Playing Hopscotch
by Amanda Formaro
Hopscotch and other skipping games have stood the test of time for a reason. Pass these fun ideas on to your children and watch their faces light up!
Basic Hopscotch
Playing hopscotch can be done indoors or out, making it very versatile. All you need are markers, such as a stone, a large button or a beanbag. For outdoor hopscotch, sidewalk chalk works best; for indoor versions, using masking tape to create a grid on carpet is a good bet.
Ready, Set, Play!
Draw a starting line about six inches or so behind the first square. The game starts and continues with the first player until they make a mistake, when player number two gets a turn, and so on. The object is to hop over the marker and onto the next square (or set of squares), and continue working your way up the grid without making a mistake.
To begin, the first player tosses their marker onto square one. They must hop over that square and land on squares two and three with one foot in each. Next, they hop on one foot and land on square four, then jump and land on two feet in squares five and six and so on until they reach the end, square ten. There they must turn around by hopping on one foot and come back the same way they went up, stopping on squares two and three to pick up their marker from square one. Next, they hop to square one and out of the grid. If no mistakes were made, the same player continues by tossing their marker to square two and repeats the process, always avoiding contact with the square that contains the marker.
You’re Out, Next Player
A player’s turn ends when one of the following happens:
- Marker does not land on the intended or correct square
- Player loses balance and places hand or second foot down
- Player steps on a line
- Player hops on wrong square or square containing a marker
- Player puts both feet down in a single box
When a turn ends, the player places their marker in the last completed square and goes to the back of the line. It’s now the next player’s turn, but they must avoid their own marker as well as the first player’s marker by hopping over the occupied square.
Rest Area
Some versions of hopscotch – which are especially useful with younger children – have a rest area at the top of the grid. To create one, draw a half circle above the top square. Let kids rest for a few seconds before they turn around to head back down the grid.
Rule Variations
The beauty of hopscotch is that you can adjust the rules slightly and it’s still fun to play. For younger children, make a rule that says only losing their balance makes them lose their turn. For older kids, keep all the mistake rules in place to make it more challenging. (Keeping all the rules for younger children can be frustrating and may take the fun out of the game for them.)
