Fun in Peckles-Wood Shire
The Whitaker children playing Jackysteauns
Simple Games. Lasting Memories. Long before televisions, computers, and video games, children discovered that the greatest adventures didn’t come from a store—they came from imagination, friendship, and the world around them. Join the Whitaker children on their farm in 1885 and discover how simple games became lasting memories
Have you ever played a game with nothing more than five small stones?
Long before children had board games or video games, boys and girls enjoyed playing Jackysteauns (pronounced Jacky-stee-uns), also called Jacky-stones. The game was easy to carry because all you needed were five smooth pebbles that fit in your hand.
Children searched for their favorite stones along streams and riverbanks. The best ones were smooth, round, and about the size of a walnut. Many children kept their Jackysteauns in a pocket or a small cloth bag so they were always ready for a game.
Children often played Jackysteauns after their chores were finished, while waiting outside the chapel after Sunday service, or whenever friends gathered in the farmyard. Since the game needed only five smooth stones, it could be played almost anywhere.
To begin, the five stones were scattered across the ground (dropped loosely rather than placed). One stone was tossed into the air while the player quickly picked up the others before catching the tossed stone in that very same hand! The game became harder with each round.
The Levels of the Game
Onesys
Throw one stone into the air.
- Before it falls, pick up one stone from the ground.
- Catch the tossed stone in the same hand.
- Repeat until all four stones have been collected.
Twosys
- Scatter the stones again.
- Toss one into the air.
- Pick up two stones at once before catching it.
- Do the same again to collect the last two.
Threesys
- Throw one stone into the air.
- Pick up three stones at once before catching it.
- Repeat to pick up the very last stone.
Foursys
- Scatter the stones one last time.
- Toss one stone into the air.
- Scoop up all four remaining stones at once before catching it.
If a player dropped a stone or missed the catch, the turn was over. The next child took a turn. When it came back around, the player began again where they had left off.
Whitaker Family Rhymes
The Whitaker children loved to chant little rhymes while they played. The words helped them keep their rhythm and made everyone laugh. Every family had its own favorite sayings, and these belonged to the Whitakers.
The Starting Count
The children chanted this before beginning a round.
One, two, three, and four,
Lift the steauns from off the floor.
Catch them clean and catch them true,
Else the turn goes next to you.
The Missed Catch
If someone dropped a stone, the others teased with smiling faces.
A drop! A drop! Your turn is done,
Now it’s time for someone!
Quick hands, steady as can be,
Let’s find out who wins, we’ll see!
The Knuckle Trick
For one of the harder trick rounds:
Up it flies and down it falls,
Catch it light with nimble palms.
On the knuckles, in the hand,
Steadiest fingers in the land!
Hunting for Steauns
When searching beside a stream for good playing stones:
Smooth and round beside the beck,
Search them well and always check.
One to toss and four to keep,
Find the finest from the deep
.
But Finishing Foursys Was Only the Beginning!
Once a child finished Foursys, the real fun began. Families and friends often made up their own trick rounds to discover who had the quickest fingers.
Some children tossed a stone into the air and caught it on the back of their hand before flipping it into the air again and catching it in their palm. Others tried to sweep up all four stones in one smooth motion or invented special family challenges that were known only to them.
There was no single right way to continue. Every village—and sometimes every family—had its own favorite tricks. That meant no two games of Jackysteauns were ever exactly alike.
The Whitaker Family Rule
The Whitaker children believed that a good game was played with honest hands and cheerful hearts. Winning was exciting, but kindness was remembered far longer than any victory. Everyone was expected to play fairly, encourage one another, and enjoy the time spent together.
Becoming the Best Player
The best players could finish every round without making a mistake. After mastering Foursys, they invented even harder challenges.
Some played with one hand behind their back. Others chose smaller, trickier stones that were harder to catch. The children with the quickest fingers earned the admiration of their brothers, sisters, and friends, but everyone knew that sharing a good game mattered more than winning.
Copyright©2026 by Lee Wimmer and Hightower Publications. All rights reserved.