Hajla: Arabic Hop-and-Push Hopscotch
A traditional hopscotch from North Africa and the Arab world in which players hop on one foot and push a flat stone with the hopping foot from box to box without landing on the lines. It builds one-foot hopping, balance and precise foot control.
How to play
- Share the origin: 'hajla' comes from the Arabic word for hopping on one foot, and kids play it in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt. Draw 6 chalk grids of 8 boxes (2 columns of 4, each box about 20 inches).
- Make groups of 4 per grid, lined up in front of box 1. Each student has a beanbag that serves as the flat stone.
- The first student drops the beanbag in box 1, hops in on one foot and pushes the beanbag with the hopping foot into box 2, then box 3, moving through all 8 boxes up and back in order.
- If the beanbag stops on a line, leaves the grid, or the student puts the other foot down, the turn ends and the student notes the last box reached.
- On the next turn, each student continues from the box where they missed. The first to finish the whole course wins the round; start a new round on the other leg.
- Play for about 15 minutes. Every 5 minutes, rotate the groups to the next grid to mix partners.
Rules
- Push the beanbag with the hopping foot; no picking it up.
- Safety: while someone is hopping, everyone else waits outside the grid, 3 feet back.
- Respect turns: no nudging the beanbag by hand.
Variations
Easier
Students may put both feet down for a moment in each box before pushing.
Standard
Hop on one foot the whole way, resting in boxes 4 and 8.
Harder
Keep eyes forward instead of watching the beanbag, except in rest boxes.
Adaptations
- Students with limited mobility: push the beanbag box by box with a pole from outside the grid, or move with both feet.
- Visual impairment: mark the lines with raised tape, and a partner calls out the box number.
- Fitness: students who tire do the course in two parts with a rest; skilled students use their non-dominant leg.
Learning goals
- Hop on one foot while controlling how hard the foot pushes.
- Keep balance while traveling on one leg.
- Learn a popular game from North Africa and the Arab world.
Equipment for a class of 25
- chalk: 6
- beanbags: 25
Teacher tip
Use lightly filled beanbags so they don't roll or slide too far.
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