Hopscotch

Hopscotch is the playground game you draw in chalk on the sidewalk: toss a marker into a numbered square, hop up the court and back without touching a line, and work your way from 1 to 10. This hopscotch game puts that court in your browser. You aim and throw the marker, hop each square on the beat and keep your balance on one foot while you pick it up. Play free with no download, on a keyboard, a mouse or a phone.

How to play hopscotch (the classic rules)

• The court: draw squares numbered 1 to 10, some single and some in side-by-side pairs. A common layout is 1, 2 and 3 in a line, 4 and 5 side by side, 6, then 7 and 8 side by side, then 9 and 10.
• Toss the marker: from behind the start line, toss a small stone into square 1. It has to land inside the square, not on a line.
• Hop the court: hop over the square with your marker. Land on one foot in single squares and with both feet in side-by-side squares. If your marker is in one half of a pair, hop into the other half on one foot.
• Turn and come back: at the end, turn around and hop back the same way.
• Pick up the marker: on the square just before it, balance on one foot and pick it up without stepping into its square. Then hop over that square and out.
• Next number: if you made it, toss into square 2 and go again, all the way to 10.
• Losing your turn: you lose your turn if the marker misses the right square or lands on a line, if you step on a line, or if you put a hand or your second foot down. Next time, you try the same square again.

Rules vary by region. Some courts have a rest area at the top, and some groups hop into the marker’s square after picking it up. This game uses the version above.

How the game works

• Toss: a dotted aim line swings from side to side. Tap the court, press Space or press either button to stop it. A cross-hair then runs up the line, and a second tap throws the marker there. Your target square glows.
• Hop on the beat: footprints show where to land and a ring shrinks onto them. Press as it closes: yellow means One foot (A, Left arrow or the One foot button), blue means Both feet (D, Right arrow or Both feet). The beat speeds up a little on higher squares.
• Faults: hopping too early or too late is stepping on a line. Both feet on a single square puts your second foot down, and One foot on a double misses half the pair. Not pressing means a foot touches down.
• Pick-up: on the square before your marker, a balance needle wobbles. Lean the other way with the same keys or buttons until the reach bar fills. If the needle hits the red, you lose the turn.

Modes and courts

• Solo challenge: clear squares 1 to 10 in as few turns as you can. Each fault starts a new turn, and your best is saved in your browser.
• vs CPU kids: take turns with one, two or three CPU players who make mistakes too. The first to finish square 10 wins.
• 2 players: take turns with a friend on one device.
• Snail court: finish the classic court in Solo to unlock a spiral of ten one-foot squares that winds into a circle in the middle, where you turn around.

Tips

• Watch the cross-hair. Throw when it sits in the middle of the square, away from the lines. The doubles are narrower than the single squares.
• Read ahead. The panel on the right lists the next hops, so a double or the pick-up never surprises you.
• Lean in short taps. Small corrections against the wobble work better than holding one side down.

FAQ

Is this hopscotch game free?

Yes. It is free with no account and nothing to install.

Does it work on phones and Chromebooks?

Yes. On a phone, tap the court to throw and use the two big buttons to hop and lean; the page will not scroll while you play. On a Chromebook, use Space, A and D or the arrow keys.

Can I pause?

Press P or Esc, or use the pause button. It also pauses when you switch tabs.

For more playground classics, try Marble Game to shoot marbles out of a chalk ring, or Tag Game for a fast chase where touching another player passes on IT.