Throw your stone to the target square
| Throw the stone | Aim for the target square. |
| Hop in order | Move up the squares, skipping the stone. |
Hopscotch has been played on pavements for centuries, and the rules are wonderfully fussy in a way children love. Throw your stone onto a numbered square, then hop up the grid in order, skipping the square your stone is on. Land wrong or hop out of sequence and you start the round again.
The digital version keeps the two things that matter: the accuracy of the throw and the discipline of the sequence. It is a good game for a young child because the rules are strict but entirely fair, and a mistake only ever costs you the round rather than the game.
Take the throw seriously. Missing the target square means starting again immediately, so a careful throw is worth more than a fast one. Everything after it depends on getting this right.
Say the numbers aloud as you hop. Keeping the sequence spoken makes it far harder to skip one by accident, and for a young child it doubles as counting practice.
Remember which square holds your stone. Hopping onto it is the most common mistake, and pausing for a moment before that square is enough to avoid it.
Do not rush the later rounds. The further up the grid your stone goes, the longer the sequence becomes, and the temptation to speed up is exactly what breaks the run.
The round restarts, so keeping the sequence is as important as the throw.
Because your stone is on it. That is the traditional rule and what makes each round different.
From about five, once a child can count confidently to ten.
By completing every square in turn, with the stone having visited each one.
Completely free, with no trial and no unlock. Hopscotch loads with the page and plays immediately, without an install step or a video ad first.