Don’t Break the Ice – Team Building Activity
Ever been influenced? Someone ever pushed you to doing something you didn’t want to do? What about something you did want to do?
- I don’t know who influenced this awesomeness, but thank you.
Influences, you got to love them. Sometimes influences are positive, they can push you to achieve new heights and reach your goals. Jerrod Murr, my personal assistant, is a solid influence in my life. He has inspired me in so many ways, and I am glad to have him in my life. Other times influences can be negative. I try to avoid negative influences like the plague.
Influences are the premise behind this classic and easy team-building initiative I first learned in Boston at Project Adventure. Step back to your childhood and buy the only prop needed in this activity, a new or gently used set of Don’t Break the Ice.
- No need to keep the little ice-skating man.
Don’t Break the Ice
Number of Participants: 10-20
Time: 10-15 minutes
Activity Level: Low
Props: Set of Don’t Break the Ice
Objective: To lift the ice cubes higher than the group’s head.
Set Up: Set 3 ice cubes on the floor in a straight row in between two participants.
Rules: A participant can only use the tip of their index finger on one hand.
Description:
Find a creative way to pair up the group members. I usually ask them to find the person in the group with an index finger similar in size to theirs. Placing the blocks in between two participants, challenge the dyad to raise the three ice cubes above their head only using the tip of their index finger.
Enjoy watching the teams push the cubes back and forth, up and down, and even upside down to achieve their goal. After the team has reached new ice cube heights, encourage the teams to pair up with another group, combine the cubes, and try it again. Then double the group size again, and again, and again…or until the entire group is lifting their cubes into the air!
- Can they do it?
- They are doing it!
- They did it!
Variation: Challenge the participants to use their non-dominant hand.
Questions for Discussion:
1. How did you get influenced to accomplish your goal?
2. Are influences negative or positive?
3. Did you “give in” to the influences, or did you “push” against them?
4. What types of influences do you have in your life?
5. Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt influenced? Was it negative or positive?
Facilitator Notes:
1. Sometimes it is easier to accomplish this task if the teams are lifting an actually cube of ice cubes. (Not a 3D cube, but a flat cube of ice cubes on the floor…more like a square. Definitely a square. I should have used that in the example.)
2. Sometimes it is easier to accomplish this task if the teams are lifting a square of ice cubes. (Made more sense, huh?)
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions either leave a note below or email me!
Ryan Eller
Founder, Experiential Adventure
ryan@experientialadventure.com
