s c o t c h HOPSCOTCH GAMES JUDY SIERRA

h s c o t c h p TEN TRADITIONAL HOPSCOTCH GAMES JUDY SIERRA

Hopscotch is played anywhere that kids can make marks on the ground with chalk or a stick. This collection contains just a few of the world s hopscotch games. Many more can be found at the library or online. No country or culture has just one sort of hopscotch. Nearly every kid that plays hopscotch knows more than one kind. Rules vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. For a fair or carnival, set up hopscotch stations. Draw the diagrams in advance and laminate copies of the rules to place nearby. Hopscotch is best for small groups, just two or three or four. If there are lots of kids, draw more hopscotches. Have fun! Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 1 of 21

Argentina Begin drawing this spiral hopscotch at the center. The more squares you add, the longer the game will last. 1. Players hop to the center and back out again. The center square is a rest stop where players can pause and put two feet on the ground 2. A player s turn ends when she steps on a line or puts two feet on the ground (except at the center square). 3. After a player finishes one round successfully, she writes her name on one of the squares (but not the center square). Afterwards, that square belongs to her and no one else can hop into it. They have to hop over it. 4. The game ends when no one can hop to the center square, or when all the squares are owned. 5. The player who owns the most squares at the end of the game is the winner. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 2 of 21

Bolivia 1. Each player must choose a marker (flat stone, bottle cap, etc.) 2. The first player places marker just outside the beginning (outermost) square. 3. Standing on one foot, the player kicks the marker into the first square. 4. Player hops into the first square, and still standing on one foor, kicks the marker into the next square. 5. Player proceeds to the center of the hopscotch and back again. 6. Player is out when a foot touches a line, when the marker fails to go into the next square, when the marker touches a line, or when the player puts the other foot on the ground. 7. First player to hop to the center and back without making a mistake wins. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 4 of 21

Bosnia The rectangles of this hopscotch represent the first eight grades of school. Players take turns hopping through the school grades. 1. Each player must choose a marker (flat stone, bottle cap, etc.) 2. The first player tosses her marker into square number one. 3. The player then hops into that rectangle, bends down and picks up the marker, and hops through the rest of the rectangles in order. 4. In the second round, the player throws the marker into rectangle number two, hops from one to two, picks up the marker, and so on through all eight grades. 5. When a player steps on a line, or the marker touches a line, or the player touches down with both feet, or fails to throw her marker into the correct rectangle, she is out for that round. On her next turn, she can begin at that grade again. 6. After players complete all eight grades, they hop three more rounds, first hopping through the eight rectangles with the marker on a raised foot, then with the marker balanced on top of their heads, then blindfolded for the final round. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 6 of 21

Germany The circles on this hopscotch are named after the days of the week: Montag Dienstag Mittwoch Donnerstag Freitag Samstag Sonntag Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1. Each player must choose a marker (flat stone, bottle cap, etc.) 2. A player stands below Montag and tosses her marker into that circle. 3. The player hops into Montag and kicks the marker into Dienstag, and so forth, all the way to Sonntag. 4. A player loses her turn if she or her marker touch a line, or if both feet touch down, or if the marker does not go into the correct circle. 4. A player who successfully completes a round stands below Montag, turns her back, and tosses her marker over her shoulder. If the marker lands in a circle, she can write her name there and it becomes her house. She can land there on two feet, and no one else can land there without her permission. 5. Rounds continue until all circles are owned, and the player who owns the most is the winner. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 8 of 21

Honduras Players follow the days of the week along the hopscotch diagram. Lunes Martes Miercoles Jueves Viernes Sabado Domingo Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1. Each player must choose a marker (flat stone, bottle cap, etc.) 2. The first player slides his marker into Lunes, hops into that square, kicks the marker out, then hops out. He then slides his marker into Martes, hops into Lunes, hops into Martes, kicks the stone out, and hops out, and so on. 3. If a player puts two feet down, or hops on a line, or if the marker lands on a line or does not go into the correct square, his turn is over. He begins his next turn on that same day of the week where he lost his turn. 4. The first player to complete the whole week is the winner. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 10 of 21

Netherlands 1. Each player must choose a marker (flat stone, bottle cap, etc.) 2. A player stands outside square one and tosses or slides her marker into that square. She then hops into square one, kicks the marker out (always with the hopping foot), and hops out. 3. On the second round, the player tosses or slides her marker into square two. The player hops into square one, then square two, tnen kicks the marker into square one, then hops into square one, then kicks the marker out of the hopscotch, and then hops out. This continues through all the numbers. 4. Squares marked R are rest stops. A player can rest on two feet in a rest stop. 5. If a player rests on two feet in a non-rest square, or hops on a line, or if the marker lands on a line or does not go into the correct square, the player loses her turn. She begins again at that same level in the next round. 6. A player whose foot touches water, or whose marker goes into water, is out of the game for good. 7. The first player to complete all the rounds and then quickly hops through all the numbers three times is the winner. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 12 of 21

Panama 1. Each player must choose a marker (flat stone, bottle cap, etc.) 2. A player kicks his marker into section one with his hopping foot, then hops into section one, then kicks his marker into section two, then hops into section two, and so on. 3. When the player reaches section four, he calls, Rest! and puts his other foot into section three. After a rest, he continues to section six, turns, and goes back to section one. He may rest again on section four if he wishes. 4. Only a player who completes the round without hopping on a line, or kicking a marker onto a line, or kicking a marker into the wrong section, or touching down on two feet (except at the rest stop) can go on to the next round. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 14 of 21

United Kingdom 1. Each player must choose a marker (flat stone, bottle cap, etc.) 2. In turn, each player stands on Earth and tosses marker into block one. Then she hops into block one, picks up the marker and tosses it back into Earth and hops out. 3. A player who touches a line, whose marker touches a line or goes out of the block, or who lands on two feet, is out and has to repeat that level. 4. On round two, players toss markers into block two, hop into block one, hop into block two, pick up marker, toss it to Earth, and hop into block one, then back to Earth, and so on. 5. Once a player has completed the game through block ten, the player begins again from Heaven and proceeds, round by round, back to Earth. 5. If a player s foot or marker touches Hell, she must start over from the very beginning on the next round. 6. If a player s marker lands on the P section of heaven, she cannot speak for the rest of the game, and is out for good if she does. 7. After a player has completed the hopscotch forward and backward, she must hop from block one to block ten and back again, first with the marker balanced on her non-hopping foot, then with the marker balanced on her forefinger, then with the marker balanced on top of her head, then with her eyes closed. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 16 of 21

United States May I? This is a blindfold hopscotch, no markers required. 1. The player looks at the hopscotch, then is blindfolded. He jumps into square one, then asks, May I? If he is in the square, not touching a line, other players tell him yes, and so on through all the squares. 2. If the player lands on a line, the other players tell him no, and the next player gets a turn. 3. The first person to complete the hopscotch pattern is the winner. 4. Players may continue the game by hopping backwards around the hopscotch pattern. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 18 of 21

United States Categories 1. Players must hop all the blocks of the hopscotch, stopping to name something from each category that begins with a letter of the alphabet all A s the first round for the first player, all B s the second round for the second player, etc. 2. Players can decide in advance which letters to skip. 3. Players decide in advance how long a player can stand on one foot in each block before naming something from that category. 3. Players keep score on the sidewalk, one point for a player each time she successfully finishes a round. Copyright 2016 Judy Sierra www.judysierra.net Page 20 of 21