Nigeria (West Africa), Yoruba people; variant played across West Africa

Suwe

Also known as Hopscotch Nigeria

A one-footed hopscotch game where players throw a seed-marker and hop through a drawn grid to claim squares.

2-6 playersAges 5-12OutdoorsActiveSmall space
The rules

How to play

1

Draw a hopscotch grid of six to eight connected squares on the ground using a stick or chalk.

2

Players take turns throwing a small stone or seed into the first square, then hop through all remaining squares on one foot, avoiding the occupied square.

3

On the way back, a player hops to the square just before their marker, picks it up on one foot, and hops out.

4

If completed without error (stepping on a line, losing balance, wrong foot), the player writes their initials in a square of their choice, that square is now 'theirs' and they can place both feet there while others must hop over it.

5

The player who claims the most squares wins.

6

Stepping on a line or falling ends that player's turn.

Keep it fair

Lines count as out, if it is unclear, look for the dust or mark; any foot print on the line is out. No debating the judge's eye.

Good for building
balancecoordinationconcentrationtaking turns
What you need
Just: a stick to draw the grid; a small stone or seed per player as a marker
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