Don't Break the Ice

by Hasbro

Product Features

• Tread carefully and win in this classic game
• Tap out ice blocks one by one
• Take your time and do some thinking to keep the polar bear from sinking
• To win, the bear must stay on top
• For 2 to 4 players

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 5.4 x 5.4 inches ; 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000IVZJ
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 4784
• Manufacturer recommended age: 4 - 6 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,094 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #82 in Toys & Games > Games > Board Games
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Editorial Review

A polar bear is happily skating across the ice. He's gesturing thumbs up. A big smile stretches his face. Uh-oh. What's that tapping sound? A block of ice just disappeared from his pond. And there goes another one. The polar bear is running out of room to skate. In Don't Break the Ice, two to four players take turns wielding plastic mallets and tapping out ice blocks. The goal is to keep the polar bear skating for as long as possible. But as the game progresses, ice blocks start falling faster and faster. And then, there goes the bear! Luckily, these ice blocks don't melt. The game can quickly be reassembled and soon the polar bear is skating again. This bear might lose his footing, but he's always got his smile. --Wendy Slotboom

Product Description

3 years & up. Tap out ice blocks one by one, but Don't Break the Ice! To win, the bear must stay on top. One wrong block, and he'll go ker-plop! 2-4 players. No reading required.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An inexpensive classic, October 21, 2003

By 

Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

= Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Don't Break the Ice (Toy)

Games for small children are notoriously hard to come by. "Don't Break the Ice" is one of the few available and a classic in its own right.

My young son loves this game and we play all sorts of variations including moving the main ice piece that holds the bear to different places so we can experiment with the "physics" of the game. (So there is a true educational element.) We also try to put the ice pieces back in the frame using different patterns of insertion. This helps kill the time factor in getting the game pieces ready to play.

With its minimum of rules anyone can pick this game up in a minute. It's fun and can be played by "kids" of all ages. Given its low price, it's a no miss. Even if little children get more fun out of making the bear fall than not, so what? Think of it as a more versatile "hammer & peg bench" toy.

There are some durability issues. If one of the tabs that hold the ice breaks, you are out of luck. The frame consists of two pieces that slide together and the connection is prone to breakage. Still, at this price point it's a lot easier to replace than many of the fragile toys that cost far more. In fact you could buy every toy in the Milton Bradley "Cootie" line and still be under the cost of just one other plastic toy.

A good bet for a good price.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one is a classic, November 13, 2003

By 

Matthew Edmundson (Winter Haven, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Don't Break the Ice (Toy)

I loved this game as a child. We still have the one I played with 16 years ago.

Break the Ice is a simple game anybody can play. There is a man sitting on a big piece of ice. You want to knock out the pieces around him, but not knock out piece that will send him falling. It's simple enough but it does take some stratedgy.

We have a lot of kids that come through my house for different reasons, and I've never met one that didn't get a kick out of this game. It's a fun family game and a must for a small child.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic fun that's sure to impress, September 11, 2000

By 

jasenao (Dothan, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Don't Break the Ice (Toy)

I'll never forget playing Don't Break The Ice when I was a kid, because it's always been one of my favorites. I don't have any kids of my own yet, but I have a niece and she and I played this game for a few hours straight one day last week. She probably has even more fun playing it than I used to. It's a simplistic game that any adult can play with their kid, niece, etc., and find themselves having fun doing it and feeling like a kid again themselves! My niece especially gets a kick out of it when I break the wrong piece of ice I lose.

A game of Don't Break The Ice doesn't usually last long. You basically place all of about 20 plastic ice cubes into the holder, with the red man standing in the center. Both you and your opponent have a plastic hammer and you take turns knocking out one block of ice. But soon you won't be able to help breaking into 2 or 3 blocks of ice in one turn and the poor guy in the middle will be tilted downward staring into a chilling abyss. Whoever hits the piece of ice that results in the guy falling through, loses. This can inspire some competitive spirit, laughs, and trash talking.

If you have any kids around, I recommend getting Don't Break The Ice for sure; it's a great way to spend time together.