Giant Yut Nori: The Sticks Say How Many Jumps
We adapt yut nori, the stick-throwing game Korean families play at New Year: throw four large cardboard sticks, count how many land painted side up, and jump that many hoops. Children practice jumping, counting and taking turns.
How to play
- The teacher explains that at New Year in Korea families play yut nori by tossing four sticks. Show the cardboard sticks: one side painted, one side plain (2 min).
- Set up a circle path of hoops for each group of five. Practice tossing the sticks together just a little way up and counting the painted sides (2 min).
- Taking turns, each child tosses and jumps as many hoops as painted sides showing; if they're all plain, five jumps! The group counts out loud (4 min).
- Change how we move along: frog jumps, hopping on one foot, sideways, until everyone has gone all the way around the path (4 min).
- Finish with one last toss of the sticks together and do that many big jumps in place (2 min).
Rules
- Toss the sticks up gently, away from friends.
- We count the painted sides together.
- Jump into the hoops one at a time.
- Wait your turn sitting next to the path.
Variations
Easier
For 4-year-olds, use just two sticks and count on fingers.
Standard
For 4- and 5-year-olds, four sticks and five jumps if all are plain, like in Korea.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, each number gets a different jump: one is a frog jump, two is hopping...
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: move along the hoops in a wheelchair, or move a stuffed animal along a floor path.
- Autism: use a visual board showing each child's turn and keep the sticks in the same box every time.
- Visual impairment: give the painted sides a texture (sandpaper, craft foam) so they can be counted by touch.
Learning goals
- Jump into hoops a set number of times.
- Count matching sides and turn the number into jumps.
- Learn about a traditional game from Korea.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Cardboard yut sticks: 20
- Hoops: 40
Teacher tip
Make the sticks from cardboard tubes cut in half lengthwise: one rounded side and one flat side, like the real ones. Make it clear nobody wins: the game ends when everyone has gone all the way around.
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