source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
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An ordinary day of skiing

This group session is for an ordinary day on the slopes, however, without snow and cold, but with quite a lot of games, a lot of fun and a lot of action. Youth workers can ask the children beforehand what all is needed for a day of skiing. For example, buying a skiing pass, take the cable railway up the mountain, warm-up, and so on.

Material:

Scarf, hat, gloves, jacket, ski goggles, ski poles, a ski pass for each child, Sellotape, music, gym exercises, rope, newspapers, Lego or Duplo figurines, a white poster with a target painted on it, soft cardboard

Game 1: Getting dressed and buying a ski pass

Clearly, first you have to wrap up warm because on the mountains, up in the snow it's cold, and before we even can get up there, you need a ski pass.

Material:

Scarf, hat, gloves, jacket, ski goggles, ski poles, a ski pass for every child

Instructions:

Game 1 is carried out with two or three teams as a kind of relay. The first child of each group puts on all the clothes and then quickly runs over to a table, with two or three youth workers. The table represents the counter where you can buy your ski pass. Every child needs a pass. Therefore, every child needs to run to the table. If you want this to take a bit more time, the run-up to the table could be an obstacle course. To get a pass, each child needs to solve an arithmetic problem. The calculation should not be too hard for the respective age group (i.e. about 22-15 + 8 =?).
Game 2: In the queue at the cable railway

Material:

Tape, enough songs

Instructions:

Using a tape mark 5-8lines on the ground. All the kids are behind the first line; all staff is behind the last line. They start to hum a song (no text). The child, which recognises the song first, steps over the first line. In other words, that was his little ride on the cable railway. The game continues until all children on top of the mountain – on the other side. There are no winner or losers. If, for some reason, staff does not want to sing or hum, you also could use a CD with famous melodies.
Game 3: Ski gymnastics

Material:

Music, gymnastics exercises

Instructions:

On top of the mountain, you first have to do some warming up and stretching exercises. Staff show a few exercises and then the kids do the same. Stretching and hoping to warm up ….. with the right music, this is actually fun.
Game 4: Lift Pass

Material:

Ropes & Newspapers

Instructions:

For this game, kids first have to pair up behind a starting line. Each team receives a rope and newspaper. One kid sits on the newspaper; the other kid has to pull him using the rope. (Sitting is easier than standing on the newspaper). They do that in slalom for a certain distance.
Game 5: Skiing

Instructions:

Finally, everybody is on top of the mountain, and the skiing can start. Everybody stands in a circle and assumes an active skiing position. (Slightly bending the knees and bending forward a bit). Now the game "Command Bimberle”, is played. One child enters the circle and gives orders, which the others have to follow suit. However, the trick is, they are only allowed to follow if the word “command” is put in front of the order. For example: “Command left turn” they can turn left, if, however, he says only “Left turn”, they are not supposed to move.

Commands:
- Left turn
- Right turn
- Ski-jump (high jump)
- Rotation
- Hubbelpiste (bend your knees 5 times)
- Down the mountain (bend your elbows and snuggle your arms close to your body. Just as if you were holding the ski sticks under your arm).
Game 6: Cross-country skiing

Material:

Lego figure or even better, the slightly larger and heavier Duplo figurine, a white poster (paint on a target with a red dot in the middle), a hill (use a soft cardboard. At the front put something underneath so that it is a little higher on this side.)

Instructions:

This is a game, which can be played for quite some time because children like it. The Lego or Duplo figurines have to slide up the hill and, if possible, hit the target, which can be at a 3m distance. Kids can play one on one or team against team. The winner is who scored the most targets.