(Baonghean.vn) -Hopping (or hopscotch) is a familiar folk game in Nghe An; it aims to train new players in body balance skills and improve dexterity.
Let's watch Nghe An children play hopscotch:
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In Nghe An, we often see children with their legs bent and their feet dangling, hopping on brick yards, dirt lots or sidewalks in squares drawn with chalk, bricks or even sticks on the ground. They are playing hopscotch. To start the game, they draw 7 squares on the yard or ground. This game can be played by many or few people. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
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| First, the children play rock-paper-scissors, whoever wins will have the right to play first. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
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| This is a "hopscotch court" marked in the alley. A middle-aged man is instructing children to play hopscotch. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
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The game begins. The playing tool is a small brick or stone that is polished to the player's liking or anything similar such as a bean bag, a shell, a plastic toy... called a lead (some places call it a copper indigo). The lead is thrown into the box and the player who completes the circle puts it away and continues until he loses his turn, but if he steps on the line or throws the lead out, that player loses his turn and it is the turn of another player. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
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| While playing, jumping and stepping on the line like this means "death" and losing your turn. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
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| If you ask what the most difficult part of the game is, many people will probably answer that it is picking up the lead when it falls into the box but is at the farthest edge. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
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| This little boy had to stretch his whole body to reach the pencil which was quite far out of reach while his legs were still hopping. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
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| The children take turns playing until the last person left has not stepped on the line, dropped their foot or thrown the coin out, that person wins. Photo: Le Khanh Thanh |
Le Khanh Thanh
