DON’T BREAK THE ICE

OBJECT OF DON’T BREAK THE ICE: The object of Don’t Break the Ice is to not be the player who drops the animal.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1 or more players

MATERIALS: A rulebook, an ice tray, 32 ice blocks, 1 big ice block, 1 plastic animal, and 2 plastic hammers.

TYPE OF GAME: Children’s Board Game

AUDIENCE: 3+

OVERVIEW OF DON’T BREAK THE ICE

Don’t Break the Ice is a children’s board game playable by 1 or more players. The goal of the game is to be the last player standing without dropping the animal.

SETUP

The ice tray is placed upside down so players can place the ice blocks into the tray. The large ice block can be placed anywhere but for the first game, the ice block should be placed centrally. The remaining blocks surround it and are pressed tightly together so when the tray is turned over all the blocks remain held up. The plastic animal is then placed in its spot on the large ice block.

GAMEPLAY

The first player is chosen randomly or is the youngest player. Play proceeds clockwise from them. Each player on their turn will take a hammer and choose an ice block to hit. They must hit this ice block until it becomes dislodged from the tray and drops below the board. Players should take heed to not hit the large block or put the large block in a position to fall.

Once a player chooses an ice block, they cannot change their mind, and even if other clocks fall as they hammer at their ice blocks they must continue until the clock that was chosen falls.

The game/round ends once the animal and large block fall out of the tray below the board.

If playing a one or two-player game, this ends the game, if playing with more players the board is reset and the player that knocked the animal from the board is eliminated from the game. Rounds are played until only one player remains.

END OF GAME

The game ends either when the animal is knocked from the board or when only one player remains. If playing with only one player, the goal is to see how long you can keep the animal from falling. If playing with 2 players the player who did not knock the animal from the board wins, and if playing with more than 2 players the winner is the player who is the last one not to get eliminated.

Amber Crook
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