Video:Learn How to Play Hopscotch

Transcript:Learn How to Play Hopscotch

Hi, this is Angela with About.com, and today I'm going to teach you how to play hopscotch.

Brief History of Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a game that you have to play to truly appreciate how fun it is. Not even the Roman soldiers living thousands of years ago could resist the fun game of hopping over incredible distances carrying heavy weights. Luckily, in this simplified modern-day version, your children won't have to do that.

Set Up Your Game of Hopscotch

For hopscotch you will need chalk, a stone or hacky sack and a few friends to play. First, draw your hopscotch design. These can vary in complexity and size. But to start off, you can draw a simple one with only 8 numbers. There are really no rules to the design as long as you have the squares as singles and doubles and have them going in a straight line. Once you're done, just number them in number sequence to however many boxes you have. When your done, line up and you're ready to play.

Basic Rules for Hopscotch

Hopscotch goes like this: you have to throw your stone in boxes starting with number one. You have to skip the number you throw your stone on and hop over it, hopping all the way to the end and back and retrieving your stone on the way back still avoiding that number.You have to throw your stone in number order and it has to land in the box.

Tips for Playing Hopscotch

If you miss, it's next players turn. You have to keep your feet from touching the lines of the boxes or the next player goes. There's a one foot per box policy as well. Make sure you hop with one foot in single boxes and both for doubles. The first person to complete the hopscotch design is deemed winner. Let smaller children hop to each box with both feet until their balance develops.

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