Balloon Ice Shenanigans

One of my 7th graders this past school year made "frozen marbles" as part of her genius hour project... and I saw the same idea here on Pinterest.

This one had two earwigs in it... my nephew thought that was a hoot!

This time, instead of just making the frozen marbles, I decided to create a game so that my niece and nephew and I could play on the cul de sac while waiting for the fireworks to begin. Here are the directions for...

BALLOON ICE SHENANIGANS

You will need:

            frozen water balloons (frozen marble)                    chalk

            big, open pavement or vacant street                        a way to keep score

            (optional – gloves)

Goal:

            Be the first player to accumulate exactly 20 points by rolling or sliding a frozen marble across pavement that is marked with various points.

Preparation:

            Freeze water balloons. Pull off the latex, and store in a cooler at the time of play.

            Create a playing “board” of some sort using chalk on the pavement. (Suggestions below.)

How to Play:

            Decide on a scorekeeper. Each person chooses one piece of balloon ice from the cooler. This will be his/her game piece for the game. The youngest player takes his turn first. He must first declare if he is going to add points or deduct points from his score. (For the first few turns, everyone will be adding points in order to get to 20. Later in the game, players may decide to deduct points in order to accumulate exactly 20 points.) The scorekeeper will write either a “+” or a “-“ underneath his name, depending on his decision. He must then place the balloon ice on the ground, and roll or slide it forward, aiming for a number on the “board.” At this time, the player chooses to either leave his piece on the board, or take it away. If he takes it off the board, the scorekeeper writes down his score. If he leaves it, it may be knocked to a different location, depending on the next player(s). When all players have had a turn, the scorekeeper should have a new score for each. Continue playing until one player accumulates exactly 20 points.

Rules:

            Your balloon ice must be either in your hands or on the ground under your supervision.

            Every player begins with zero points. It is possible to go up in points or down, even into negative numbers.

            You MAY shape your ice – either in your hands or on the ground. Keep in mind –you will keep this one piece of ice until someone reaches 20 points.

            If your ice balloon lands on a line, you must count the higher number.

            If you touch someone else’s balloon ice, deduct 5 points from your score.

            If, on your turn, a balloon ice (yours or the one you hit) touches any part of a vehicle or a person, you are eliminated from that game and must return your ice.

            If your ice breaks, you may forfeit or continue the game, using a broken portion of your piece.

            If your ice breaks during a slide/roll, you may either use both scores, or only one. If you use only one, be sure to take away the piece you will no longer use.

            After each game, you may either keep your ice balloon, or TRADE for a new piece from the cooler or a willing player.

Possible game boards à

 We used the one below, because it "looks more like fireworks..." :)