It's March - do kids play marbles today?

[jpak]

When I was a kid - marbles would appear without prior announcement this time of year - and we would play.

and woe be to the kid that dropped a marble in class.

[Boxerfan]

1. Not in this country---I find them (incidental) while metal detecting.

And they stopped being dropped in any number by the 70's....

One or two clay-the rest glass & all prized finds.

[angstlessk]

2. Marbles as a kid is why I hate gambling today

Cat-eyes, canelies, boulders, steelies...I was lusting after them all...

I hated the feelings of both winning and loosing brought after awhile...especially loosing!

As a grownup I split a bet on one dog race in FL...lost, and bet on horse(es) in NY (actually you bet on the breeder.)..he had three horses in the race, so for one bet ...win/place/show...I turned 5 bucks into 10...

Nothing since.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Loosing marbles was fun, that's what you had to do to play.

Loosing marbles was fun, that's what you had to do to play.
Losing marbles was not fun in any way.

[Fla Dem]

5. I feel bad for anyone who lost their marbles. Particularly in public.

[Marthe48]

4. I made chalk rings on my carpet and taught my grand kids to play

They loved learning the game. I've got 1000's of marbles, really old to new, and they love those, too.

[TexasProgresive]

6. "what is something you remember, that if you told a younger person they wouldn't understand? "

This was posted yesterday. I gave a long list but I left out marbles, tops (which we played a game like marbles) and yoyos. Then there were jacks, rope skipping - double dutch and hot pepper. It seems that so many of the games we played were physical and required a combination of dexterity and mental acuteness. Today's games require the later 2 but lack the physical. All physical games kids in my area play are organized and regulated by adults. We had those as well in my youth but there was a lot more of kids playing without adults telling them what and how to do it. The adults role was to keep a watchful eye that we didn't do each other harm.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1181710

[mrmpa]

7. They still play marbles here in Pittsburgh.........

our City is always represented in the Marbles Championship every year. I think it's in New Jersey, possibly Atlantic City.

[malthaussen]

8. That's interesting. I grew up in Pittsburgh...

...in the early 60's and we never played marbles on my street. To this day I don't know the rules. I figured it was something that was out of fashion by then. Must be some pockets where various regional traits lapse. For example, no one in my neighborhood said "yinz," either.

-- Mal

[mrmpa]

9. Played in the '60's in Lawrenceville.................

and the South Side Slopes. Both neighborhoods have produced national champs. Still played now, mostly in the Slopes.

What neighborhood did you live in?

[malthaussen]

10. Brentwood.

Lived on a cliff overlooking Route 51 where it was only 3 lanes. I hear it is still only three lanes in some places.

-- Mal

[mrmpa]

11. It still is 3 lanes in some places.............

I grew up in Brookline. Currently dating a guy from Baldwin & have a brother in Whitehall.