Marble Games for Kids

Circle Game

• This is the simplest marble game. Draw a circle on the ground using chalk. Each player places three or four marbles in the center of the circle. The children take turns shooting their marbles from outside of the circle in an attempt to knock the central marbles out. Every time a marble is knocked out of the circle, the child who knocked it out gets to keep it. The game ends when all of the marbles are knocked out of the circle or all of the marbles are stuck in the circle. The player with the most marbles wins.

Bun-Hole

• A 1-foot-wide hole is dug in the ground. Players stand an agreed distance away and try to get their marbles as close to the hole as possible without going in. Each player should have the same number of attempts. It is permitted to knock the other players' marbles into the hole. After each player has had their permitted turns, the player closest to the hole wins a marble from each of the other players. This continues until one player has all of the marbles.

Boss Out

• One player throws a marble on a playing surface. The second player attempts to hit the first player's marble. If he misses, the first player has an attempt to hit the second player's marble. This continues until the two marbles hit. Whichever player shot the marble gets to keep them both. This continues until one player has all of the marbles, or both players may play a prearranged number of rounds.

Nine Holes

• Cut nine holes out of a large piece of cardboard. Write a number from 1 through 9 under each of the nine holes. Mix the numbers up so that they are not in order. Place a book under one end of the cardboard to make it a ramp. The players take turns shooting their marbles into the holes. If a marble goes into a hole, the player gets the equivalent number of points. Each player gets five turns, and the points are added up.