Candy “Ice Breaker” Activity
Provide enough colorful wrapped candy for everyone in the
group plus extras. A lollypop with
a chocolate or gum center works well for this activity. You could also switch
the wrappers on the lollypops so they have an additional surprise.
Have everyone tell their favorite color from the colors of candy
that you have and track it. Share
that information, least and most favorite color. Tell them that we frequently make decisions based upon what
we see. But we should get to know
situations and people much better than that. We should get to know people on the inside, their
personalities, interests, and talents.
Just like there is a hidden center in the candy, there is a
center not easily seen in each person.
Challenge everyone to get to know 2-3 things about the people in the
group that they can’t tell by just looking. You could provide a list, (favorite hobby, sport, school
subject, animal for a pet, etc.) or just let them talk. Have them share one thing they learn
about one another.
Now let them have their favorite color of candy and get with others who have the same color. After unwrapping it, ask if their
favorite color for this candy has changed?
Have they found some friends or people they would like to get to know
better? There need not be a reply
for these questions unless someone wants to volunteer. The goal is to have them learn that it
is important to get to know others better and not just make decisions based
upon appearances.
Beanbag Toss
A beanbag toss is a classic party game. Here are some ideas for your party.
If you don’t have beanbags, they are easy to make. You can use any heavy material. I have made the denim ones shown here
out of old blue jeans squares.
Just wash the fabric and cut matching squares or rectangles of similar
size. Pinking shears work well for
cutting. Stitch up 3 sides, I like
a decorative stitch. Fill with
beans, rice, wheat or beads. Don’t
over fill, make sure you can machine stitch the final side. They last a long time. I’ve had mine that are shown here for 9
years and they have been played with at many parties. Now that you have your beanbags, just add a large basket, box,
hula-hoop, pot, or canner as your target.
If you don’t sew or have time make fabric beanbags, here is
a fun easy idea. Fill sandwich bags with small wrapped candy. You can use a zip type of bag, or twist with some colorful ribbon. Each player could have a different color combination of ribbon or attach stickers with names. Remember to have players put their
names on the bags as that is their prize. Use mini candy
bars for older youth or their favorite sour candy. These become your beanbags to toss. Just make sure the candy can handle
some “landing” and heat if playing outside. Don’t play on cement or tile. Grass or carpet works well with a hula-hoop.
I like to place my prizes inside a steam canner and let them
take out a prize if they get the beanbag inside the canner or “witches caldron”
if playing at Halloween. You could
also have someone hand out the prizes, if you think they will get damaged from
tossing the beanbag in with them.
Another option is give players carnival tickets that they redeem
later. Decide how many beanbags to
toss at a time before going to the end of the line, generally1-3. Also determine where they stand. Younger children need to be closer, but
you still want some challenge to the game. Smaller candies and prizes work well for younger
children and they like many turns at tossing. Older youth still enjoy this simple game if they are
challenged more with distance or number of bean bags that need to go inside the target. Of course they also need larger prizes,
such as full sized candy bars. When
playing with candy bags, after achieving the set goal of tosses the player gets to
keep their candy bag.
You could have additional prizes for things such as knocking a stuffed animal in the target, or being the first to reach the set number of tosses with candy bags. You could set additional challenges or rules, but keep it fun. When a game is too hard, kids won’t want to play.
Mark-It
Mark-It is a fun game for large group parties, such as a classroom party. It is also fun for smaller parties, such as a friendly holiday party. The general Mark-It Party game also has a blank game card that can be used to practice any skill as a game for teachers or parents.
Print or download the template for the Halloween Mark-It Game
Print or download the template for the General Mark-It Game
Candyland Game with Candy
When my girls were younger, this was a favorite game to play. It was especially popular at parties because we played it with candy. No one likes to get sent back, so every time you move back you get 2 small pieces of candy. When you get to move ahead, you get one piece of candy. When you make it to the end of the game you get more candy, 3 pieces or 1 larger candy. We would play until everyone finished or we would give all players the end candy prize. It is a simple way to teach being a good sport in games. Use whatever candy you like.
Mark-ItMark-It is a fun game for large group parties, such as a classroom party. It is also fun for smaller parties, such as a friendly holiday party. The general Mark-It Party game also has a blank game card that can be used to practice any skill as a game for teachers or parents.
Print or download the template for the Halloween Mark-It Game
Print or download the template for the General Mark-It Game
Candyland Game with Candy
When my girls were younger, this was a favorite game to play. It was especially popular at parties because we played it with candy. No one likes to get sent back, so every time you move back you get 2 small pieces of candy. When you get to move ahead, you get one piece of candy. When you make it to the end of the game you get more candy, 3 pieces or 1 larger candy. We would play until everyone finished or we would give all players the end candy prize. It is a simple way to teach being a good sport in games. Use whatever candy you like.
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