Games on the Ice

Ice skating games bring a lot of joy, and joy is precisely the best guarantee that children will want to skate, and continue to do so. In addition, the games provide good and versatile skating practice.

Below you will find some games that work particularly well on skates.

Red Light, Green Light

One participant is the 'traffic light'. The others line up a distance away.

• When the traffic light stands with their back turned and quietly counts to 10 to themselves, it's 'green light'. Then the others can try to skate forward.

• When the traffic light turns around, it's 'red light'. Everyone must stand perfectly still.

Those who move when it's red light must go back to the start and begin again. The game continues until someone has reached the traffic light.

Shark Attack

One participant is the shark. The others are divided into four groups and stand in their respective 'corners' of the rink. Each group is a type of fish, for example:

• salmon
• trout
• saithe
• cod

When the shark calls out the name of a fish type, that group must go onto the rink and skate around the 'shark's base'.

When the shark shouts 'Shark Attack!', the shark tries to catch as many as possible by touching them before they reach their corner. Those who are caught become sharks themselves and help catch fish in the next round.

Trolls and Stones

One to three participants are trolls. The others skate freely around the rink.

• If you are touched by a troll, you turn into a 'stone' and must crouch down.
• Those who are still free can free the stones by touching them. The stone is then allowed to skate on again.

The game can continue until 'everyone' is caught, or until you as the leader stop it and switch roles.

The Fox, Mother Goose, and the Goslings

One participant is the fox, one is Mother Goose, and the rest are goslings. Mother Goose stands with the goslings behind her in a line; each gosling holds the one in front around the hips or by the jacket, forming a 'flock of geese'.

The fox stands in front and tries to catch the last gosling:

• Mother Goose tries to shield the goslings by skating and swerving, while the flock follows.
• The fox tries to get around and approach the last one.

If the last gosling is caught, roles can be swapped (for example, the caught gosling becomes the fox, and a new participant becomes Mother Goose).