Jacks or Dabbers or Five Stones

Jacks or Dabbers or Five Stones

Thinking about marbles yesterday reminded me of another game that I was pretty useless at!! 

In England where I grew up it was called Dabbers or Five Stones .Sounds like a paint game doesn't it? Here in the States or Canada I think it's more commonly called Jacks. It is known all over the world, the game being very similar but called all kinds of names. It started out in the ancient world as knucklebones or cachstones probably because the jacks were either knuckles bones from small animals or just regular stones. Kids all over the world have used all manner of things to play at Jacks, apricot seeds in Egypt, and rice filled small sacks in Japan but the game is very similar with different variations.

The object is to take between 5 to 12 jacks and then another larger ball or stone. Then while throwing the ball up in the air, the object is to pick up and catch a certain number of stones with the same hand before the ball bounces. So the order is :throw, scoop up jacks, catch , all in a very quick movement. The jacks on the ground are placed in different positions and te game gets harder as you go on.There are many variations on this and some players get very clever at catching and picking up the jacks.

I remember I was not good at it. Never could catch the ball and pick up the other stones at the same time. Mike can still play it pretty good .

I think you will still see kids playing this game but now they have jack sets made with plastic colored jacks so I bet there are even more variations on this old game. .