Outdoor Games
How to play Hopscotch
Toss a marker onto the next numbered square, hop the course without touching its square, and retrieve it on the way back.
What you need
A chalk hopscotch course numbered 1 to 10 and a flat stone or beanbag marker
Set up the game
- Draw a course with single squares alternating with side-by-side pairs. Number spaces in order from the start toward a turn-around area beyond 10.
- Use a level, traffic-free surface and a marker that does not bounce far. Set a turn order and explain that a failed run ends that turn.
Toss, hop, and retrieve the marker
- Starting at 1, toss your marker into your target square without touching a line or landing outside it. If the toss misses, your turn ends.
- Hop from the start through the course, skipping the marked square. Land on one foot in singles and two feet in side-by-side pairs; do not land on a line or use a hand for balance.
- Turn around beyond the far end and return. Pause on the square before the marker, pick it up while balanced, and hop over the marked square to the finish.
- On a successful round, advance your target to the next number on your next turn. On a fault, retry the same target on your next turn. First to finish target 10 wins this house format.
A round with the marker on 3
Lee tosses the marker fully inside square 3, hops into 1 and 2, skips 3, continues to 10 and turns. On the way back, Lee stops in 4, picks up the marker from 3 without putting a foot on its line, hops to 2 then 1, and succeeds. Next turn Lee aims for 4.
Mark a usable course
The exact painted layout is less important than a shared numbering path and clear landing spaces. Children with different mobility can use larger squares or a step instead of a hop when the group chooses an accessible adaptation; agree on the same aim for all players before starting.
Beginner decisions
- Use a soft marker that stays in the square, then aim for the middle so a line touch does not end the turn.
- Pause on a legal square before picking up the marker; rushing this step causes more misses than the outward hops.
Common rule mix-ups
- Landing in the square holding the marker.
- Using a different hopping pattern for side-by-side squares without agreeing on it before play.
Questions about this game
Must the course be ten squares?
No. Drawings vary by place; this guide uses 1 to 10 so the target and finish are clear.
What happens after a fault?
In this chosen format, retry the same target next turn. Some groups make players restart from square 1.
Sources and edition notes
Traditional hopscotch with a ten-space alternating single/pair course and retry-same-target house rule. Local diagrams and penalties vary; no universal governing manual applies.