcing in itself.  Pairing the fun of the game with being around peers is the perfect introduction to playing with others.