Leapfrog facts for kids

Children playing leapfrog in Bruegel's Children's Games

A game of leapfrog at a girls' school in Mussoorie, India

Leapfrog is a fun and active children's game. It involves players jumping over each other's bent backs. It's a great way to play outside with friends!

The History of Leapfrog

Leapfrog has been played for a very long time! People have called games like this "leapfrog" since at least the late 1500s. It was also a popular game in early America, when the first European settlers arrived.

How to Play Leapfrog

Playing leapfrog is simple and needs at least two players. Here are the basic steps:

• Step 1: The First Player

* One player starts by bending over. They rest their hands on their knees. This position is called "giving a back."

• Step 2: The Jumper

* The next player places their hands on the first player's back. * They then leap over the first player. They do this by spreading their legs wide apart.

• Step 3: Keep Going

* After landing, the jumper also bends over, just like the first player. * A third player then leaps over both the first and second players. * This continues with more players jumping over everyone in line.

• Step 4: The Cycle Continues

* Once all the players are bent over in a line, the very last person in the line starts jumping. * They leap over each player in front of them, one by one. * The game can continue for as long as you like! There is no set number of players needed.

Different Names for Leapfrog

Leapfrog is played all over the world, and it has many different names!

• In France, it's called saute-mouton. This means "leapsheep."
• In Romania, the game is known as capra. This word means "goat."
• In India, people call it "Aar Ghodi Ki Par Ghodi." This means "horseleap."
• In Italy, the game is named "la cavallina." This translates to "small or baby female horse."
• In the Netherlands, it's called "bockspringen" (meaning "goatjumping") or "haasje-over" (meaning "hare-over").

Some versions of the game are a bit different:

• In Korean and Japanese versions, players form a long line. One player jumps over the backs of everyone in the line. The goal is sometimes to make the line of players fall over from the weight of the jumpers!