Tag Archives: icebreakers

“Ice” Breakers and Forgiveness

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

  1. Team members must always look forward at all times and cannot look back, even for a moment.
  2. 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.
  3. 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:

  1. What happened during the game?
  2. What were the difficulties encountered?
  3. What could you do differently to be more successful if you played again?
  4. If you personally dropped the ice how did you feel? How did you feel toward your team? How did you respond?
  5. 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

  1. Are some mistakes easier to forgive than others? Explain?
  2. Why is it sometimes difficult to forgive others?
  3. 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

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers 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.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Tee Freeze Icebreaker

Description

Beat the hot days of summer with a frozen T-shirt contest for your youth. The objective is simple – Unfold a frozen t-shirt and wear it. But it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. It can be played as a team effort or you can have one frozen tee for each youth.

Resources

  • Gallon Freezer Bags
  • You’ll need one t-shirt for each team or participant. Larger shirts are best and if possible you want them all to be the same size. Sometimes t-Shirts can be torn or stretched in the process.
  • Water
  • Freezer

Preparation

  1. Soak each t-shirt in about 2 cups of water then wring it out. If there is too much water it will take too long to thaw.
  2. Once the shirt has been wrung out, nicely fold each one into a square that will fit inside the freezer bag. Once you have folded it flat, press it down again to try to remove even more water.
  3. Seal each bag, and place each t-shirt in the freezer so that each lies flat.
  4. Let them freeze for a couple of days for best results.
  5. If you need to transport the shirts to another venue, place them in a cooler filled with ice so they stay frozen.
  6. Want to play on the theme a little? Have “Iced Tea” for refreshments.

What to do

  1. Tell the youth you are going to have a real icebreaker game.
  2. If you play by teams, don’t tell the youth what you are going to do and instead ask for a volunteer from each team. (You don’t want more than 4 or 5 on a team or it gets too crowded and some youth end up sitting on the sideline and watching.)
  3. Give each youth (or team) a frozen tee.
  4. The objective is to use whatever means possible to thaw the t-shirt enough so that it they can put it on. (They’ll sit on them like hatching an egg, throw them on the ground, rub them with hands, roll them, stick them on bare arms and legs to use their body heat to warm them up enough to unfold them and put them on.) They’ll be worn out trying to get them unfolded enough to wear.
  5. The first person to get the t-shirt on wins! Heads and arms must be completely in the t-shirt for normal wear to be declared the winner.

Rules of the Game

You might want to set some rules such as:

  • You cannot place the t-shirt in water or any other liquids
  • You cannot microwave it or use any appliance or machinery to heat it up.
  • You cannot leave the game area
  • You are not allowed to use any sharp object on the t-shirt

Take It to the Next Level

Like many things in life, this game takes a lot of effort. It’s the same with building relationships. If you want to have relationships that aren’t so cold and are more warm and friendly, it takes work. “Cold hearted” and “Hard – hearted” are terms we commonly use to describe how youth relate to others. We also often talk about the warmth of friendship.

Take It Spiritual

In the Bible, Cold and Hot are used to describe the relationship of a person with God. But God’s greatest criticism is not to a person is either hot or cold, but to someone that is lukewarm. In Revelation, God refers to the church of Laodicia in the same terms.

“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot”. “Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Laodicia had no water supply of its own, so an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs. By the time the water reached Laodicia is was neither therapeutically hot nor refreshingly cold. And because of it, one of the strongest words in Revelation is used, emesai, meaning to vomit.

Take it Personal

  • What actions of a Christian might be described as Hot? Cold? Lukewarm?
  • How does a lukewarm Christian behave?
  • Why is lukewarm worse than being either hot or cold?
  • What is an area of your devotion to God that could be described as Lukewarm?
  • If we are cold or lukewarm, how can we become “On Fire” in our devotion for God?

Take Action

  • What can you do this week to become more fired up about your relationship with God?
  • What can you do this week to share the warmth of Christ with someone?

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers 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.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Ducks in a Row

Description


In this icebreaker game, youth must arrange their group in order according to specific criteria.


Number of Youth


Unlimited (in groups of at least 8 teens)


How to Play


  1. Youth are told they may not talk.
  2. Teens are then told to line up their group in order of height (shortest to tallest).
  3. Once everyone is lined up the team must shout “Ducks in a Row” and Quack loudly while flapping their arms as wings.
  4. The first team of youth to do so wins the round.

Additional optional rounds


  • Alphabetical order by first name
  • Alphabetical order by mother’s or father’s first name
  • In order of their birthday
  • According to shoe size
  • According to phone number
  • According to the number of letters in their full name.
  • According to their house number or address block
  • According to length of hair
  • Others?

Take it to the Next Level


bowling-pin.jpgThe 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.

A lot of people put off making various decisions until everything seems to be in place and perfect. Older people might use the idiom “When I get all my ducks in order I will…” Youth may not use the phrase much, but they use similar expressions. “When I get my life (or act) together, THEN I’ll make that commitment.” “When I grow up, then I will…” “When I finish my education, then I will…” “When I am successful in my career then i will…” In fact, people of all ages make similar excuses.

The truth of the matter is that becoming and living as a Christian is a step of faith. You will never on this earth fully understand the scriptures. You will never fully understand the ways and mind of God. (Isaiah 55:8) You will never even truly understand yourself. While it is good to use your mind and plan ahead, we must also trust and depend completely upon God.


Focal Scripture


“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6


Practical Application


  • What are some of the choices and decisions that God calls us to make as Christians?
  • How do we know when God is calling us to do do something?
  • How do we know when the timing is right to step out in faith?
  • What are some things in your life that God might be calling you to get in order before he calls you to a position or task?
  • Don’t wait till you undestand everything. If God is calling you to something make a decision today to yield to that calling and trust him for the results. Simply step out in faith and trust him and he will make your way sure.

 

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers 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.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!