Ice Games

The key to a successful party is to make sure everyone is having a good time. So while some people play hockey, set up pulling races and games in another cleared area of the pond or lake. We like to surround our hockey rink with an oval-shaped clearing, which is perfect for the races and for leisurely skates around the loop.

ICE TRAIN
The highlight of the day for the younger set in our family is when the ice train pulls into the party. To form this line that snakes around the ice, all you have to do is grab the hips of the person in front of you and hold on tight. Of course, the front person is the locomotive, so it's a good idea to put one of the stronger-skating adults at the front of the line.

Because the caboose experiences the wildest part of this ride, be sure to have one of the better skaters at the end--or at least one who's not afraid to land in a pile of snow.

OFF TO THE RACES
Ice is an ideal surface for all kinds of sliding and pulling races. And these games are a great way to build strong skating muscles.

RUNNER SLED RACE
We like to bring our runner sleds out to the rink for this event, which is played in teams of two. One person sits on the sled while his partner pulls it along the ice. The object is to race around the rink faster than the opposing team (or teams--three sleds make for an even more exciting event).

BACKWARD HOCKEY PULL
Another popular race (which is also good practice for skating backward) is to pull a person around the oval using two hockey sticks. To set this up, have the two team members face each other, holding the ends of the sticks between them. The designated puller skates backward, towing his partner along like a water-skier.

ICE BOWLING
While we love to skate, we're not such fanatics that we ignore one of the ice's most fun forms--that of a gigantic bowling lane. On the night before the party, we fill ten (or more) plastic quart or liter bottles and several gallon jugs with water. We add a bit of food coloring to each, then put them out to freeze. To play, we set out the quart containers as bowling pins, back up ten feet or so, and use the frozen gallon jugs to knock down the quart jugs.

FIGURE SKATING FUN
Sometimes, the best games to play on the ice are the ones we're used to playing on dry land.

SKATER'S OBSTACLE COURSE
As you would for a steeplechase, set up an obstacle course following paths through boots, hockey sticks, benches and any other items on hand. Try balancing sticks on top of boots for skaters to step or jump over. Or two people can hold a stick at hip level that skaters pass under. To finish, all skaters must pass through a human tunnel, made by the nonparticipants.

FOX AND GEESE
We play this game by shoveling a wagon-wheel shape in the snow, complete with hub and spokes. One player, designated the fox, chases the other players (the geese) around the wheel using the spokes to cut across the circle. When the fox tags a goose, that person becomes a fox and joins in the chase. The game is played until all the geese are caught. The last one becomes the fox in the next game.

BROOMBALL
One of our favorite ways to introduce young skaters to the thrill of hockey is through broomball--a version of ice hockey that you play using brooms and a rubber ball instead of sticks and a puck. This game is best played with a ball that's about the size of a bowling ball and very light and bouncy. With a good wallop, you can send the ball ricocheting off knees and arms--and you don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. Set this game up like a hockey game, complete with snow-boot goals (about six feet apart) and an equal number of players on each team (six per team works well). Start the game with a face-off at center ice.