Korean Traditional Game : Sabangchigi

🍂 Korean Traditional Game Series 14

Sabangchigi

(사방치기 · Korean Hopscotch)

🕰️ 1. Introduction

Sabangchigi (사방치기) is a traditional Korean hopping game similar to hopscotch.
It was one of the most popular playground games for children, especially girls, and was played in schoolyards, alleys, and village grounds.

The name Sabangchigi literally means “hitting the four directions,” referring to the four sections drawn on the ground.
Using only a small stone or tile piece, children could play for hours — testing their balance, precision, and rhythm.

 

🪄 2. How to Play

• Players draw a grid on the ground, usually shaped like a cross or square divided into sections.
• A small stone, tile, or piece of chalk (called pyongseok) is thrown into one of the sections.
• The player must hop on one foot through the sections in a specific order without stepping on lines or losing balance.
• At each round, the stone is tossed into the next section, and the challenge continues until all spaces are cleared.
• If a player steps on a line or loses balance, their turn ends, and the next player takes over.

👀 3. Example from Life

In spring and summer afternoons, children could be seen hopping across dusty playgrounds, their laughter echoing between houses.
Some drew elaborate patterns with sticks or chalk, adding creative variations and new rules of their own.

Sabangchigi was more than a physical game — it was a joyful dance of balance, patience, and imagination.

 

🌏 4. Similar Games Around the World

• Western countries: Hopscotch, where players toss a marker and hop through numbered squares.
• India: Stapu or Kith-Kith, similar hopping games with regional variations.
• China: Tiao fangzi, where children hop through chalk-drawn boxes.

✨ Sabangchigi teaches focus, balance, and perseverance — showing how creativity can transform a simple ground into a world of imagination.

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💌 Closing Words

Sabangchigi is more than a childhood pastime.
It reflects the harmony between body and mind, reminding us that even simple games can nurture concentration and joy.
Through this rhythmic play, generations of Korean children found happiness in movement and creativity.

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📌 Note

This is a creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission.
Sharing is welcome with proper source citation.