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HOPSCOTCH

 

   

Did you know the game of Hopscotch is an outgrow of a Roman era military training exercise. Click for more information on hopscotch history. Today, Hopscotch is a wonderful hopping game that can be played on a bare patch of ground outdoors or on a floor indoors. There are hundreds of variations. Here are general instructions:

Use chalk to draw a hopscotch pattern on the ground or use masking tape on a floor. Create a
diagram with 8 sections and number them. Each player has a marker such as a stone, beanbag,
bottle cap, shell, button, etc.

The first player stands behind the starting line to toss her or his marker in square 1. Hop over
square 1 to square 2 and then continue hopping to square 8, turn around, and hop back again. Pause in square 2 to pick up the marker, hop in square 1, and out. Then continue by tossing the stone in square 2. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that two squares are side-by-side. Then two feet can be placed down with one in each square. A player must always hop over any square where a maker has been placed.

A player is out if the marker fails to land in the proper square, the hopper steps on a line, the
hopper looses balance when bending over to pick up the marker and puts a second hand or foot
down, the hopper goes into a square where a marker is, or if a player puts two feet down in a
single box. The player puts the marker in the square where he or she will resume playing on the
next turn, and the next player begins. 

Sometimes a dome-shaped "rest area" is added on one end of the hopscotch pattern where the
player can rest for a second or two before hopping back through.

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