KerPlunk
A children's game of removing straws to avoid dropping marbles.
KerPlunk is a children's game created by Eddy Goldfarb and Rene Soriano, first released by the Ideal Toy Company in 1967. The setup includes a clear plastic tube, 26 to 30 plastic rods (called straws, mostly yellow and red), and many marbles. The straws are pushed through holes in the tube’s middle to form a lattice, which holds the marbles when they are placed in the top. The game’s name mimics the sound of marbles falling to the tube’s base. A base with four numbered trays sits underneath; at the start, the tube is rotated so a hole aligns with the current player’s tray. Players take turns removing one straw at a time, trying to avoid letting marbles drop into their tray. Once a player touches a straw, they must pull it out. The winner is the player with the fewest marbles in their tray.
Hasbro now makes and sells the game in the UK, while Mattel handles it in the USA; Milton Bradley previously produced it. A drop tower ride based on KerPlunk is planned for the Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona.
The modern US version uses a pink or blue tube instead of the original yellow. The current UK version, once called New KerPlunk, has a red-and-green scheme and includes a yellow “golden ball” marble that can add or subtract five marbles from a player’s total, or be ignored. Other versions exist: a Toy Story–themed set with a rocket-shaped tube and Little Green Men figures, and a portable KerPlunk Game to Go with a collapsible tube. KerPlunk 2 keeps the same rules but uses colored marbles that, after falling, travel a spiral path like a gumball machine, with flashing lights and sounds.
- inventors
- Eddy Goldfarb with Rene Soriano
- first marketed_by
- Ideal Toy Company
- year_first_marketed
- 1967
- field
- Children's game
- known_for
- Straw-removal game with marbles and a transparent tube
Lore & Background
KerPlunk was invented by Eddy Goldfarb with Rene Soriano and first marketed by the Ideal Toy Company in 1967. The game equipment includes a transparent plastic tube, plastic rods called straws (normally 26 to 30 in total, predominantly yellow and red), and several dozen marbles. The base contains four separate numbered trays; the straws are passed through holes in the middle of the tube to form a lattice, and marbles are placed in the top of the tube, held in place by the lattice. The onomatopoeic name derives from the sound of marbles tumbling to the base during play.
At the start of play, the entire tube is rotated so that a hole in the base aligns with the active player's tray. Players take turns removing a single straw while trying to minimize the number of marbles that fall into their trays. Once a player touches a straw, they must remove it. The player with the fewest dropped marbles wins. The game is manufactured and marketed by Hasbro in the UK, formerly by the Milton Bradley Company, and by Mattel in the USA. A drop tower amusement park ride themed after KerPlunk is planned for the Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona.
Reader's Guide
KerPlunk is a notable children's game from the late 1960s, invented by Eddy Goldfarb with Rene Soriano and first marketed by Ideal Toy Company in 1967. Its simple yet suspenseful mechanics—removing straws to avoid dropping marbles—have made it a lasting party game. The game has seen multiple versions: the modern US version uses a pink or blue tube; the UK version (formerly New KerPlunk) uses a red and green scheme with an optional yellow 'golden ball' that can add or subtract five marbles. Other versions include a Toy Story–inspired rocket ship tube with Little Green Men figures, a collapsible 'Game to Go,' and KerPlunk 2, which features colored marbles moving through a spiral pathway with lights and sounds. The game's enduring popularity is reflected in its continued manufacture by Hasbro and Mattel, and a planned themed ride at Mattel Adventure Park. Its legacy lies in its straightforward tension and adaptability across generations.
Did You Know?
- The game's name is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound of marbles tumbling to the base of the tube.
- The modern US version uses a pink or blue tube instead of the original yellow tube.
- The current UK version includes a yellow marble called 'the golden ball' that can add or subtract five balls from a player's total.
- A drop tower amusement park ride themed after KerPlunk is planned for the Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona.
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