Villa, Ivan A.

Polansky
Pinky Barrientos
Neron, Sofiah Joice S. Facilitator
Reporters

Larong Piko or Hopscotch

This traditional game of "Piko" or "Hopscotch" is among the popular street games during my
early age in 80's. Usually played by girls in elementary school or after the school in streets. I remember
almost all of my girl classmates playing "piko" during recess or break-time, while some of us are busy in
playing other traditional games like "agawan base", "sipa", "teks", "goma" and many others depending
what is "in" (uso) that time. Even me and some boys have tried this kind of game and its enjoyable. After
school, some students still playing this game for hour before going home. In street, its a common scene to
see small girls playing this kind of game like my sisters and girl friends. This is how much popular "piko"
or hopscotch during 80's.

Playing "piko" is very simple. All you need to have is marker usually "chalk"or "crayola" or
anything than can be use to draw lines in the concrete ground. Some plays in plain ground, a sandy loam
soil, and draws the mark using a stick. You need also a "pamato" or pucks for this game, this is usually a
flat stone or part of broken pot. 

The mechanics for this game is easy and can be played by single or by group. By group, it should
be started by finding out who will play first usually by jack-en-poy. The first step is by throwing  your
pucks in 1st box then jumping with one leg for 2nd and 3rd box, with left leg on 4rth box and right leg on
5th box, one leg on 6th box, with left leg on 7th box and right leg on 8th box, one leg in 9th box, and two
legs on 10th box. In the 10th box you need to make pivot and repeat the process going back, making a
pause in 2nd box while getting your pucks in 1st box by bending your body down with single leg then
jumping out of the box. The next steps is throwing your pucks in 2nd box up to 10th box and follow the
same procedure in first step. If the player's pucks or her body touches the line, it will be a turn for another
player. The one to complete until 10th box will declare winner of this game.

Other variation of this game is done by the player looking towards the sky then throwing his
marker on the diagram. Without looking, he must walk across the diagram to fetch his marker without
touching any lines. This stage is intentionally more difficult to give the other players a chance to catch up.

This traditional game is not only popular in the Philippines before but also in many parts of the
world but the rules and mechanics varies on locations. It is thought that the origin maybe from Romans or
Chinese. The earliest record was in 1677 in Poor Robins Almanack with the name "Scotch-hoppers". In
India it is called "Stapu or "Kith-kith", "Rayuela" in Spain, "Golosa" in Latin America, "Knaccuku" in
Russia, "Klasy" in Poland, "Camapana"or "Mondo" in Italy, "Hinkelen" in Netherlands and Flanders,
"Skolica" in Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. "Tengteng" in Malaysia, "Bebeleche" in Mexico, "Peregrina" in
Puerto Rico, "Soton" in Romania, "Amarelinha" in Brazil, "Escargot or "La Marelle Ronde" in France,
"Rrasavi" in Albania, "Potsy" in New York, "Laylay" in Iran, and "Himmel und Hölle" in Germany,
Austria and Switzerland. 
 You can use chalk or charcoal to write the boxes on the ground. If it is on soil, you can use a stick
to create the boxes. Boxes are either 8, 10 or 12 and their steps (whether 1 or 2) may vary. A child can
play this alone but it is usually much more fun if you have several playmates to play with you.

To begin, create boxes that should look like this, numbered 1 to 10.

Then find a puck - could be a smooth stone or a rounded tile that you can use as
your marker. Each player has their own individual markers or pucks. Nice stones, a
smoothened terra cotta or piece from a broken pottery, it has to be heavy enough to
stay when thrown but flat enough to get the right balance so you can throw it easily
to where you want it to land (onto which box and/or number).

You begin with the puck at number one. If your puck is in box 1, you skip that box
and jump to box number two using only one leg. You can only land with both feet in
each box at numbers 4 and 5 and also on numbers 8 and 9. When you reach box ten,
you can pivot so you can skip back down to box number 2, thne you pick up your
puck by bending and keeping one leg up and jump out of the boxes on both feet.

Now you throw your puck and make sure it lands on box 2. Start with one foot in
box 1, skip box 2 where your puck is, using the same leg, land your foot on box 3
and continue up to box 10. Pivot and go back down, at box 3, bend to pick up your
puck on box 2, since box 2 is empty, you can now jump into it down to box 1 and
out of the boxes.

Players take turns throwing their pucks starting at number 1. If you didn't throw your puck on the correct
box, you miss your turn and will have a chance after all the other players have finished their turns.

What do you learn?

From this game, you learn the early counting, balance and how to aim for something using your hands,
arms and fingers. You gauge the weight of your puck and throw it with just the right force. You learn to
strengthen your knees as you put your weight on one leg and bend down to retrieve your puck. You also
learn patience as you wait for your turn.

Other Variations
Aside from this, a variation is once you reach 10 - your puck is on the 10th
box/space - you pick it up and land on both feet at box 10. Then without looking,
you throw your puck making sure it lands inside the square of a numbered box (not
on the lines). Then you pivot and skip and retrieve your puck in the usual way and
finish skipping down to box 1.

References:
http://noypicollections.blogspot.com/2011/07/larong-piko-or-hopscotch.html
http://larongbata.blogspot.com/2011/01/piko-hopscoth.html

Credits:
https://www.blogger.com/profile/14114267247669901996