While I was up in Hamburg, PA my ole’ home town, I happen to notice in a play yard a Hop-Scotch Game drawn on the sidewalk by some of the children that were in the area. I almost could not believe what I was seeing! The Game that I used to play when I was a young boy, is still around. I have not seen anything like this in many, many years. I thought that this game had faded into History and no one played it anymore. Do you remember this?
Most of the time us kids would play the game in our school yard. The Game was already painted on the play yard for us. Normally the game is played with a “Hop-Scotch” Heel from a old shoe that we would find in a box set aside for us at the local shoe maker just down the street. He always threw out the old heels into the box for us to use. If we didn’t have a heel to use, a stone or anything else could be used to play.
The Game starts by throwing the heel/stone/ or what-ever was used into square #1. Then you had to “hop” on 1 leg into the square without touching the edges or other lines, and hop back. Thus the name of the game. This was done each time, going higher in the numbers until you reached a time that you either fell over, dropped the heel/stone, or stepped on a solid line. Then it was the next person’s turn. All this was done by hopping thru the numbers until you got to #7. This one you could place both your feet in. It was the only square you could do this. The winner of the game is the one who hopped in all the squares, and picked up the heel on 1 leg, and hopped back. Then the game started again in the same manner. However, this time you had to use a different foot!! If you were using your right, now you’d have to use your left one.
Well, that’s how we played it. There probably are lot’s of other types of the game. I noticed the the game still has the squares as they always were, but there now is no rounded part at the top, like we had. The squares are a bit bigger. Ours were not, thus making it harder to hop into the “box” and pick up the heel without touching the white line.
Like I had stated before. I had thought this long time ole’ game from my childhood had faded away into History. Looks like I was wrong. That’s a good thing to see that the younger generation still remembers.
PHOTOJOURNAL OF CORKER2 
I grew up playing it too but in Scotland we all it peevers. I’m happy to report that my preschool students play hopscotch.
We always used stones, but I love hearing about the old heels, Les. Fun diagram too. I had forgotten about the painted board at the school yard, we mostly used chalk. Your post brought back fun memories, thank you.
Thanks for a return comment. Yes, we used stones also or what ever we could find to play. The old Cobbler Shop that we used to stop by in, is long gone. I even remember the person who owned it. He’s also gone now, but he always treated us kids very well.