The balls are generally made of solid rubber and are small. Jacks and balls over the last 100 years have changed. Later versions of the jacks were made of clay, wood, ivory, or other hard material shaped into a square. Knuckle bones had nubs or points on them, thus created later the jack with points on them.

The Children just through the stone or object in the air and grabbed the knuckle bone or stone and cause the makeshift ball before it landed on the ground or surface they were playing on. Because the ball was of stone or some object as equally hard the ball did not bounce as it does today. Usually knuckle bones or stones were used for the jacks and the ball was also usually a stone. The children found the tools for this game outside on the ground. The tools for this game were originally not manufactured or produced by anyone. In ancient times when the game began children played the game with what ever they could find available.

Over the years the material balls and jacks are made from have changed considerably. The unusual thing about jacks as compared to other games today is you can play it without the need for all those expensive electronics! Jacks are one of the few games you can have as many players as you like or only one player. It is a simple game and quite inexpensive to purchase. Playing jacks with a ball and jacks is a game children have enjoyed for hundreds of years.

Jack and ball set rules