Oh no! The polar bear cubs got all splotched up with paint while they were helping the Inuits to paint their igloos.
Needless to say, Daddy Cool isn't thrilled when he sees his bunch of bear cubs. "What we need, is some soap and water" he says, and sets off with his cubs on the way to the wash tub.
Components
- 13 Ice Floes
- 2 Cracked Ice Floes
- 1 Ice Floe with a Wash Tub
- 1 Big Polar Bear (Daddy Cool)
- 6 Polar Bear Cubs
- 6 Special Dice
- Instructions
Object of the Game
The first player to reach the wash tub with his bear cub is the winner.
Setup
Lay a path on the table with the ice floes. The path can be straight or have one or more curves. The cracked ice floes should be positioned in the path after the fifth and the tenth ice floe.
The ice floe with the wash tub should be at the end of the path. Place Daddy Cool in front of the first ice floe.
Each player chooses a bear cub and places it next to Daddy Cool. The dice are placed on the table near the youngest player.
Here is how your path to the washtub might look.
Game Play
At the beginning of the game, Daddy Cool stands next to the bear cubs. During the game, Daddy Cool is moved by each player and determines how many spaces each bear cub will move during his turn.
At the start of each player's turn, Daddy Cool must be moved next to the player's bear cub. Turns are taken clockwise.
The youngest player starts by rolling all six dice.
There are two possibilities:
1. The dice show one or more ice floes
Daddy Cool must test the way over the ice floes before a bear cub can follow him, so move only Daddy Cool the same number of ice floes as shown on the dice.
Your bear cub doesn't get moved yet. Now you must decide whether to continue and roll the dice once more, or to move your bear cub to the same ice floe where Daddy Cool is standing. When you move your bear cub to where Daddy Cool is standing, your turn ends.
You decide to roll the dice again
Lay the dice showing ice floes to the side, and roll only the remaining dice again. Move Daddy Cool the same number of ice floes as shown on the dice after the second throw.
Your bear cub still doesn't move. Again, you must make the same decision as before: Do you want to roll once more so Daddy Cool can go farther, or do you want to end your turn so that your bear cub can take the same path over the ice floes and join Daddy Cool?
Each time you roll at least one ice floe, you may roll again, but only with the dice with which no ice floe has been thrown. It becomes more and more risky to roll the dice again because if no more ice floes are rolled in a subsequent throw of the dice, your turn is over.
Your bear cub has to stay put, he is not allowed to join Daddy Cool. Therefore, it's important to choose the right time to end your turn.
Danger! Thin Ice: Daddy Cool can't stay standing on a cracked ice floe, so if he does ends up on one, he must try to go on. This means you have to throw the remaining dice again.
If you aren't lucky enough to roll at least one more ice floe, your turn is over and your bear cub is not allowed to move to Daddy Cool.
If all six dice show ice floes after one or more throws, then the player must roll all six dice again. At least one ice floe must be shown on the dice or the player's turn is over without a chance to move his bear cub.
You Decide Not to Roll the Dice Again
You rolled at least one ice floe in your last throw, but you don't want to risk rolling the dice again. Now you can move your bear cub to the same ice floe where Daddy Cool is standing. Your turn is over.
2. There are no ice floes showing on the dice
What a pity! Daddy Cool cannot be moved and your bear cub must stay where he is. Your turn is over.
The Next Player Starts His Turn
First move Daddy Cool next to your bear cub before rolling the dice and following the procedure described above. Several polar bears can share one ice floe.
The Path Gets Longer
As soon as there are at least two ice floes behind the last bear cub, these floes are taken away. The first ice floe gets put back in the game box, while the others are laid between the next to the last ice floe and the floe with the wash tub.
If two or more ice floes are being repositioned, then a cracked ice floe should be laid first.
Example: A player rolls all six dice. Three of the dice show ice floes, so he moves Daddy Cool three floes forward.
Does the player roll the dice again?
-
He decides not to roll again and moves his bear cub three ice floes forward to stand next to Daddy Cool. His turn is over.
-
He decides to roll again. Only the three dice not showing ice floes are thrown. Lucky throw! All three dice show ice floes and the player moves Daddy Cool three more floes forward.
Now he must roll all the dice again because all six dice show ice floes. Besides, Daddy Cool is now standing on a cracked ice floe and isn't allowed to stay there.
The player tries his luck again and rolls the six dice. He rolls two ice floes and moves Daddy Cool two floes forward. He decides to stop rolling the dice and moves his bear cub next to Daddy Cool. Great! The player's bear cub has moved eight floes forward. His turn is over.
Another Example: After the turn of the player with the yellow bear cub, all the cubs are past the first six ice floes.
The first ice floe is put back in the box. The other five ice floes are repositioned between the next to the last ice floe and the wash tub to make the path to the wash tub longer. The cracked ice floe is laid first.
For players of five years and younger, the game can be played without lengthening the path. The ice floes are left in the same position as at the beginning of the game.
End of the Game
When the first polar bear cub reaches the wash tub, the game is over and he is the winner.
Continue Reading
