Hopscotch

     In 1963, the boys at Hainesport School played marbles during recess.  The girls jumped rope or played hopscotch.  It's delightful to see that someone is still hopping through squares, chalked on the pavement, instead of flailing their thumbs around a video game controller.  A section of the municipal complex walking trail, that backs up to the school playground, seems to be Hopscotch Central.

This is Court #3.  Our Hainesport Hopscotchers have drawn a dozen courts on the pavement.

     I preferred to jump rope, trying to perfect my Double Dutch.  I never joined in the hopscotch games.  It's time to figure out what I missed.
     Here's how to play the game: Toss a pebble into Square #1.  Jump into the court - left foot landing on #1, right foot landing on #2.  Use only one foot (left or right - it's your choice) to hop on Square #3 and Square #4.  Use both feet to hop into #5 and #6.  Resume hopping on one foot to cover Square #7.  Use both feet for #8 and #9 and one foot for #10.  Jump out of the course after #10, turn and hop back, picking up your pebble in Square #1.  If players don't step on any lines or lose their balance, they can continue their turn, tossing the pebble into the second, third, fourth square, and so on, until they complete the course.  A misstep, means the next player gets a turn.  The first player to complete the course wins.
     Here some course variations:

      Hopscotch was first documented by Francis Willughby in the Book of Games, a manuscript published sometime between 1625 and 1632.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopscotch  The game is played in many countries under many names.

Lay-Lay - Iran
Peevers - Scotland
Himmel und Hölle (Heaven and Hell) - Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Kith-Kith - India

Hopscotch is called potsy in New York.  In 2010, PBS did a documentary called "Street Games" which included potsy.
     There's nothing in the rules that says you have to stop playing hopscotch when you reach age twelve.  Would anyone like to join me for some potsy?