How to Play Hi Ho! Cherry-O (For Kids and Adults)

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Try this simple counting game with our complete rules guide

Co-authored by Our Family Plays Games and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: August 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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Setup

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Gameplay

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Spinner Symbols

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Winning

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Video

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If you want a simple game that you can play with young kids and preschoolers, Hi Ho! Cherry-O is fun for all ages! If you’re the first player to pick all 10 cherries from your tree, you win the game. Hi Ho! Cherry-O has really easy rules, so keep reading and we’ll walk you through how to start playing in minutes!

Hi Ho! Cherry-O Instructions

Choose a colored bucket and put 10 cherries on the tree that’s the same color. Spin the spinner on your turn and do what it lands on, like picking cherries from your tree or putting them back. Pick all 10 cherries from your tree to win the game!

Section 1 of 4:

Setup

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1
Choose a bucket color and put 10 cherries on the matching tree. Pick what color you want to play with, and sit next to the tree and bucket of the same color. Put 10 cherries of your color into the slots on your tree.^{[1]
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- Depending on your version of Hi Ho! Cherry-O, you can play with up to 3 or 4 players.
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Let the youngest person be the first player. Alternatively, you can pick someone at random to go first. After them, the player to their left will take the next turn.^{[2]
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- Hi Ho! Cherry-O is perfect for kids from 3–6 who are learning how to count.

Section 2 of 4:

Gameplay

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Spin the spinner and do what it says on your turn. When it’s your turn, flick the game’s spinner. When it stops, look at what symbol it landed on and follow the directions below.^{[3]
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- Alternate turns with play passing to the left.
- Some versions of Hi Ho! Cherry-O come with the spinner pre-assembled, but you may need to put it together if it’s your first time playing. Break off the spinner base and the arrow, then insert the base through the hole in the gameboard spinner. Snap the arrow into the base on top of the gameboard spinner.

Section 3 of 4:

Spinner Symbols

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Pick 1 cherry off of your tree and put it in your bucket.
Take 2 cherries off of your tree and put them in your bucket.
Pick 3 cherries off of your tree and drop them in your bucket.
Take 4 cherries from your tree and put them in your bucket.
Take 2 cherries out of your bucket and put them back on your tree. If you only have 1 cherry, put that one back. If you don’t have any cherries, you don’t have to do anything this turn.
Dump out all the cherries from your bucket and put them back on your tree. Now you have to start over from scratch!