Hopscotch is a hopping game that can be played on any flat surface you can draw on. One can chalk a hopscotch pattern on the ground or use masking tape on a floor.

A diagram with 8 sections is created and numbered. Each player has a marker such as a stone, beanbag, coin, bottlecap, shell, button, pog, etc.

The first player stands behind the starting line to toss her or his marker in square 1. They hop over square 1 to square 2 and then continue hopping to square 8, turn around, and hop back again. A pause in square 2 to pick up the marker, hop in square 1, and out. Then continuing by tossing the stone in square 2. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that two squares are side-by-side; then two feet can be placed down with one in each square. A player must always hop over any square where a marker has been placed.

A player is out if the marker fails to land in the proper square, the hopper steps on a line, the hopper loses balance when bending over to pick up the marker and puts a second hand or foot down, the hopper goes into a square where a marker is, or if a player puts two feet down in a single box. The player puts the marker in the square where he or she will resume playing on the next turn, and the next player begins.

Sometimes a dome-shaped "rest area" is added on one end of the hopscotch pattern where the player can rest for a second or two before hopping back through.