By: Karlie Margaret Houser

As a child, my brothers and I spent hours dreaming up games that, for no other reason, allowed us to compete with each other and share the joys of spending time together. One game I remember with great excitement was our version of boardwalk horseshoes, but with pennies. Here’s how you can play:

• First, collect lots of pennies – five a person should be plenty
• Space out rows of containers, the more the better – use baby food jars or cans with smooth rims (they give the best bounce)
• Pick a line on the floor as the stand-behind line – and to be fair, adjust it for the different ages of those playing
• Players line up in single file
• Each player gets five pennies and one penny at a time tries to pitch them into the containers
• After five tosses, collect the missed pennies and go to the back of the line
• It is then the next person’s turn
• Repeat with all contestants until one person is out of pennies

The first one to make all five of his/her pennies wins and can either keep all of the pennies in the jars or pass them out again for another game!

Play fair and have fun!