Game for teaching manual dexterity and eye-had coordination in children of tender age

Abstract

An improved game for teaching manual dexterity and improving eye-hand coordination using tools appropriate for very small children to hold and operate is disclosed. Moreover, an improved simplified marble game for teaching rule-following for very young children to provide a transition to more difficult and more complicated games as they age is disclosed herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A game for a plurality of players, comprising:
 a plurality of groups of individual playing pieces, with each of said groups having means providing for differentiation from other said groups;   a single additional playing piece differentiated from all other said groups of playing pieces;   a common playing arena, providing for placement of said groups of individual playing pieces and said single additional playing piece therein; and   a plurality of tools for capturing the playing pieces to remove them from said common playing arena, with each of said tools corresponding to one of said groups of individual playing pieces and including means providing for identification with said corresponding one of said groups and for differentiation from said single additional playing piece;   each of said groups of playing pieces and said tools are assigned to different players, said playing pieces are randomly placed within said common playing arena along with said single additional playing piece, and each of the players simultaneously attempts to be first to capture said playing pieces assigned to that player by means of said tool assigned to that player and then attempts to capture said single additional playing piece.   
     
     
         2 . The game of  claim 1  wherein:
 said playing pieces are marbles, and said arena and said tools are each formed of plastic material. 
 
     
     
         3 . The game of  claim 1  wherein:
 said means providing for differentiation between said groups of playing pieces and said corresponding tools comprises forming each of said groups of playing pieces and each of said corresponding tools of a different color, and said means providing for identification of each of said corresponding tools with each of said corresponding one of said groups of playing pieces comprises forming said each of said corresponding tools, and each of said corresponding one of said groups to be of like color. 
 
     
     
         4 . The game of  claim 1  wherein:
 a penalty for a player erroneously capturing one or more of said playing pieces of an opposing player's group of designated playing pieces would cause stopping the game and crediting said opposing player with capture of the erroneously captured playing piece or pieces and removal of said erroneously capturing player from the game, which game then continues to its conclusion among remaining players. 
 
     
     
         5 . The game of  claim 1  wherein:
 the plurality of players pre-determine the number of games to be played to determine a final winner. 
 
     
     
         6 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the game teaches manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination. 
     
     
         7 . The game of  claim 2  wherein the game teaches manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination. 
     
     
         8 . The game of  claim 3  wherein the game teaches manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination. 
     
     
         9 . The game of  claim 4  wherein the game teaches manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination. 
     
     
         10 . The game of  claim 5  wherein the game teaches manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination.