PLAY MARBLES WITH YOUR KIDS ~ SUPER FUN MARBLE GAMES

I have some of my best memories of a kid playing marbles. I recently got my kids a set and they spent hours playing it! They had such a good time!! Here are some games you can play with your kids!!

Spanners

A simple capturing game for two players. The first sends forth a marble. The second shoots to hit it and capture it. However, if his marble stops within a span of the opponents marble he still takes it. A span is the distance between the spread thumb and forefinger of the biggest hand available. If he is unsuccessful, play passes to his opponent, who in turn tries to capture his marble.

One Step

This game is played like Dobblers except that a player takes one step and throws his TAW from a standing position when making his first shot. Subsequent throws are also made from the standing position but without taking a step. A successful throw entitles the player to another throw from the spot where the THAW lies.

Picking Plums

For a small number of players. A straight line is drawn on the ground and each player contributes one or more marbles, which are placed in a row on the line about 2 marbles widths apart. Another parallel line is then drawn about 6 feet away. Players stand behind this second line and take it in turns to shoot at the line of marbles (plums). A shot which knocks a plum out of line entitles the player to the plum, but not to a second shot. Play continues until all plums are picked.

Archboard

For this game a piece of board is required with 7 or 9 arches cut in it. The central arch is numbered 0 and the other arches increase in value to the outside of the board , ie. 3,2,1,0,1,2,3. One player is made bridgekeeper, the other shoot marbles at the arches from a distance of 4 feet to 5 feet. Those who fail to pass through an arch are taken by the bridgekeeper. For every successful shot the bridgekeeper mus pay the shooter the corresponding number of marbles, the same size as the one shot, to the number written above the arch through which the marble passed. A marble passing through the centre arch marked 0 is returned to the shooter with no reward. Every player should take his turn at keeping the bridge.

Bounce About

This game, for two to four players, is played by throwing marbles and not shooting them. Medium sized marbles are best suited for the game and are called "Bouncers". The first player throws his bouncer forward about 5 feet. The second player throws his to try and hit it. The third player throws to try and hit either one on the ground and so on. If a bouncer is hit the owner must pay the successful thrower one marble. Bouncers are generally not forfeited.

Bounce Eye

A circle 1 foot in diameter is marked on the ground. Each player puts one marble in a pool in the center of the circle. The players take it in turns to stand over the circle and drop a marble from eye level into the pool of marbles. Any marbles knocked out of the ring become the property of the player. If a player fails to capture any marbles with a drop, the marble he has dropped remains in the pool. The game continues until the pool is dry.

Conqueror

This game is similar to "Bounce about" but the marbles are shot and any size of marbles may be used and by any number of players. An order of play is decided. The first player throws forward a marble to whatever distance he chooses. He will generally choose the distance at which he personally shoots with the greatest accuracy. The next player then hoots at his marble. If he hits it he captures it and it becomes his property. He then throws our a new marble to restart the game. If he misses it however, his marble remains in the field. The third player then shoots at either marble, capturing whatever he hits, but leaving his marble in the field if he misses.

Die Shot

A die is balanced on a marble which has been ground down slightly for stability. As in Archboard, players take it in turns to be the keeper of the die. Any player wishing to have a shot pays the keeper one marble. He then shoots at the a target from a predetermined distance. He musts pay one marble for each shot he makes. If a player knocks the die off the marble with his shot, he receives from the keeper the number of marbles corresponding to the number shown uppermost on the die.

Dobblers

A game for any small number of players. Each player contributes one or more marbles to a straight line of marbles spaced so that their is room for two marbles to pass through the gaps. Each player then shoots in turn and may keep any marbles he hits. The players TAW remains where it lies at the end of his turn and subsequent turns are played from where the TAW lies. A player whose TAW is hit by another TAW must add one marble to the line.

(a TAW is a shooter marble)