If you have some sidewalk chalk and a flat stone, you have an hour’s worth of entertainment or more.  Check here if you forget how hopscotch is played. On a recent visit to my Mom’s house in Ohio, my kids got to enjoy Grandma’s paved driveway as their art canvass.  Between art sessions, we improvised some early versions of hopscotch.  My kids (at ages 2 and 4) are too young to play according to the rules, but they both had great fun inventing their own versions once I drew out the squares …

With the grid above, here are some ideas beyond regular hopscotch:

• my kids enjoyed reading the numbers and of course we incorporated some counting along the way.
• It can also be good practice for children who are learning to write their numbers.
• If your children aren’t writing yet, they can tell you what number comes next so you can write it.
• We also practiced doing some backwards counting with Mommy jumping along the squares.
• My kids enjoyed trying to imitate my actions as I jumped along the squares.

And a terrific variation is to use letters in the squares instead of numbers.  In addition to the ideas above, you can:

• Use a stone to choose a number and then play “I Spy” with the letter that the stone lands on.
• Sing the ABC song as the children practice their jumping.
• Think up three words that start with each letter.

So, remember these ideas for the next time you find yourself spending time in a place without many toys – just remember to take along a piece of sidewalk chalk (keep it in a ziplock baggy in your bag!).