How to play with marbles
This article introduces ways to play with marbles! Marbles are a popular toy among children.
Many kids enjoy flicking or rolling them, and quite a few have probably made a “marble maze” for a science project.
This time, we’ll focus on classic marble games that many of you already know, and introduce a variety of fun ways to play with marbles.
Whether you want to learn how to play with marbles or you’re looking for craft ideas that use marbles, be sure to check it out!
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How to Play with Marbles (11–20)
Corinth game
The “Korinto Game” is a type of pinball or smart ball game.
Didn’t you used to see it at night stalls and street fairs? It works like pachinko: you flick a marble, and as it passes between the nails on the board, you add up the points where it lands.
The sound the marble makes as it slips through the nails is really cute, isn’t it? It might be fun to put in a little effort and try making one yourself.
Marble Rolling Art
Prepare a spare box and set a sheet of drawing paper inside.
Place marbles that you’ve dipped into paint onto the paper, then hold the box and roll the marbles around over the paper.
The paint from the marbles will transfer onto the paper and blend with other colors, creating an effect you just can’t achieve by hand.
It turns into a very interesting, artistic piece.
marble accessories
Would you like to make “marble accessories” together as a parent and child? Before you start, it’s recommended to take a look at some examples of accessories made with marbles.
Seeing examples helps children get a clear idea of the shapes and types they want to make.
It can also be fun for the kids to prepare their own finished sketches beforehand.
Since the step of heating the marbles can be dangerous, be sure to try it together with a parent!
Marble Golf
By creating a golf course with materials like felt, you can enjoy it as a genuine, highly entertaining game.
If you skillfully add elevation changes, you’ll have more challenges to overcome, which makes it even more fun.
Allowing the positions of bunkers and water hazards to be rearranged so new courses can be made will also foster creativity and ingenuity.
Letting the children take turns setting up the course and designing tricky spots in their own way will likely make it even more exciting!
Rolling gymnast
Even adults might exclaim “Huh?!” in surprise when they first see this curious motion without knowing how it works.
For children, showing them the principle behind the movement afterward can lead to a new discovery and feel very refreshing.
“Rolling Gymnast” is very popular with kids.
It’s a lot of fun to get creative with the outer designs and have them race each other.
Marble Carrying Game
The “Marble Carrying Game” is a fun way to experience how rolling marbles work.
Both boys and girls will enjoy adjusting the position of the rolling marbles and playing with great interest.
Place five round rings beneath two rods to catch the marbles that fall, and compete to see if you can land marbles in all the rings.
As you get better, try adding a time limit for an extra challenge!
Candle holder making
How about making a candle holder that’s perfect for Christmas and other occasions? Use an old CD-R as the base and attach glass marbles all the way around with a hot glue gun.
You can buy hot glue guns at 100-yen shops.
Stack the marbles to your preferred height.
The color of the marbles will change the hue of the flickering light, so try making it with marbles you like.
marble knob
The “marble pinch” also helps activate the nerves in the fingers.
If it’s hard to grasp with chopsticks, attaching a sponge to the tips makes it easier to find the spot where the marble can be firmly held.
Even with the sponge attached, the activity is essentially the same, so it’s still fun.
Older adults can use it as part of rehabilitation, and children can enjoy it as a competitive game!
Marble coaster
Let’s build and play with a ‘marble coaster’ where marbles spin at incredible speed and drop, just like a roller coaster! It involves a number of steps and some delicate work, but it’s great to make it bit by bit together, or with adults lending a hand.
You can drop the marbles with a burst of speed to hit targets, add more tracks to the course, and enjoy many different ways to play!
cap curling
Curling became a hugely popular sport at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Let’s play curling on a tabletop using marbles! Put a marble inside a plastic bottle cap, cut out a circular piece so the marble won’t come out, and attach it to the bottom of the cap.
Then place circles made from colored paper with point values written on them, and you’re ready to play! Use masking tape or similar to color-code the caps so you can tell the teams apart.