Hopscotch in Spanish- Colombia | What Kids Actually Call It

In Colombia, hopscotch is most often called “la rayuela” or “la golosa,” depending on the city, school, and family.

You typed “hopscotch” into a translator, got “rayuela,” and still felt unsure. Fair. In Colombia, you’ll hear more than one name, and people can mean the same game even when the word changes. This post clears that up with the exact words Colombians use, how they say them, and the phrases kids shout while they play.

By the end, you’ll know what to call the game in a Colombian setting, how to explain the rules in simple Spanish, and what to say when you’re teaching, traveling, or chatting with friends.

Hopscotch in Spanish in Colombia with local names

Two names cover most situations:

• La rayuela: the safest, most widely understood term in Spanish. It’s the word you’ll see in dictionaries and many school materials.
• La golosa: a strongly Colombian label, common in many neighborhoods and schools.

You may hear other labels, too. Some are regional. Some are family habits. A kid might say one word at school and another at home. If you want one default term that rarely lands wrong, “rayuela” is it.

Rayuela in plain Spanish

“Rayuela” names the game of hopping through numbered squares while moving a small marker and avoiding the lines. The RAE dictionary entry for “rayuela” includes this children’s-game sense and lists “golosa” among related terms.

Golosa as a Colombian word

In Colombia, “golosa” can mean the same hop-and-squares game. The Diccionario de americanismos entry for “golosa” (Co.) defines it as a children’s game played on one foot, following numbered boxes on the ground while tossing and retrieving a stone or similar object.

One more detail: “golosa” in general Spanish can mean “sweet-toothed.” Context keeps it clear. If you’re talking about chalk squares on the sidewalk, people get it right away.

Words you’ll hear around the game

Knowing the game’s name is step one. The next step is the small vocabulary that comes with it. These are the words Colombians tend to use when they set up a round.

Common parts of the board

• Las casillas: the squares.
• El número: the number inside each square.
• La raya: a line you can’t step on.
• La salida: the start.
• El cielo / la casa: the “top” space, when the drawing uses a finish zone.

The marker you throw

Most people just say la piedra (the stone). You’ll hear la ficha too, meaning the playing piece. In some patios, kids use a flat rock, a bottle cap, or a bit of tile. The object matters less than one rule: it has to land inside the square without touching a line.

How the rules are usually explained in Colombia

Rules shift a bit by school and region, yet the core pattern stays steady. Here’s a version that matches what you’ll see on many Colombian sidewalks.

Setup

1. Draw a set of numbered squares with chalk. The most common layout is 1 through 10, with a few side-by-side squares near the top.
2. Choose a marker (piedra or ficha) that slides easily.
3. Pick a turn order. Kids often do it with “piedra, papel o tijera.”

A basic turn

1. Throw the marker into square 1. If it hits a line or lands outside, you lose the turn.
2. Hop through the course. Single squares are one foot. Side-by-side squares are two feet, one per square.
3. Skip the square that holds your marker. You hop over it.
4. On the way back, stop next to the marked square, lean down, and pick up the marker without putting your other foot down.
5. Finish by hopping back past the start line.

How players “claim” a number

Many groups add a claiming rule: once you complete a full round for a number, that square becomes yours. Kids may draw an initial in it or call it their “casa.” Other groups skip claiming and just race to finish the full sequence from 1 to 10. Both styles are common.

Common board layouts you’ll see

Most chalk drawings follow the same backbone: a run of single squares, then two side-by-side squares, then a finish space. Some patios draw a “cielo” at the top. Others draw a “casa.” Kids don’t argue about the label as much as they argue about the lines.

If you’re teaching the game, it helps to practice the number words out loud. Say them as you point to each square. It keeps turns moving and gives learners a clean, repeatable rhythm.

• 1 uno, 2 dos, 3 tres, 4 cuatro, 5 cinco
• 6 seis, 7 siete, 8 ocho, 9 nueve, 10 diez

Regional labels you may hear

Colombia has lots of local speech. That shows up in kids’ games too. A public guide from Bogotá’s city site lists “rayuela” and “golosa” and notes other names used in parts of the country. See “La rayuela o golosa” (Bogotá) for one such summary.

If you’re in Antioquia, you may hear “golosa” used as the main label. A university-hosted reference, the Diccionario de antioqueñismos (PDF), includes “golosa” as a name for the game also called “rayuela.”

