This page will explain how to play Jacks, a game that has been around in one form or another for thousands of years. Originally, it was played with pebbles or small animal bones, with one piece being used to toss into the air and the rest being used as the objects to pick up. Later, five stones were used, with the tossing stone eventually being replaced by a wooden or rubber ball. In some places, bones, pebbles or stones are still used to play Jacks.http://www.historylives.com/toysandgames.htm Today, however, Jacks is usually played with a rubber ball and pointed jacks that resemble the small bones first used to play the game.

The game of Jacks is a simple game to learn. It is usually played by two or more players, but you can also play alone for practice or fun. Game pieces include one small bouncy ball and at least ten plastic or metal jacks. You will also need a smooth surface to play on.http://www.fungameskidsplay.com/jacksgame.htm Most often, jacks is played sitting on the ground or floor. It can also be played on a table, but this is easiest if you are standing rather than sitting. Picking up one jack at a time is called onesies. Two at a time is twosies, three is threesies and so forth all the way up to tensies. The object of the game is to be the first player to complete your onesies through tensies.

1. Take your ball and jacks and sit on the ground. If there are two players, sit across from one another. If there are more than two players, sit in a circle.
2. Decide who goes first. You can just choose someone. Or, you can "flip" for who goes first. To flip, each person takes a turn tossing all the jacks up in the air. Then, quickly place your hands together, palms down and thumbs touching, and catch as many of the jacks as you can on the back of your hands. Whoever catches the most jacks goes first.http://www.fungameskidsplay.com/jacksgame.htm Play then proceeds around the circle in a clockwise direction.
3. The first player begins by tossing the jacks on the ground in front of her and going for her onsies. To go for onsies, toss the ball in the air and, with the same hand, pick up one jack. After the ball bounces once, catch it, also with the same hand.
4. If the player fails to pick up a jack, uses her other hand to pick up the jack or catch the ball, or lets the ball bounce more than once, she loses her turn.
5. If the player succeeds in picking up a jack and catching the ball, she continues with onsies until she has picked up all ten jacks.
6. After onesies, the player goes for twosies, picking up two jacks instead of one until all ten jacks have been picked up.
7. The player keeps playing through onesies, twosies, threesies, etc. until she misses. Play then moves on to the next player.
8. When a player gets another turn, they start where they left off on their last turn. For example, if a player missed on threesies on their last turn, they start their next turn with threesies.
9. The first player to complete all rounds from onesies to tensies is the winner.

Once you have learned the basic game of Jacks, you can keep the game interesting by playing one of several variations on the game.http://www.fungameskidsplay.com/jacksgame.htm Unless otherwise specified, the rules stay the same. Just for fun, you might even want to try to come up with a new twist on the game of your own.

• Black Widow: To win in Black Widow, you have to finish onsies through tensies without missing. If you miss, you start back at onsies on your next turn.
• Cherries in a Basket: Cup the hand in front of you that you don't normally use to toss the ball and pick up the jacks. Then, in addition to picking up a jack, you must place it in your cupped hand before catching the ball. It's harder than it sounds!
• No Bounces: Instead of letting the ball bounce once, you have to catch it before it bounces. In other words, toss the ball up, pick up your jacks and catch the ball before it hits the ground.
• Other Hand: If you're right-handed, use your left hand to play. If you're left-handed, use your right hand. Those who are ambidextrous will have a huge advantage in this game!
• Double Bounce: Instead of letting the ball bounce once, let it bounce twice before you catch it. This variation is a good one to play when you are first learning the game of Jacks.

Variations on the game of Jacks are played all over the world. Here are just a few examples from Hawaii, Brazil and Israel.http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110166/jacks.htm

In Hawaii, players collect 100 small, round pebbles called 'ili'ili from the beach. They also select a larger pebble, called a Kimo. The small pebbles are put in a pile called the "ai." The player tosses the Kimo in the air, picks up an 'ili'ili from the ai and catches the Kimo before it touches the ground. If the Kimo falls to the ground before it is caught, the player loses her turn. When the pile is gone, each player counts their pebbles and the person with the most wins.

In Brazil, people play Cinco Marias, which is Spanish for Five Marias. Each player uses five smooth flat stones. The stones are thrown on the ground and then one is picked up and tossed into the air. One of the four other stones is picked up and the tossed stone is caught before it touches the ground. Like our game of Jacks, players first pick up one stone at a time, then two, then three and finally four. The first player to pick up all four stones at once wins.

In Israel, they play Hamesh Avanim, which means Five Stones in Hebrew. It is played like the Brazilian game of Cinco Maria, except that five square gold-colored stones are used.