source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
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Marble Games

Marbles belong to the oldest children's games. Marbles are cheap, nice and beautiful. There is a great variety of games children can play. Even for a treasure hunt, etc., marbles can serve as the treasurer or for bargaining. The purchase of some marble bags is definitely worth its money. From a time filler to gaming nights, right through to marble tournaments, marbles are nice to play with.

Marbles

The game is almost like “Rabomberless” (that’s a german name for a game) with mill stones. In this game as well, you have to place marbles as closely as possible to the opposite edge of the table. In order not to make this entirely impossible, a double-sided adhesive tape is attached to the edge of the table. The objective is, to roll the marble from one side of the table to the other, however, only that fast, so that the marble can stick to the tape. Whoever pushes too soft or too hard will miss the target.

Instead of double-sided adhesive tape you can fix it with sellotape. This will make it easier to get the tape of the table at the end of the game.
Marble Bowling

You need a long table and place a little figure on the opposite edge. (You can take a little figure from Monopoly). The objective is, to bowl the figure off the table using a marble. Everyone has 10 attempts. Who will be the marble bowling master?
Marble in a hole

This marble-competition game is pretty simple. Use a small area, best an even and sandy ground. Now, altering, 3 marbles have to be rolled into a hole. However, only the last marble that is pocketed, will be counted, or all will be counted.
Ring Game

This is an English marble competition game, which also is very simple. Use a round playing field with finely sifted sand and place 49 marbles on it. Using a slightly bigger marble each kid tries to toss the marbles off the field. The team, which manages to toss more than ½ the marbles off the field wins. Alternatively, instead the sandy surface you could use a wooden panel with a piece of carpet on top.
Marble Boule

This marble game is similar to the French Boule Game. Throw a larger ball a distance of 2-3 meters. With the much smaller marbles now try to get as close as possible to the larger ball. Winner is who manages to hit the ball.

Alternative to the Marble Boule

Like above, the larger ball is placed well ahead. The objective for each player is to get his 3-5 marbles as close as possible to the ball. It is also allowed to use your marble to toss other marbles or even the ball, further away. The winner then throws the ball again!
Gaming

A big ball is placed in the middle of a large table. Each player is required to hit the ball, playing from the edge of the table. The player who succeeds to hit the ball gets it as well. Those marbles missing the ball go to the player who holds the ball.
Peeving

All players are about 3-4 feet away from a wall. Everyone tries to get his marble close as possible to the wall. Winner is the one who gets his marble the closest.
Rebound

One throws a ball against the wall so that it bounces back. Wait until the ball is stationary. Now the next player tries to throw his ball in a way, so that his ball, using the rebound, moves the ball laying in the court. Winner is, whoever’s ball comes closest. If someone manages to hit the ball, he wins and a new round begins.
Marble crash

This game is also known as Peas Game. – From a low altitude a pea has to be thrown into a bottle. In this game, the player is requested to drop a marble from about eye level. Thereby he is required to hit a marble resting at his feet. For each hit he collects a point.
Pyramid

2 players facing each other with legs apart. Each player forms a pyramid, using 3 balls. Now each player tries to hit the other’s pyramid with his marbles. If he succeeds, the balls belong to him. If he misses, the balls are going to his opponent.
Small and large circle

There are 2 circles drawn. The centre circle has a diameter of 20 centimetres, the outer circle has a diameter of 2 meters. Place a marble of each player in the smaller circle. With the remaining marbles, each player, now at the outer circle, tries to toss the marbles out of the smaller circle. Each marble that rolls out of the smaller circle goes to the player who managed to do so. If his marble however does not roll out of the circle, it stays there.
Goal Shooting

From a 2-3 meter distance marbles have to be rolled on a board with different sized openings. For every hit you collect a point/s as indicated above the opening.
Kitchen board rolling

Using a ramp or a kitchen board held at an angle, roll your balls into a gaming area. The sphere located closest to the objective ball wins.
Golfing with marbles

Like the real game of golf, the play area has several holes to putt. Each player is allowed to only use one finger to get his marble in the pitch. Winner is the one who is not only the fastest but touched his marble the least.
Ball pit

In the gaming area is a hole. The first player begins to roll his marble to the hole. Then the second player follows. If one player manages to get his marble in the pitch, the other player may try to toss the other marble, (outside the pitch), into the hole. If he succeeds he can keep the marble, otherwise the next player must try.
Marble Committee

Draw an arbitrarily large circle on the floor and place around 40 marbles in the middle. Each player, with a larger marble tries now to toss as many marbles out of the circle without ever stepping inside the circle. Every marble leaving the circle he can keep and they count as a point. After removing the bigger marble from the circle another round can begin.
Sent in by wesolowski.si
Marble kicking

Use the biggest marble available to you and place it on the ground. Each player tries to kick the marble as close as possible to the wall.
Cups

Place a cup on the floor, with its opening facing a stone diagonally on the other side. The objective is, to bounce the marble against the stone and hopefully from there it will roll into the cup.
Sent in by Frances C.
Into the hole

This is a game for players from 2- 100. Each player needs a ruler, never mind the size. The marble has to be placed on the ruler and balanced in a way, so that it can roll into the hole at the end of the ruler. The one succeeding first, wins. Do not use a protractor.
Sent in by Loredana
Play into in the cup

Place a cup (with the opening facing up) on a table. Standing 1-2 feet away, each player tries to throw as much as possible marbles in the cup. Each player has 10 attempts. Small marbles are 10 points and bigger ones 20 points. The one who has the most points wins.
Sent in by Amélie H.
Marble egg race

Place a marble on a spoon. Always 2 player race each other. The one who drops the marble, loses.
Sent in by Lea
Marmot fish

Fill a bowl right up with water and place at least 20 marbles in it. The objective is, for each player to fetch the marbles with his toes. When he misses, the next player gets a go. Winner is who fetched the most marbles.
Marble Run

You need several milled, for example, baseboards. Those pieces must be held close to each other, so that a marble can roll down from the beginning to the end. This can be a team competition.
Marble Poker

A team consists of 5 players and always two teams compete against each other. In this game every player receives 5 marbles. Behind each other’s back, the player selects 1, 2 up to 5 marbles, then holds the closed hand forward.

Now all players simultaneously reveal their "cards" and show their marbles. Like in real Poker, winning depends, if one has 2 Twins, Triplets and Twins, a quintuplet or a small street.