Kathryn Zdan, EA
Editorial Director

While walking my dog over the last few weeks, I've noticed an uptick in sidewalk chalk drawings, and particularly there seems to be a renewed interest in hopscotch. Because some of the hopscotch courts I've seen look a little dubious in terms of the creator knowing the rules, let's review this ancient game.

The earliest form dates back to Rome, and the basic gist is that players toss a small object into numbered triangles or a pattern of rectangles outlined on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces to retrieve the object.¹ You can't step on a line, miss a square, or lose your balance or you lose your turn. The first player to complete one course for every numbered square on the court wins the game.

In terms of the court itself, designs can vary, but it's usually composed of a series of linear squares interspersed with blocks of two lateral squares. But one English version is only linear, and a French version is a spiral. So I guess I've been too judgy about the ones I've seen around the Long Beach/Lakewood area.

When everything returns to that elusive-seeming "normal" and we're allowed to travel, here's a list of names for hopscotch from around the globe:

• India: Kith-Kith
• Spain: rayuela
• Turkey: Seksek
• Poland: klasy or pajac
• Sweden: hoppa hage
• Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia: školica
• Malaysia: tengteng
• Mexico: bebeleche or avioncito
• France: marelle
• Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: Himmel und Hölle

Oh, and here's a picture of an ambitious addition to the streets of Placentia by Lynn's grandchildren. They have hidden talents.