It’s one of the most popular games with kids, or at least it was before device-driven games like Fortnite took over.  Even today, the game is played by the kids of a colony together, be it in their backyard or on a street.

Here’s a quick word on how Hopscotch is played.

In this game, the players toss a small object, usually a small stone, into a numbered pattern of rectangular boxes drawn on the ground with chalk. Each player hops or jumps through the boxes to arrive at the numbered box the stone has landed at and get it. The game basically involves hopping over the drawn lines. It can be played by a group or an individual.

It looks like this:

We give you all the details about how to play hopscotch and the history of hopscotch here.

Did you know that the history of hopscotch is really interesting? It goes back to the time of the Romans, 3000 years ago! Imagine how far the game has come – kids today still play the game Romans were playing!

Here’s a short history of hopscotch and how can play it…

The sad thing is that with more and more kids getting into devices, this game is being forgotten. Few kids these days have even heard of it.  This is why we give you a quick introduction and tell you how to play hopscotch

Why play hopscotch

Hopscotch is a great way to get kids moving and have fun at the same time. It also helps improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and social skills, making it a great choice for all kids, regardless of age.

If you’re looking for an easy way to spend an afternoon with the kids, hopscotch is the perfect choice. All you need is a smooth, clean surface,  a small throwable object marker, and enough space for two or four players to hopscotch at the same time!

We bring you a  short history of hopscotch

Here’s what we’ll look at in this article

• How to play hopscotch
• Who is the founder of this game
• 10 facts about hopscotch
• The history of hopscotch.

History of Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a classic game that actually dates all the way back to Ancient Rome! But, as with most things historical, there are a few versions of its origin.  

Ancient Roman children and soldiers are said to have played a form of hopscotch. Heavily armored Roman foot soldiers used the Hopscotch court to improve their footwork. As per historical records, the first reference to Hopscotch in the somewhat modern world is seen in the 17th century. There are records about a game called “scotch-hop” or “scotch-hopper(s)”

Here’s where all the references to the game are mentioned. This would give us an idea about the history of hopscotch

• A manuscript named, the Book of Games, which was compiled in about 1672 talks about a game called ‘Scotch Hopper.
• In another book Poor Robin’s Almanacin 1677, there’s talk about a game called  “Scotch-hoppers” – it refers to it as a game that schoolboys play. A line in the book refers to the game as follows:  – “lawyers and doctors have little obligations this month, so they could play at Scotch-hoppers if they like to”
• Then comes another record – in 1828. The American Webster Dictionary refers to the game as ‘Scotch-hopper’, defining it as “a pastime in which youngsters hop over scotches and lines in the ground.”

The founder of Hopscotch

There is no real known founder of hopscotch – it is one of those games that has evolved over centuries. It is said that Gautam Buddha forbade this game. He prohibited games that required the marking up of floors that allowed the player to walk only on certain places – hopscotch thus comes under his censure.

However, if one were to go by the history of hopscotch, then it would seem that ancient Rome’s soldiers were the real founders of hopscotch.

Fast forward to the modern world…