Hide-and-seek

Materials You Need: None.  

What You Can Do Together: This game can be played with as few as two players. Decide on a number your seeker is going to count to, based on the players’ ages and the space available. To start, the seeker will cover their eyes, or face a wall, and count to the agreed number followed by, "Ready or not, here I come!" 

By this time all hiders should have found a hiding place and cannot change where they are hidden until they are found. The seeker should find the players one by one and must work alone to find the remaining players. The last player to be found is the winner and will become the next seeker. 

There are many variations of this game, which can be fun to explore. In some games, the players who have already been found can help the seeker to find the remaining players. In the Ancient Greek version, the seeker starts in a circle and while they are out seeking, the other players try to get back within the circle without being tagged. Another variation is the game of Sardines where only one person hides and then all of the other players are seekers but join the hider when they find them. You can make up your own variations and have fun playing this indoors or outdoors! 

The Ancient Greeks played a similar game to Hide-and-Seek as far back as the 2nd Century BCE! 

What Your Child is Learning: The classic kids' game, Hide-and-Seek uses skills such as counting, running, hiding and observing. It’s fun for the whole family, as it requires no set up, and can include as many players as you like!