The ancient game of hopscotch began as a skill-training exercise for Roman soldiers. The course was generally about 100 feet long and the soldiers wore heavy armour as they completed it. Children have since adapted the game but it still reflects the same skill development as it did in its original form. Playing hopscotch can help children develop their coordination and agility.
Below are some fun takes on this age-old pastime. Please note, it's not recommended that children weigh down their bodies while they play or that the course be any longer than eight to 10 feet.
As well, hopscotch should not be played for long periods of time due to the fact that jumping is very hard on the developing bones, tendons and ligaments of children. Too much stress on these areas early in life can lead to painful knee problems later in life.
Snake hopscotch by Valanne Ridgeway, publisher/artistic and editorial director for Northumberland Kids
Rather than drawing the most common straight course, try drawing a course that curves on the ground like a snake. This will makes it more challenging for kids to keep their balance. You can play this course with or without throwing a marker.
Snail hopscotch by Valanne Ridgeway
According to Ridgeway, the beautiful spiral-shaped "snail" hopscotch course originated in France and it has more squares and rules for playing. In this game players must take turns hopping to the centre of the spiral and out again. Each time a player does this successfully, she then gets to write her initials on one of the squares. The initialed square then becomes that player's resting space, but must be avoided by all other players. The game ends when it is no longer possible to hop over the resting spaces to make it to the centre.
Alphabet hopscotch by Pat Doyle, Game On
This game is great for teaching children how to spell! Using chalk, make a square on the ground that is six 16-inch squares across and six 16-inch squares down. In each square, randomly place a letter of the alphabet until all of the letters have been used, leaving empty squares scattered throughout. To play, you can start by just jumping the alphabet in order, then you can vary the game by trying to jump from letter to letter, spelling out different words.
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