Marble competitions have been held on Good Friday in Tinsley Green, England, at least since the time of Queen Elizabeth I, making marbles the oldest sporting event in Great Britain. The British World Marbles Championship was been held there, in its present form, since the 1930s.

Information from the Marble Museum at Tinsley Green talks about how old marbles are. It points out that the French world "bille," meaning little ball, appears as early as the 12th century. The Dutch word "knikkers" also was used fairly early. But the actual word "marble" didn't come into use until marbles made from marble stone were imported from Germany in the 17th century.

Marbles has remained an exciting game for children ever since, although it has waxed and waned in popularity at various times.

A 1560 painting by Pieter Brueghel shows children playing marbles, as does a 1632 engraving by Hermann Saftleven.

An 1854 painting by American artist Christian Schussele at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts also depicts children playing marbles. And that painting has inspired the museum's Third Saturday activity for May. Participants will learn about the painting and about marbles. They will get to decorate a bag in which to keep their marbles and will get to pick out a dozen or so marbles to keep.

The painting is always a favorite with children at the museum, says Megan Hallett, curator of education who is helping with the activity. "But most children have never played marbles. To them it is like a long-ago game. We thought it would be fun to teach them how to play and let them have their own marbles."

Over the years, the game of marbles has contributed a number of terms and phrases to the American lexicon — phrases such as "lost your marbles," "all your marbles," "knuckle down" and "playing for keeps" all have a direct connection to the game.

"It's not played as much now," says Jackman, "but that's all we played in the '50s at Monroe grade school. There was nothing like the thrill of winning at marbles."

Not that he always won. "I remember when a girl moved into our class from Dugway. She had a style and a walk that was different from anything we'd seen. Most of us would get down on our knees and sight the marble with our shooters. She'd walk by and just flip her shooter. But within a week, every boy's marbles were gone. She had them all."

Those childhood memories are one reason that marbles are a popular collectible, says Jackman. Marbles were really popular in the 1930s up until World War II, he says. During the war, manufacturing was diverted to the war effort. "They came back again after the war. But in the late '50s, they kind of died out."

However, in the late '80s, they came back in a big way as a collectible, he says. A lot of the interest was nostalgic, but many collectors also consider marbles works of art. "A lot of the early glass ones are especially beautiful."