Knucklebones Game

People like to play games. It's how we have fun and how we learn. One game that has been played since ancient times is called Knucklebones. It is played like jacks or marbles. You'll find kids playing their own versions of this game in many countries around the world.

Can you guess why this game is called Knucklebones? Yes, it was originally played with animal bones! Many children still make their own games from whatever they have at hand.

You can make your game bones from Crayola Model Magic. Fashion four small bones in a rectangle with long and short sides. To make colorful bones, knead in the ink from Crayola Washable Markers. Model Magic sticks to itself, so press the corners together tightly. You may want to glue pieces together with Crayola School Glue because these bones are in for some action! Another way to make stronger bones is to wrap the Model Magic around a chenille stem or vice versa. Make several sets of bones for each player. Dry overnight.

Decorate your bones with markers so you can recognize your bones during the game.

In Iraq, Knucklebones is played in a ring. Children draw a big circle in the dirt that's as wide as a tall basketball player is high. You could create a circle outdoors on the sidewalk with Crayola Sidewalk Chalk, or indoors with masking tape on a smooth floor.

Each player places an equal number of knucklebones in the center of the ring. Keep one knucklebone out for your shooter. All players sit outside the circle.

To start, players take turns twirling a knucklebone (shooter) between their thumbs and first two fingers. Try to propel the shooter forward with arm movement.

After the first turn, the shooter is launched from the place where it landed. Players get to keep any knucklebones they knock out of the circle with their shooter. Will you play for keeps?