The Chopstick Game

Hopping Chicken

This traditional Chinese game can be played with two players or in two teams, indoors or out. It is similar to Hopscotch.

Age: 6+

Each player or team (of two) has 10 sticks, each about 12 inches long. They are laid on the ground like a ladder, about 10 inches apart, one ladder for each player or team.

How to play:

One player from each team starts, hopping over the sticks without touching any of them. If a stick is touched, the player is disqualified.

When the player has hopped over all the sticks he stops, still on one foot, and bends down to pick up the last stick. He then hops back over the remaining sticks.

Reaching the beginning again, he drops the stick and sets off again to hop over the nine remaining sticks, pick up the last one, and return.

Play continues until all of the sticks have been picked up.

Remember, a player is disqualified if he puts both feet on the ground at any point during his turn, or if he touches a stick with his foot.

Individual game:

Count your mistakes. The winner is the player who finishes with the least mistakes.

Team game:

The winner is the team which has got the furthest along when all players are disqualified! If both teams finish, the winning team is the one which finishes with most players left.

Variations:

Play as a race game. If you make a mistake, you start over.

Play as a relay. The first player hops over ten sticks, returning with the tenth. The second player hops over nine, the third hops over eight, etc. This works very well with mixed age groups, where the younger children play towards the end of the team's go.

Try changing the foot that you hop on each round!

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