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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Finn Kobler. Finn Kobler graduated from USC in 2022 with a BFA in Writing for Screen/Television. He is a two-time California State Champion and record holder in Original Prose/Poetry, a 2018 finalist for the Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate, and he's written micro-budget films that have been screened in over 150 theaters nationwide. Growing up, Finn spent every summer helping his family's nonprofit arts program, Showdown Stage Company, empower people through accessible media. He hopes to continue that mission with his writing at wikiHow.
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Hopscotch is arguably the best playground game of all time. It offers lighthearted fun and teaches younger players plenty of valuable developmental lessons like counting, gross motor skills, and patience. And it has no age limit! Hopscotch can be as fun at four as it can at forty. Whether you’re a parent trying to teach your child the rules of the game or a light-hearted adult hungry to play with your friends, keep reading. We’ll give you an easy step-by-step guide on how to play hopscotch, as well as some rule variations to make it extra challenging!
Things You Should Know
- Draw your hopscotch board on the ground. Create a set of vertical squares numbered 1 through any number you want. Numbers 4 & 5 and 7 & 8 are often placed side-by-side.
- To begin a hopscotch game, toss a stone or flat object into the inside of the 1 square. If your stone touches the sides of the square, you lose your turn.
- The goal of hopscotch is to hop through the inside of each square on one foot. If you lose your balance or touch any of the square’s sides, you lose your turn.
- After you’ve successfully hopped across the board, turn around (remaining on one foot) and hop back to the beginning, picking up the stone along the way.
Steps
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Draw a hopscotch board on the ground. To start a hopscotch game, draw squares on the ground using chalk. Make your squares large enough to fit one foot and wide enough so that a stone can land inside each square without touching its lines or bouncing out of it. It's most common to number your squares vertically from 1-10 with 1 at the bottom. Pairs of 4 & 5 and 7 & 8 are often placed side-by-side.[1]- Draw your ending square extra wide and designate it as a rest or stop area. This is where a player can take a moment to turn around and/or regain their balance. Sometimes, the ending square is given a nickname like “Heaven.”
- Asphalt, patio stones, and concrete make the best surfaces for drawing a hopscotch board, but the grid can be designed on any surface.
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Throw a flat stone or similar object to land on square 1. Have your starting player toss a stone or other flat object (a beanbag, a shell, a plastic button, a marker) onto the hopscotch board. The stone has to land inside the square without touching the border or bouncing out. If the player successfully lands the stone between the lines, they move on to the next step. If they fail, they lose their turn and the next player goes.[2]
- If you’re playing hopscotch by yourself, continue tossing or make up rules as you see fit!
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Hop through the squares, skipping the square with a stone inside. Use one foot to jump inside each square. Don’t place more than one foot on the ground at a time, unless there are 2 number squares right next to each other. In this case, put down both feet simultaneously (one in each square). Always keep your feet inside the appropriate square(s); if you step on a line, hop on the wrong square, or step out of the square, you lose your turn.[3]
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Pick up the stone on your way back. When you get to the last number (usually 10), turn around (remaining on one foot) and hop your way back in reverse order. When you land on the square directly before the one containing your stone, lean down (still on one foot) and pick it up. Then, skip over that square and finish up.[4]
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Pass the stone to the next player. Once you’ve completed the course or lost your turn, hand the stone to the player after you. Then, they go. After every player has taken their turn, if you didn’t lose your turn in the previous round, throw your stone into square 2 for your next turn. Your goal is to complete the course with the stone in each square. The first person to do this wins the game![5]
- Use a pen and paper to keep track of each player’s progress or have players sign on the square with chalk, once they successfully bounce the stone inside.
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Change the shape of the hopscotch course. For an added challenge, draw a circular hopscotch board instead of a square one with the numbers arranged in an inward spiral direction.[6] You can also try drawing it as a triangle shape, a rectangle shape, or, for extreme difficulty, a rocket shape!
- When drawing a circular hopscotch board, start from the middle (with your highest-numbered circle) and go outward. This way, you can make “Heaven” as big as you need.
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Vary the size and shape of the squares. Make some squares smaller so that people have to jump on their tiptoes. You can even design some spaces in the shape of a shoe to control the direction each player faces. Get creative![7]
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Make some squares into islands. Draw some squares with spaces in between so they’re completely disconnected from the rest of the board. This adds an extra level of difficulty since players have to jump far enough to reach each space while still landing inside the lines. Who said hopscotch doesn’t require skill?!
- Create other fun jumping variations by having players jump on odd numbers or even numbers backwards.[8]
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Set a time limit. Make your game into "speed hopscotch" by setting a timer for each player. If a player fails to make it across the board before the timer runs out, they lose their turn. Or make the game into a race by keeping track of each player’s time across the board. The player with the fastest total time wins![9]
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow many markers are on the hopscotch squares?
Community AnswerTypically one, but variations do exist. -
QuestionWhat items are needed to play hopscotch?
Community AnswerChalk and a rock. -
QuestionCan I put both feet down in square 10?
Community AnswerYes, you can. Sixty or 65 years ago, children would draw the outline for 8 to resemble a semi-circle and split 9 and 10 with a middle line above the semi-circle. They then hopped on one foot in 8, then both left and right in 9 and 10 consecutively. They then did a reverse jump landing one foot in each box without touching the lines to head back down the hopscotch.
Video
Tips
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You can use masking tape to make a hopscotch layout if preferred. It will lift up easily and is good for indoor games.Thanks
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Instead of numbers, write categories in each square like food or songs. Any time a player lands in a square, they must name something in that category like “pizza” or “Yellow Submarine.”Thanks
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For added difficulty, have players kick the stone into each square as they hop across the board. If it goes outside the board, they lose their turn.Thanks
Warnings
- Be wary of your surroundings. It's best you play on concrete rather than gravel or an uneven surface. You might get injured!Thanks
References
- ↑ http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/scotland/makeyourmove/hopscotch_rules_of_play.pdf
- ↑ http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/other_games/hopscotch.htm
- ↑ https://youtu.be/fZzswQaICfM?t=39
- ↑ https://youtu.be/PHOUAsRzLyk?t=95
- ↑ http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/scotland/makeyourmove/hopscotch_rules_of_play.pdf
- ↑ https://first8studios.org/gracieandfriends/guide/equipartitioning/lesson5/hopscotch-circle.html
- ↑ https://wizardofyards.com/hopscotch-rules-designs-and-variations/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/fZzswQaICfM?t=128
- ↑ https://wizardofyards.com/hopscotch-rules-designs-and-variations/
About This Article
Hopscotch is a fun kid's game where players try to get all the way across a hopscotch board drawn on the ground in chalk. To play Hopscotch, first draw the board on the ground in chalk, which looks like a vertical column with three singles boxes, then a pair of boxes, then an alternating set of single boxes and pairs, and finally a half circle at the end. Number each square in ascending order. Now, each player gets a bean bag, bottle cap, or token. The first player tosses their token on to the first square. If the token doesn’t land in the first square, that player loses their turn. If it does land in the first square, that player hops across each square on one foot. When they come to a pair of squares, that player must land with one foot on each square before hopping to the next square. When that player gets to the end of the board, they turn around and hop back the same way. If they make it back without falling or landing on the wrong square, they succeed at the round and the next player goes. On their next turn, they try to throw their token on the second square this time. If they succeed again, they try to get their token on third square their next turn, and so on. If a player falls, lands on the wrong square, or steps on a line, their turn ends and they have to start over on the same square their next turn. The first player to get all the way up and down the board with their token wins! To learn variations of hopscotch, like using a timer, read on!
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