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Marbles

Marbles

Some historic marbles
Hand-made marbles from West AfricaMarbles can also refer to marble sculptures, for example the Elgin Marbles
Marbles is a class of children's games played with glass, clay, or agate orbs generally approximately half an inch (1cm) across, but can range from a very small size of less than 1/4 inch, to a very large size of over 3". Some art glass marbles are even being made today in a huge size (greater than 12") for display purposes only.

One version consists of drawing a circle in the sand with a stick, and adhering to informally agreed upon rules, players will take turns at knocking marbles out of the circle with their own marbles. Other versions consist of shooting marbles at other target marbles or holes in the ground.

A larger-scale game of marbles might involve taking turns to try and hit the opponent's marble to win. In this game, a useful strategy is to throw a marble such that it lands in a protected or difficult-to-reach location, should it miss.

As with many children's games, new rules are invented all the time, and each group is likely to have its own version of the game, often customised to the particular environment they play in.

While adults rarely play marbles themselves, many engage in marble collecting, both for nostalgia and for the aesthetic appeal of the brightly colored little spheres, or art marbles which excell in art glass quality.

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