"Don't Break The Ice" : A Social Skills Game

Last week I talked about the many ways to use this $10 game for academic concepts in the classroom.  Today I'm back with ways to utilize this game for your social skills group.  I use a lot of Zones of Regulation curriculum but of course you can adapt my suggestions to match your own classroom needs.

Don't Break the Ice is a game available readily in stores and online.  The amazon option is usually listed at just under ten dollars.

Here are some ways to use it in your social skills group!

1. Just play the game as-is!  Great for turn taking and dealing with frustration!
2. Students get to take their turn after they state which color "zone" they are in at the moment. For those of you without Zones of Regulation, just have the student say which emotion they feel right then.  Or they can point to an emotion face if they have trouble verbalizing.
3. Give a scenario and have them identify which color zone the fictional person is in. Then they can take their turn.
4. Give a size-of-the-problem scenario. Have the child state how big the problem is.
5. Practice asking and answering questions. Child can draw a card with a question on it and then choose another group member to ask the question of.  Ex: "How are you today?"  "What time is lunch?"  "Can I have a pencil?"
6. Hold up a colored card (red, yellow, green, or blue). Ask the child to state when someone might be in that color zone.
7. State a simple feeling (tired; nervous; ready to learn) and have the child identify which color zone that is before they take their turn.
8. Use the game to reinforce tools for self-regulation.  Ask the child to state a tool they can use to get back to the green zone. Then they can take their turn. Tools might include: stress ball, bouncy chair band, carrying heavy books, weighted lap pad, lazy 8 breathing, jump on trampoline, squeeze putty, get a drink, etc.
9. When teaching a breathing strategy, have the child practice the strategy once or twice before they get to take their turn. Example: once you teach Lazy 8 breathing, have the child do two rounds of it before they take their turn.  This can motivate some of your more reluctant breathers to give it a try since they have to do it in order to get a turn at the game. ;)
    

Have more ideas?  Share in the comments!  I'm always up for learning more ways to help kiddos practice their social skills!

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