Two teams of grasshoppers are both trying to knock over all their blades of grass. Take turns making your grasshoppers hop toward the blades of grass. It takes a lot of skill to aim and launch them accurately! The team that knocks over all their blades of grass first wins!

Components

• 19 Wooden blades of grass
• 2 Grasshoppers
• 1 Fabric bag
• Instructions

Game 1: Knock It Over

Object of the Game

Setup

You need a lot of space on the table to play this game. You can also play on the floor. First, place the red blade of grass in the middle of the table and make two circles around it with the other blades of grass.

There will be six blades of grass in the inside circle (three light green and three dark green). There will be 12 blades of grass in the outer circle (six light green and six dark green).

Arrange the blades of grass in the circle so that they alternate between light green and dark green. Leave a space the length of one grasshopper between the red blade of grass and the inside circle. Leave the same amount of space between the inside and outside circles as well.

Divide up into two Grasshopper Teams

Now all the players should divide themselves into two teams: You can decide how you divide your players. You can play two against two, or one against three, or two against one, etc.

Each team chooses a grasshopper: One team plays with the light green grasshopper, the other with the dark green one. The light green blades of grass belong to the team with the light green grasshopper, the dark green ones belong to the team with the dark green grasshopper.

The two grasshopper teams should sit on the two opposite sides of the table or across from each other on the floor.

Game Play

The team with the youngest player goes first. One player takes the grasshopper and chooses a spot for making the first jump. Place the grasshopper so that it is aimed at a blade of grass of its own color.

The starting place for the first can be anywhere, but the grasshopper has to stay at least half an arm's length away from the blades of grass for all jumps. To make the grasshopper jump into the air, you press down on its two wingtips with your finger and then let go.

With a little practice, you'll be able to control the direction, height, and distance that the grasshopper jumps.

• All the blades of grass that the grasshopper knocks over have to be taken off the table and out of the game, no matter whether they are light green or dark green.

• If a player knocks over the red blade of grass and there are other blades of grass of that player's color still standing, the player has to set the red blade of grass up again. In addition, the opposing team gets to choose any one of their blades of grass and remove

  it from the game. An important note: This rule still applies even if you knock over the red blade of grass and your team's last blade of grass at the same time!

• If the grasshopper doesn't knock over a blade of grass, nothing happens. Afterwards, the player takes the grasshopper from the table and sets it up for the next player.

  Now it's the other team's turn and the game continues as described above. Make sure that each player on your team takes turns being the one to make the grasshopper jump.

End of the Game

Game 2: Grasshopper Obstacle Course

Object of the Game

Setup

This version of the game is best played on the floor and in an area where you have a lot of space. Create your own obstacle course with the wooden blades of grass.

Look around the room for suitable places to set up the blades of grass for your grasshopper to knock over. Set up two blades of grass in a row (a light green one and a dark green one) at each spot you choose.

The distance from one obstacle to the next should be at least a one arm's length * Set up the red blade of grass at the end of the obstacle course. After that, everyone should agree on a starting place, which should be at least one arm's length from the first blade of grass. Place your grasshoppers on that point.

Divide Into Teams

Now all the players should divide themselves into two teams. You can decide how you divide your players. Each team chooses a grasshopper they'll use to go through the obstacle course: One team plays with the light green grasshopper, the other with the dark green one.

The light green blades of grass belong to the team with the light green grasshopper, the dark green ones belong to the team with the dark green grasshopper.

There is no set playing field for this version of the game. Throughout the game, the teams can move through the space as they wish.

Game Play

The team with the youngest player goes first. This team places their grasshopper on the obstacle course's starting place.

To make the grasshopper jump into the air, you press down on its two wingtips with your finger and then let go. The first team launches its grasshopper.

• If a player's grasshopper knocks over his or her team's blade of grass, he or she can remove it from the course. If the player also knocked over the opposing team's blade of grass, set it up again where it was.

  Since the player knocked over one of his or her own blades of grass, the player gets another turn and can move on to try to knock over the next obstacle.

  If the player knocks over the next of his or her team's blades of grass, he or she gets another turn to jump, and so on.

• If the grasshopper only knocks over the opposing team's blade of grass, the blade of grass has to be set up again. That player does not get to remove a blade of grass from the course that turn.

• If the grasshopper doesn't knock anything over, nothing happens.

Now it's the other team's turn and the game continues as described above, with the teams taking alternating turns. Make sure that each player on your team takes turns being the one to make the grasshopper jump.

End of the Game

Continue Reading