#256: Marbles

Play marbles with a friend.



Draw a circle about 2-3 feet wide in the dirt, on a sidewalk (with chalk), or on the carpet (with your finger). Each team (two teams) has different coloured marbles. Both teams place their small marbles in the circle, keeping their 'shooter' or big marble for shooting.

Make a fist, thumb up, and place your shooter on top of your curled pointer finger. Flick the shooter off with your thumb. (You may need to kneel down to get close enough to the marbles on the floor.) Try and hit the other team's marbles out of the circle. If you hit it out, you keep that marble and keep going until you don't hit a marble out. The turn goes to the other team when you don't hit a marble out. Keep going until one team no longer has marbles in the circle. If you shot all the other team's marbles out, you are the winner. Sort the marbles, unless you are playing 'keepsies.'

There are other rules for marbles too. You can look them up or make your own. Have fun!


Make this a family activity: Have a marbles tournament.

This activity promotes fine motor coordination and math skills.