Master the art of marble bouncing in this Minute to Win It game. Get three marbles in three bowls to win. The bowls are floating in water, and the name of this game refers to the sounds you'll here as you play. Get a Ker-Plink when the marble hits the bowl, or a Ker-Plunk as the marble goes into the drink.
The Goal
The goal of this game is to have three marbles land in three bowls that are floating in a larger bowl of water.
Equipment Needed
Ker Plink or Plunk is a fairly simple game to set up. Here's what you'll need to play:
- One large punch bowl
- Three smaller bowls that will comfortably float in the punch bowl with a bit of room for movement
- A bag of marbles, standard size
- A table that leaves enough space for the punch bowl, the bag of marbles, and some bouncing room
- A one-minute timer or stop watch
How to Play
To set up the game, fill the punch bowl with water leaving a bit of room at the top for displacement once the bowls go in. Place the large bowl on the table. Float the three small bowls in the water. Place the bag of marbles within easy reach.
To play, start the timer. The player then grabs a marble and bounces it off the table, aiming for it to land in one of the small bowls. By the end of the one-minute time limit, all three bowls must hold at least one marble to win the game.
The Rules
The rules for Ker Plink or Plunk are:
- You may only bounce one marble at a time
- Marbles may bounce only once on the table to count
Tips and Tricks
Plastic bowls are a good bet for this game. While the Ker Plink sound won't be as gratifying, you're less likely to require cleanup of broken glass.
While playing, keep in mind that the bowls will float around a little. Go for accuracy and speed, bouncing marbles one right after the other in order to maximize your chances of hitting the bowls.
The blueprint with video instructions for this game can be found at NBC.com.
Multi-Player Variation
Turn Ker Plink or Plunk into a party game with this multi-player version! It's not one that has been used on the show, but will still be a lot of fun especially for a kids' party. You'll need to play this outdoors, on a driveway or other hard surface.
Supplies:- One kiddie-sized pool filled with water
- Ten to twenty small plastic bowls
- Marbles in various colors - you'll need enough so that each player has his or her own color, and enough to play through the game with
- A one-minute timer
To Play:
Set the game up just as you would the regular version, with the bowls floating in the pool. Place same-colored marbles in bowls or other containers at various stations around the pool. Each player will have his or her own color of marbles for the game.
When the timer starts, players bounce the marbles off the pavement and try to land them in the bowls in the pool. Rather than have one marble in each of the different bowls, at the end of the minute, count how many marbles of each color landed in the bowls and total them up. The player who landed the highest number of marbles in bowls is the winner.
