Tag Archives: potsy
How about Potsy? You make…
How about Potsy? You make a 8 boxes and you use 2 bobby pins hooked together or keys and throw them in a box one at a time 1 – 8 and you can’t step on the lines. When you complete 1 – 8 you go backwards 8 – 1 and when you complete that you own a box of your choosing and no one can step on it throughout the game. We spent hours playing Potsy.
The game shown in the diagram…
The game shown in the diagram was called potsy in brooklyn in the 50’s. There was another came called curbsy that was played along the curb.
I guess I will be considered…
I guess I will be considered the “old fogey” compared to those who have submitted their messages here. I found this site by accident and read all the letters posted here. I was born Oct 24,1921 in the very old original Bronx Hospital on corner Fulton and 169th St. It originally was a beer brewers mansion. Lived at 813 E 170th St (which does not exist anymore) around the corner from the Loews Boston Road Theatre. Schools: PS40, PS61, PS98, Morris H. S. The Bronx will always remain the great passion of my life. The memories that have been stated by others here are equal to mine. Its not easy to erase the past when it was the best time of our lives. and I grew up during the depression whose only silver lining was that folks had more respect and showed more kindest to each other. That we had less is the reason we created those great games like stickball, stoopball, johnny on a pony, kick the can, hide-go-seek, even potsie, I played that too. Nice talking to “ya old Bronxsites” and thanks for the memories Max
How about “Categories”?…
How about “Categories”? We drew a court on the ground similar to hopscotch (“potsy”) with two rows of rectangular boxes, 5 in one row, 5 in the other, and inside the boxes were different categories like girls, boys, cars, teachers, flowers, actors, actresses, and oh I forget the others. We rolled the ball up from the bottom left box and stepped into that first box (“Girls”) and picked up the ball from within the box. When we picked the ball up, we said, “Girls are such as…” and we’d say girls names, one for each box (Barbara, Susie, Mary,…) and bounce the ball once and step into each of the boxes in sequence from bottom left and up and over to the second row (no stepping on the lines!) until you get to the last box and then stepped out with one last name and bounce. On the second turn we rolled the ball from the bottom left row and rolled it up to the second category: “Boys”. Back then it was always, “Boys are such as: Paul, John, George, Ringo…” right?! The challenge came when you got to the second row, because if you were up to the last few boxes, you had to roll the ball up from the right column slowly enough to catch up to it by stepping quickly through all the other boxes from the left row and picking the ball up in the box you were up to. I think actresses was usually last and you only had to name one to step out.
How about “Categories?”…
How about “Categories?” Anyone remember that one? You drew a court on the ground similar to hopscotch (“potsy”) with two rows of rectangular boxes, 5 in one row, 5 in the other, and inside the boxes were different categories like girls, boys, cars, teachers, flowers, actors, actresses, and oh I forget the others. You roll the ball up from the bottom left box and step into the first box (girls) and pick up the ball from within the box. That was a real feat when you got to the second row, because if you were up to the last few boxes, you had to roll the ball slowly enough to catch up to it by stepping quickly through all the other boxes and picking the ball up in the box you were up to. If someone can remember any of the other three categories, I can send a drawing of the court to the webmaster and perhaps he can post it somewhere.
Does anyone know where I…
Does anyone know where I can find the rules for the game hopscoth (or potsy) and a diagram of the layout to be drawn on the sidewal
I was born in 1954 and grew…
I was born in 1954 and grew up across the street from P.S. 194 in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn. Right in front of our apartment building, someone would draw the “potsy” board (never hopscotch), and we’d just start playing… Free but lots of fun! Personally, my housekey was my tool of choice. I remember my mother warning me that I would wear out the teeth on the key and I wouldn’t be able to open the door anymore… What funny memories!
I grew up in the Bronx too…
I grew up in the Bronx too in the 1950’s. We NEVER called it Hopscotch – it was ALWAYS Potsy on Perry Avenue. We used bunches of safety pins, erasers, keys. Great game. Wonder if it is played anywhere in the city these days.
I grew up in the Bronx too…
I grew up in the Bronx too and we never used the word Hopscotch, only POTSY! I lived on Perry Avenue, I’m 62 so you know how long it is since I played. We used keychains, erasers, saftey pins bunched together. Loved that game. Ethel Schwartz Bock