Below is a collection of youth icebreaker games using ice cubes. The primary game leads into a discussion on mistakes and forgiveness.
Optional Ice Games
Ice Sculptures
Make a lot of icecubes using standard ice cube trays. (Note: If you Use hot water you get clearer ice cubes.) If you sprinkle them with salt the youth can stick them together to create ice sculptures of people and other fun shapes.
Ice Cube Musical Chairs
Play musical chairs with a large block of ice. Teams of youth pass the ice while the music plays and whoever is holding the ice when the music stops is eliminated from the game. As a variation, give those eliminated a small ice cube. If any youth who was eliminated can use their hands to get the ice to melt before the game finishes they can join back into the game.
Ice Melt
In this game the objective is to melt the ice cubes given as quickly as possible. Teams may only use their hands to melt the ice. The first team to melt all the given ice cubes wins.
Ice Melt II
In this game, the objective is for the youth to fill a glass with water to the top using only the dropping water from melted ice. Again they may only use their hands to melt the ice. Only one ice cube can be melted at a time.
T-Shirt Melt
Freeze a large soaked cotton t-shirt for each youth team in a zip lock baggie. Ring it out just a little so there is enough water for it to freeze solid, but not enough so that it is inside large block of ice. Scrunch up the t-shirt rather than fold it. Remove the t-shirts from the freezer 15-20 minutes before the game to let them thaw just a bit. Team members must somehow thaw the t-shirt using only their hands and bodies until they can open it up and on team member puts it on and wears it. No liquids or sharp objects are allowed to be used. (Note: Try this once for yourself. It can take quite some time to thaw the shirt enough to wear it, depending on the weather and the amount of water in the shirt)
Primary Game
Ice Pass
What you need
- You’ll need two buckets or large containers and two ice cube trays worth of ice for each team.
- Teams then form lines and race to pass all the ice cubes from the front bucket to the back bucket for each team.
Rules of the game
- Team members must always look forward at all times and cannot look back, even for a moment.
- Each youth in the line must pass the ice cubes one at a time over his or her back to the person immediately behind them in line.
- If an ice cube is dropped, it must be passed forward, one person at a time under the legs of the person in front until it reaches the beginning of the line. It then is passed back as per the normal rules.
Debrief
Award the winning team then ask the losing teams the following questions:
- What happened during the game?
- What were the difficulties encountered?
- What could you do differently to be more successful if you played again?
- If you personally dropped the ice how did you feel? How did you feel toward your team? How did you respond?
- If someone on your team dropped the ice, how did you honestly feel toward them? How did you respond when someone dropped the ice?
Take it to the Next Level
Make it Spiritual
Read Matthew 18:21-35
- Are some mistakes easier to forgive than others? Explain?
- Why is it sometimes difficult to forgive others?
- What can we learn about forgiveness from this parable and the response of Jesus to Peter?
Make it Practical
- What lessons can we learn from this activity as a group of believers, as the body of Christ?
- In what ways do your actions affect others, either positively or negatively?
- How do mistakes and setbacks affect others?
- How do we recover?
- How does forgiveness fit in?
Make it Personal
- What do you find it personally, hardest to forgive?
- What are some ways you can be more forgiving?
Scripture
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'” – Matthew 18:21-22
Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level
This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.
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The phrase “Ducks in a row” is a common English idiom meaning that things are well-organized – that all the small details are accounted for and are in their proper positions before moving on to something else. At first thought, the sight of a mother duck followed by all the little ducklings seems the logical source for this idiom. But the most popular theory is that it comes from bowling as a sport. Early bowling pins were shorter and thicker than modern pins and were commonly referred to as “ducks.” Before the invention of automatic resetting machines for the pins, after each round they would be manually placed back into position by a person. So to “have all your ducks in a row” was to make sure all the pins were properly placed in position before sending the next bowling ball down the lane.