How to Make a Hopscotch Mat

Tape together some of the newspapers with the masking tape so that you have a sheet 47 inches wide and 72 inches long. Make a pattern for your hopscotch mat by copying a standard design shown in a game book, or you can come up with your own configuration. Draw the pattern with the black marker and use the yardstick to help draw straight lines.

Use the scissors to cut out your pattern for the hopscotch mat, then place it on top of the oilcloth. Transfer your design to the oilcloth by taping the pattern onto the oilcloth and then drawing around the outside of the pattern. Remove the pattern, then draw the inside lines with the black marker, using the yardstick as a guide. Cut off the unneeded cloth around your hopscotch design.

Use the vinyl tape to finish off the edges of your mat. Attach the tape so that it binds the edges, folding it under and smoothing it down both on the top and the bottom. Work in 1-foot sections to keep the tape from twisting as you work.

Cut out the numbers one through 10 from the pieces of colored vinyl, two from each color. If you don't want to draw the numbers, you can make patterns by printing out the numbers in a large size, one that will fill an 8 1/2-inch-by-11-inch piece of paper. Then cut them out.

Glue the numbers to the mat using the rubber cement. Apply the rubber cement to the back of the letters and center them on the correct square of the hopscotch mat. Lay a piece of the waxed paper on top of each number, then pile on a stack of books to help weigh the numbers down flat as they dry.

Turn the mat upside down on the newspaper and spray it carefully with the non-slip aerosol coating. Let the coating dry thoroughly before using the mat.