Jackstone is a popular, traditional game from the Philippines. The objective of the game is to pick up all the jacks in one hand while tossing the ball in the air and catching it.
By Celeste Hayden-Browne, Jasie Santos and Vyxen Vaughn Valenzuela.
Equipment:
A set of jacks (usually ten)
A small rubber ball
Rules:
- Players take turns. The first player scatters the jacks on a flat surface and tosses the ball into the air.
- The player must pick up one jack with the same hand that tossed the ball and catch the ball with the same hand.
- The player continues picking up jacks one by one while maintaining control of the ball.
- If a player fails to pick up a jack or catch the ball, they lose their turn.
- Once all the jacks are picked up, the player moves on to a more challenging round, such as picking up two or more jacks at a time.
- The game continues until a player successfully completes all the rounds.
Learning Through Jackstone
Hand-Eye Coordination: Jackstone requires precise hand-eye coordination. Players need to accurately pick up jacks while simultaneously keeping track of and catching the ball. This improves fine motor skills and helps develop hand-eye coordination.
Manual Dexterity: The game encourages fine motor skills and finger agility, as players must handle the jacks delicately to succeed. This can be particularly beneficial for younger children who are still developing their fine motor skills.
Concentration and Focus: Jackstone requires players to concentrate on the game, ensuring that they follow the rules and maintain control over the ball and jacks. This helps improve concentration and focus.
Patience: Success in jackstone often requires practice and patience. Players must be persistent and keep trying, even if they make mistakes. This can teach students the value of patience and perseverance.
Math Skills: Jackstone introduces basic counting and multiplication concepts. Players learn to count jacks and multiply by the number they’re attempting to pick up at once.
Social Skills: Playing Jackstone with others fosters social interaction and cooperation. Students learn to take turns, resolve conflicts, and engage in friendly competition.
Physical Activity: Jackstone is a physically active game that encourages movement. It can be a fun way to get students to be active and engage in physical play, which is essential for their overall development.
Spatial Awareness: Playing jackstone involves understanding the spatial relationships between the jacks and the ball. Players need to anticipate where the ball will land and strategise how to pick up the jacks efficiently.
Problem Solving: As the game becomes more challenging with variations, players need to develop problem-solving skills to figure out the best approach to picking up multiple jacks at once.
Competitive Spirit: Jacks can be played competitively, encouraging healthy competition and the development of good sportsmanship. Players learn to win graciously and lose gracefully.
Barriers in the Game
Jackstone is a relatively simple game that requires little equipment. However, it can be physically challenging and calls for good fine motor and hand-eye coordination. It could be difficult for certain players to participate fully if they have a physical disability or limitation.
Who might be Excluded
The physical aspect of the game may result in exclusion for those with significant motor disabilities. Additionally, until they learn how to play, individuals who are unfamiliar with the game’s rules could feel excluded.
Fostering Creativity
Players can come up with imaginative gameplay methods. For instance, they could come up with original strategies for picking up the jacks or develop different versions of the game.
Critical thinking
Players must determine the trajectory and timing necessary to catch the ball and pick up the jacks, which promotes critical thinking. When players plan to win, they are also addressing problems.
What content is handled? What skills are being activated in the game?
The game of jackstone is a systematically demanding game, that commences with simplicity and gradually escalates in complexity as you advance. It engages learners’ problem-solving abilities as it presents challenges and necessitates adherence to the rules. Also, it stimulates students’ higher-order thinking skills, it compels them to scrutinise each move and evaluate techniques to employ; since numerous approaches can be employed to complete a level or collect the jacks.
How will you assess if learning is happening?
Within this particular game, evaluating learning occurs through the adaptations made with each turn. Whenever a level proves insurmountable, players engage in introspection, identifying their errors and formulating strategies for improvement in the subsequent attempt.