Hi,

I am reading Silken Laumann's book "Childs Play" and it made me think of the kid games which we played and which were passed down by the older kids.

From grades Primary to 3 I really enjoyed playing marbles, usually "for keeps". I'm trying to remember the details and am hoping someone here can fill in the gaps.

Someone would turn their heel in the dirt to make a small hole and would pat the sides down to make it smooth. The p_layer_s (2,3??) would stand back and throw marbles towards the hole. (Often more than one, but the numbers had to be even. As some marbles were considered worth more, like "crockies" which were worht 5? regular marbles, you might end up throwing more or less total marbles than the other p_layer_(s).) The owner of the marble closest to the hole went first. They tried to knock their marble into the hole using the side of the first finger which was bent into a "C". If they succeeded then they kept going until they missed a shot (like pool), I think. I think the person to sink the last marble won. I don't remember if you had to sink all yours first or if you could choose any marble.

If anyone can remember I'd like to hear how they played.

-Adele

Hi Adele

I was sorting through stuff in my _base_ment the other day and came across my marbles from when I was a kid! I used to LOVE marbles. I've got all these different kinds and I know that some were more 'valuable' than other's, but I can't remember any of it. I couldn't remember how to play at all until I read your post, which sounds pretty much like how I remember it. I can't remember anything else, but I'd also love to hear what other people remember!

I can't say I ever played marbles, but I recently turned DS loose on an egg carton and a handful of marbles (originally meant to help with one-to-one counting corrispondance) and it was amazing what he came up with- I handed him the marbles inside the egg carton and within minutes he had the marbles out, the egg carton turned upside down and was racing marble men over and around the "mountains" (it was one of those clear plastic egg cartons/containers).

It makes me wonder why I have a closet/room full of toys upstairs when it's the simple stuff that interests them the most!

ETA: sorry, this is ANCIENT!!! mah well...

Hah, eirual, no prob! I still wish I could remember how this goes - I googled it and it seems to be pretty much how Oceanside explained it - here's one site explaining it. But I seem to remember sometimes using the side of my foot to move the marbles - like you'd put your foot alongside the marble and kick that foot with the side fo your other foot to make the marble move. Has anyone else done that, or am I just completely making it up?? Hehe. I also remember we used to have all sorts of names for the different types of marbles - I have quite a collection but don't know what is what now at all! What a crappy memory I have!

Hey! I do remember kicking the side of my foot to make the marble move! But I don't know why I did it. After all, it wouldn't be a very accurate shot; so why not always use the hand to shoot?

I looked at the site you _link_ed. They talk about using a ring. We never used a ring, just a pot. Maybe because our playground was mainly dirt and so easier to dig a hole then draw a circle.

The ordinary one colour "cats eye" were the least valuable marbles. There was one which was worth 2 or 3 ordinary ones -it was either a multi-coloured cats eye or there was no eye and the entire marble was coloured (but no painted).

Cheers,
Adele

Ah so I wasn't dreaming the kicking marbles thing, lol! I also remember just digging a hole - I remember playing marbles a lot in a field across the street from my house, so digging a hole was easy.

I found info here on different types of marbles, but I must admit none of it sounds that familiar. I should dig out my old marbles again and see if I can figure any of it out. I feel like i should pass them on to my son, but I don't want to lose my marbles! OK sorry really bad joke!! Time for me to go to bed!

Oceanside wrote:
Hey! I do remember kicking the side of my foot to make the marble move! But I don't know why I did it. After all, it wouldn't be a very accurate shot; so why not always use the hand to shoot?


I thought about it some more and I think we "kicked" the marbles whenever they were very far from the pot. Not much accuracy, of course, but the kick really moved them. The hand shot wasn't very powerful (especially since we were little kids) and it would take quite a few of those to move the marble a good distance.

Adele

I remember playing marbles when I was young. Infact I still have a box of marbles still in my _base_ment. The big thing was those huge marbles-can't remember what they were called.

But I am pretty sure we flicked the marbles with our fingers/hands.. not feet