Pick-up sticks facts for kids
Pick-up sticks is a fun game that tests your steady hand and sharp mind! It's also called pick-a-stick. In this game, you drop a bunch of thin sticks onto a table. They land in a messy pile. Then, each player takes a turn trying to pick up one stick without moving any of the others.
The sticks are usually between 8 and 20 centimeters long. They can be made from many different materials. You might find sticks made of wood, bamboo, or even plastic. Some special pick-up sticks from the Haida First Nation are made of maple wood decorated with shiny abalone shell and copper.
There are different versions of this game. Some popular ones include Jackstraws, Spellicans, and Spillikins. You might even hear the game mentioned in a nursery rhyme: "...five, six, pick-up sticks!" Today, the most well-known version is called Mikado. No matter the version, it's always a tricky game!
Contents
How to Play
The main goal of pick-up sticks is to collect the most sticks. Or, in some versions, to get the highest score!
To start, you gather all the sticks into a bundle. Then, you drop them onto a table so they land in a tangled pile. The messier the pile, the harder the game will be! Sometimes, if a stick lands all by itself, you might remove it before starting.
Players take turns trying to remove one stick from the pile. The big rule is: you cannot move any other stick! If another stick wiggles, your turn ends right away.
In some versions, you can use a special tool to help. This tool might even be one of the sticks set aside before the game starts. Other versions make you pick up the sticks only with your fingers. If you successfully pick up a stick without moving others, you get to take another turn! You keep going until you accidentally move another stick.
The game finishes when all the sticks have been picked up. The player who collected the most sticks wins! Some games use different colored sticks, and each color is worth a different number of points. In these games, the winner is the player with the highest total score.
Jackstraws
Jackstraws is a popular version of pick-up sticks. The pieces in a Jackstraws set often look like small farm tools. You might see tiny ladders, rakes, shovels, or hoes.
A typical set has about 45 pieces. They can be made from wood, plastic, bone, or even ivory. Jackstraws sets usually include a special helper tool. This tool has a hooked end to help you grab and move the pieces. Each piece in the game also has a point value. Pieces that are harder to pick up are usually worth more points.
What You Need
- One hook (the helper tool)
- About 45 jackstraws (the game pieces)
Game Goal
Players try to earn points by carefully removing jackstraws from the pile. You can only take one piece at a time.
Jackstraws Rules
- If you are the first player, hold all the jackstraws about 5 centimeters (2 inches) above the table. Then, drop them so they fall into a pile.
- Use the hook to try and remove one jackstraw at a time. Be very careful not to move any other pieces! If any jackstraws fall completely free from the pile, you can pick those up first.
- Each time you successfully remove a piece, you get to keep it. Then, you can try to remove another one. Once you start trying to remove a jackstraw, you can't change your mind and pick a different one.
- You can choose to use your fingers instead of the hook if you want to.
- If you move any other jackstraws while trying to pick one up, your turn ends. This is why everyone should watch closely during an opponent's turn!
- When your turn ends, the next player can either pick up and drop the remaining jackstraws again, or you can just keep playing from where the pile was left.
- Keep playing until all the jackstraws are gone from the pile.
Winning the Game
At the end of the game, each player adds up the point values of the jackstraws they collected. The player with the most points wins!
Scoring Points
- 10 points each: Two-man saw, Gun, Wrench, Ladder, Key-hole saw
- 5 points each: Shovel, Rake, Sledge, Fork, T-Square, Paddle, Axe, Crutch, Sword
- 2 points each: Cane, Arrow, Tamper, Baton, Hockey Stick, Pick, and all other pieces.