Those sources won’t cover every neighborhood word. Kids can coin names on the spot. Still, the pattern is simple: “rayuela” is widely understood, while “golosa” signals Colombia in a way that feels local.

Names, pronunciation, and when each fits

This table gives you a fast way to pick the right word in context. If you’re teaching Spanish or working with Colombian families, it helps to have one default and one local option.

Name you can say	Easy pronunciation	Where it tends to fit
La rayuela	rah-YWEH-lah	Works across Spanish-speaking places; common in school settings.
La golosa	goh-LOH-sah	Common Colombian label; often heard in neighborhoods and patios.
La rayuela (el juego)	rah-YWEH-lah	Useful when you want to be extra clear that you mean the game.
Jugar a la rayuela	hoo-GAHR ah lah rah-YWEH-lah	Natural verb phrase: “to play hopscotch.”
Jugar a la golosa	hoo-GAHR ah lah goh-LOH-sah	Local verb phrase you’ll hear in Colombia.
Las casillas	kah-SEE-yahs	Neutral term for the squares; works with any game name.
La piedra / la ficha	PYEH-drah / FEE-chah	What you throw; kids swap these words freely.
La raya	RAH-yah	The line you can’t touch; a word people use mid-game.

How to ask about the game without sounding stiff

If you’re talking with Colombians, short questions work best. Keep it casual. Here are a few that feel natural in conversation:

• “¿Cómo le dicen a este juego?”
• “¿Aquí le dicen rayuela o golosa?”
• “¿Me enseñas cómo se juega?”
• “¿Dónde dibujamos las casillas?”

When someone answers, listen for the article: la rayuela, la golosa. Using the article makes your Spanish sound smoother right away.

Spanish phrases kids use while playing

These are the lines you’ll hear shouted across a patio. Use them if you’re joining a game or running one with a group. Keep the tone light, and keep the sentences short.

What you say in Spanish	What it means	When people say it
“¡Te pisaste la raya!”	You stepped on the line.	Someone touches a line with a foot.
“Se salió la piedra.”	The stone went out.	The marker lands outside the square.
“Te toca.”	Your turn.	Passing the turn to the next player.
“Otra vez desde el uno.”	Again from one.	A miss forces a restart at the first square.
“Sin pisar las rayas.”	Don’t step on the lines.	Explaining the main rule to a new player.
“Salta en uno, cae en dos.”	Jump on one, land on two.	Coaching a younger kid through the pattern.
“Guarda el equilibrio.”	Keep your balance.	Someone is wobbling on one foot.
“¿Listos?”	Ready?	Starting a round.
“¡Bien!”	Nice!	Cheering a clean run.

Tips for teachers, parents, and travelers

If you’re teaching Spanish, running games at recess, or traveling with kids, the language piece is easy once you pick your default term. Use “rayuela” in written materials, and add “golosa” as the Colombian option.

When you write instructions

Use short verbs and repeat the same nouns. That keeps learners from getting lost. A simple set of steps can be: “Dibuja las casillas. Lanza la piedra. Salta. Regresa. Recoge la piedra.”

When you’re joining a street game

Ask what name they use, then mirror it. People notice that small effort. Keep your first round slow, since the hardest bit is bending down to grab the marker while staying on one foot.

When you want a one-line translation

If a student asks “What’s hopscotch in Colombian Spanish?” you can answer: “rayuela,” and add: “many Colombians say golosa.” That’s a clean way to stay accurate without overloading them.

A simple script you can copy and say

Here’s a short, copy-ready script for explaining the game in Spanish in a Colombian setting. Read it out loud once, then keep it nearby for the next time you teach or play.

“Vamos a jugar a la rayuela. Dibuja las casillas con tiza y pon números. Lanza la piedra al uno. Salta sin pisar las rayas. No pises la casilla donde está la piedra. Cuando regreses, recoge la piedra sin bajar el otro pie. Si la piedra toca una raya, pierdes el turno.”

Mini checklist before you play

• Use “rayuela” as your default label; switch to “golosa” if locals use it.
• Say “casillas” for the squares and “raya” for the lines.
• Pick a flat marker that won’t roll.
• Agree on the restart rule: continue where you missed, or go back to one.
• Keep turns short so everyone stays in.