This is a basic children's game which requires very little in the way of equipment. It is often played by just two children but it can be played by more. The grid and names for the pieces vary from region to region and country to country so the example used is for general guidance.

The Grid

The game takes place on a playing grid which is easily laid out on paving slabs (so long as they are of a staggered pattern and not laid like a chess board).

The children will mark the numbers 1 to 10 on the playing area with chalk. 1 is on its own, 2 and 3 are next to each other immediately above 1. This pattern continues up to 10 which is a lone slab.

The Play

The players find a flat stone or piece of slate to use as their marker and decide who is to go first. The first player has to throw their stone and get it to land on the slab marked 1. If they miss the play moves to the next player. If they are successful they have to move across the playing board missing the slab with their own stone on it.

Another rule is that players may only put one foot on each slab. This means they will take a two footed leap to land on both 2 and 3 at the same time. Then they hop onto four, make a two-footed landing on 5 and 6 and so on. At 10 they must come back down the playing grid (double footing 8 and 9, hopping on 7 and so on). If they tread on a crack, place their foot on the slab with their stone or put two feet down on a single slab they are out and have to remove their stone. Play passes to the next player.

Winning a Bed

If they are successful in getting all the way back they pick up their stone and aim for the next number. In this case, 2.

Once a number is thrown and a successful return trip is made that number is completed and if anything should go wrong the player will not have to throw for that number again.

When all numbers have been obtained successfully the player is permitted to choose a square to be their own. This may be called a 'bed'. The player marks the bed they choose with their initial or some other mark. The other players may not put a foot down on another player's bed.

Example: If the player takes square 2 it forces other players to have to hop on squares 1, 3 and 4 which makes life a little more difficult for them. The player who owns the bed can place both of their feet on it which makes life easier for them.

The player who has obtained all of the numbers 1 to 10 and claimed their bed then aims to start again from the other end of the grid. They will start with 10 and go down the numbers to 1.

The Winner

The player with the most beds is the winner. In effect this means that the first player with 6 beds wins. However, games are generally abandoned way before this as it is very time-consuming to play a full game or for players to wish to continue a game if there is a mismatch in skill. Play will not last too long if one player is whizzing up and down the grid with accurate throws and skilful hops and jumps while the other spends go after go picking up a stone which landed nowhere near its target.

Variations

The play area may be designed differently where you come from. The squares may be painted onto a surface without paving slabs and therefore the repetitive pattern is not so essential. Stones may be substitued by charms or chains and the naming of the 'beds' will differ from place to place.