Hopscotch Rules: The Court, Who Goes First and Dice Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a playground game played in many countries for well over a century: draw a court of numbered squares, toss a small marker onto a square, and hop through the court without landing on the marked square or stepping on a line. All you need is chalk and a stone. Here are the classic rules, how to draw the court, a fair way to decide who goes first, and a dice version that adds a bit of luck.

What you need

• Chalk, or tape for an indoor floor.
• A flat surface such as a playground or a pavement, away from traffic.
• A marker for each player: a small flat stone, a bean bag, a bottle cap or a key ring. Bean bags are best, as they do not bounce or roll.
• Two or more players. Hopscotch also works on your own.

Drawing the court

The most common court has ten squares. Squares 1, 2 and 3 are single squares in a line; 4 and 5 sit side by side; 6 is single; 7 and 8 side by side; 9 is single; and 10 is the top, often drawn as a half circle called “home” or “sky”. Make each square big enough for a child’s foot with room to spare, about 40 to 50 centimetres across.

Rules

1. The first player stands behind the start line and tosses their marker onto square 1. If it misses the square or lands on a line, the turn passes to the next player.
2. The player hops through the court, skipping the square with the marker. Single squares take one foot; side-by-side squares take both feet, one in each.
3. At the top, the player turns round, still hopping, and hops back.
4. On the way back, the player stops on the square before the marker, bends down to pick it up while balancing on one foot, then hops over that square and out.
5. If the player finishes without a mistake, they toss the marker onto square 2 on their next turn, then 3, and so on.
6. A player’s turn ends if they step on a line, put a second foot down on a single square, lose their balance, or hop into the marker’s square. Next turn, they start again from the square they missed.
7. The first player to complete the whole court, from 1 to 10, wins.

Who goes first?

Going first is a small advantage in hopscotch, because the first player gets the most turns if the game is stopped at the bell. The usual playground fix is a round of Rock Paper Scissors, or each player tosses their marker at the far square and the closest throw goes first. For a big group, put the names in the Random Name Picker and spin to set the whole order at once. Then rotate who starts each new game.

Dice hopscotch

For a version with more luck and less aiming, draw a court numbered 2 to 12. Instead of tossing the marker in order, the player rolls two dice with the Dice Roller and places the marker on the square for the total. Not every square is equally likely, though:

So square 7 comes up six times as often as square 2 or 12. That makes a good rule for points: give each square points to match how rare it is, for example one point for landing on 7 and six points for clearing the court with the marker on 2 or 12. It is also a neat way to show children how two dice add up.

Variations

• Snail hopscotch (escargot): a spiral court, hopped on one foot to the centre and back.
• Claim a square: a player who clears the court with no mistakes writes their initials in a square; other players must hop over it.
• Alphabet or number hopscotch: write letters, sums or words in the squares, and the player says each one aloud as they land.
• Indoor hopscotch: tape the court on the floor and use bean bags instead of stones.

Tips for teachers and parents

• Draw two or three courts for a big group, so nobody waits too long.
• Use bean bags with younger children; stones bounce out of the squares.
• Make the squares bigger for little ones, and allow two feet in every square if hopping is still too hard.
• Hopscotch is good practice for balance, counting and taking turns.

Hopscotch sits well next to other chalk and playground games such as four square and red light, green light.

For another playground classic with rhymes and counting, see our jump rope games.

FAQ

What are the basic rules of hopscotch?

Toss a marker onto square 1, hop through the court without landing on that square, pick up the marker on the way back, and hop out. Then do the same for square 2, and so on. Stepping on a line or losing your balance ends your turn.

How many squares are in a hopscotch court?

The most common court has ten squares, with a mix of single squares and side-by-side pairs. Many other shapes exist, including spirals.

What do you throw in hopscotch?

A small flat stone is traditional. A bean bag, bottle cap or key ring also works, and bean bags are best for younger children because they do not bounce.

How do you decide who goes first in hopscotch?

Play rock paper scissors, see whose marker lands closest to the far end, or set the order with a random name picker. Rotate the first player in each new game.