Indoor Hopscotch

You will need

• Painter's tapeOne roll; blue or green — peels clean from hardwood and carpet
• Small beanbagOr a folded sock, a rolled-up dish towel, or a small stuffed animal
• Washable markeroptionalFor writing numbers on small tape-flag labels — optional, use torn tape scraps instead

Steps

1. 1

   Tape the classic court shape

   Press tape on the floor in the standard pattern: one square, then a side-by-side pair, then a single, then a pair, then a single, then a wide home-base arc at the top. Keep single squares about one big toddler step apart. The court can go down a hallway or across a living-room rug.

   Tip: Carpet works fine — press the tape edges down firmly so feet do not catch them.

2. 2

   Number the squares together

   Tear small flag-shaped pieces of tape and stick one inside each square. Let the child press them down — that part is well within what a three-year-old can do. You can write the numbers with a washable marker, or skip numbers entirely for children who do not yet recognize them and just count aloud as you hop.

   Tip: Skipping numbers is fine — counting aloud as you go teaches the same thing.

3. 3

   Show the hopping rule once

   Walk through the court yourself: toss the beanbag into square one, hop over it — both feet land together on double squares, one foot on singles — reach home base, turn, hop back, and pick up the bag on the return. Do it slowly so the child can watch the foot pattern before trying.

4. 4

   Let them toss and go

   Hand over the beanbag and stand to the side. Prompt only if the child lands in the beanbag square or steps on a tape line — say 'your feet touched the line, so it's my turn.' For a child who cannot yet balance on one foot, allow two feet on singles without comment; the one-foot balance will come with practice.

   Tip: A three-year-old version: tape just three squares in a row and let them jump with two feet throughout.

5. 5

   Introduce the spiral version

   Once they have played the straight version a few times, mention that children in France and Russia play a spiral shape — the squares wind inward like a snail shell. Tape a simple five-square spiral and try it together. The turning path makes the balance challenge different.

   Tip: This version works especially well for an older sibling playing alongside a younger one.

Take it to the table

Materials checklist, the steps and the variations on one Letter page.