A fine day for hopscotch

…one hopes. The sky’s just gone that funny early morning red-purple. As I tell the boys, “Red sky at night, I’ve set something alight; red sky in the morning, the day’ll be boring.”

If it stays dry we’ll be wandering out into the welikeplay wasteland to play a little hopscotch as I found out yesterday that No2 child hasn’t picked this game up yet. It’s one of those games that should be passed down the generations, having been played on these noble shores of Blighty since the Romans trained their soldiers this way.

You will need
A stick of chalk and a pebble or (hacky-sac)

There are several different ‘official’ hopscotch grids, though none is as taxing as a random pattern designed by a 6 year old. Draw them out, number them up; taking turns throw a pebble into each square up through the numbers. Miss the number and you miss your go. Land in the square and you have to hop up through the squares missing out the pebbled one, get to the end and spin around and come back down stopping to pick the pebble up again. Lose your balance and you have to wait to your next turn to do it again.

Numeracy, physical coordination, turn taking… that’s why some games endure.

Enjoy.

Play Test
(two hours later)

Grids have been drawn, and the verdict is in. The UK grid is an easier starting grid, giving three places to do a two legged balance, whilst the US grid (aside from looking a little rude) is for advance hoppers.

tag... play for today, 5up, 8up, traditional games