Skating Games to Play

A pond or lake becomes an instant rink when the cold winter months freeze the water into ice. Once the ice is thick enough, snowmobiles zoom across, fishermen drill holes and skaters strap on their skates and glide along the ice. If a group of people want to get more competition and usefulness from skating, there are a variety of games they can play on the ice. These games involve average to novice skating skills and can be played with two to 10 people or even more.

  1. Ice Hockey

    • The easiest game to set up on the ice is hockey. Form teams and set up the hockey area. If there is no hockey equipment available, use makeshift equipment like brooms and large branches for the hockey sticks. A small rock, pine cone or a piece of tree bark can work as puck replacements. Mark the goals using three large branches, two laid vertically and one horizontally across the back. Play the game using a time limit or up to a certain score.

    Follow the Leader

    • Test skating skills by playing follow the leader. Have all the skaters line up. The lead skater moves ahead and the other skaters start out after him, keeping a safe distance. The skaters must follow the lead skater and perform any moves that he does, such as spins, one leg and turns. If a player falls, she is eliminated and must wait for a new round. If the leader falls, the person behind her becomes the new leader. The last person skating is declared the winner.

    Stop Line

    • Stopping on ice skates can be challenging, so playing "Stop Line" will help improve stopping skills and challenge players to defeat others. Set one stick as the "Breaking Point" and another around 30 feet away as the "No Pass Line." Players go one at a time from the starting point and must try to start breaking at the first stick. If they are completely stopped before the second line they pass the round. Move the "No Pass Line" a few feet closer to the "Breaking Point" after each round. The last person remaining is the winner.

    Skate Words

    • This mix between hangman and charades is perfect for the ice. All players sit on the ice while the "it" player thinks of a word. He must then "spell" the word as he skates. Players watch the skater and try to figure out what word he is spelling. The player who guesses it correctly gets to make the next word.

    Shoot the Duck

    • Shoot the Duck is a classic skating game played both at roller rinks and skating rinks. Players skate around and gain speed for about 30 seconds. After the 30 seconds, a player shouts "Shoot the Duck!" All of the skaters must crouch down and lift a leg out straight in front of them like they are holding a gun. The player who balances and stays up the longest is declared the winner and a new round is played.