Play Hide and Go Seek

Hide and Go Seek is a game where the players attempt to conceal their location while others try to look for and find them. It's pretty basic, but different variations have also evolved throughout the years. Regardless of which version you choose (and we'll cover several), all you need are a few friends and some hiding and spying skills.

Steps

Setting Up the Game

  1. Select the players. The first thing you need to do to play "Hide and Seek" is to recruit players. At least two players are needed to play the game. Naturally, however, the more players you have, the better.
    • If you have players of different ages, take this into consideration. Younger players can fit more places, but they sometimes choose less-than-brilliant places to hide and don't have the longest of attention spans.
  2. Set down rules. If you do not set down rules, you will have people running to places that shouldn't be hidden in -- either antiques end up breaking or private places get intruded upon -- or someone gets stuck in a washing machine. And, people may run outside when everybody's inside. Block off rooms like the attic, parents' bedrooms, any room that holds heirlooms, and bedrooms. Or let people hide in those places, just say things like, "All right, you are allowed to hide in my bedroom, just don't mess up the bed and put everything back in its place."
    • Make sure everyone stays safe. You don't want your friends falling out of trees or climbing onto the roof. Make a rule to only hide in places two people could fit or to hide in a place everyone would/can go.
    • We'll talk about game variations in a bit. But for now, set down the ground rules -- who's hiding, who's seeking, where to hide, how long you get to hide, etc.
  3. Find a suitable location. An outdoor location works best, although indoors is fine for rainy days. It will be necessary to set boundaries for hiding or you will have players running off to too many far-off locations. It's not called Run a Mile and Go Seek!
    • If you're playing with your parents around, make sure they know what's going on. They may not want you hiding in the cobwebs of the garage, under the porch, or they may not want to jump in the shower to already find you in it.
    • Try to play in different places every time. If you do it in the same spot (different games, not rounds) then people will remember the good places and search there first.

Playing the Game (Traditional Version)

  1. Determine who will be "It." Working out who is "It" can be done a variety of ways, for instance: the youngest person might be "It" first; or the person whose birthday is next might be "It" first; or use an elimination word game, such as "One Potato, Two Potato" or similar game. Or just pick a number out of a hat, and #1 is "It".
    • If one person is older than the rest, they might make a natural "It." The younger you are, the more frustrated you could get with people who are really good hiders. Older people have longer attention spans and can think outside of the box better than their younger counterparts.
  2. Begin the game. Once the person who will be "It" has been chosen, he or she stays at home base, closes his or her eyes and begins counting out loud to a decided number at a steady pace. Or they could say a rhyme or sing a song. Anything that kills some time so everyone else can go hide! Make sure to establish this first and that everybody knows how long they have!
    • Make sure they're not cheating! The person who is "It" needs to have their eyes closed, hands over their eyes, and preferably facing a corner. No peeking!
  3. Go hide! All of the players who are not "It" should run off and quietly hide from the player who is counting. The person who is "It" is not allowed to peek at the players hiding from him or her. Make sure you're quiet as you're hiding or "It" can use his or her ears to tell the general direction you went.
    • Once you hit your spot, be silent and still. You don't want to give yourself up once you're hidden! . If you're noisy, even the best hiding spot won't conceal you.
  4. Begin the seeking. Once the player who is "It" has finished counting, he or she yells "Ready or not, here I come!" At this point, they must try to find all of the other players who have hidden. Be sure to look with your eyes and listen with your ears, seeker! When you see them, be sure to tag them. If you are hiding and "It" is close to discover you, move deftly. Crawling or slithering are the best options. However, if it is too late, be still and silent. The "It" can actually overlook you and go away.
    • The players who are hiding can move or switch hiding places, if they so choose. It's a good idea to change positions and go hide in a place the seeker has already looked. That's called strategy.
    • If some of the hidden players do not return home before a predetermined period of time or they can't be found, the person who is "It" should give the universal "all clear" signal. Yell, "Olly, olly oxen free!" That way they know it's safe to come back.
      • This is a variation, if you're curious, of "All ye, all ye, outs in free" or perhaps, "Alle, Alle auch sind frei," both roughly translating to "everyone is free."
  5. Change the person who is "It." The player who gets found first becomes "It" in the next round of the game. You could play it that once one person is found it's the next round, or you could play it that everyone has to be found before the next round can begin.
    • You could set time limits on it, too. If the person who is seeking doesn't meet the time limit in 3 tries (for example), switch seekers anyway. Give everyone a chance to hide!

Playing Different Variations

  1. Play with a home base. This variation adds an extra challenge to Hide and Go Seek. You have your seeker and your hiders -- but the hiders don't only just hide, they have to get back to home base, too. Without getting tagged! So while the seeker is seeking, they have to come out of hiding, risking their safety. It's like Hide and Go Seek: The Intense Version.
    • The hiders don't have any way of knowing what's going on in the game. Another element to this version can be that all the hiders have to get back to home base before everyone else is tagged. Or they're out!
  2. Play with multiple taggers. Instead of those poor lil' hiders that have been found just milling around doing nothing, have them assigned as additional seekers once they've been tagged. All of a sudden it's 4 people looking for one person -- where could they possibly be?
    • Still start with one "It," starting the game the same way -- just have the first ones found team up to help look, too. Or have a couple seekers from the get-go!
    • The first person tagged is still "It" for the next round, they just get to practice their seeking skills this round, speeding up the rest of the game.
  3. Play jailbreak. This makes the game even spicier. As players get found, they have to go to "jail." Generally this is a specific room, porch, or just designated area. The object of the game is for the seeker to put everyone in jail. However, those not in jail can free the ones in jail! They just have to get to jail without being tagged. Pressure's on!
    • Once someone is freed from jail, they can either go hide again or sit out the rest of the round, enjoying their freedom. If someone frees a few people in jail but some are still hiding, the same principles apply. Of course, you can add any flavor you like!
  4. Play sardines. This is technically hide and seek -- only backwards! You have only one person hiding and everyone trying to find them. But when they do find them, they hide with them in the same place! So by the time the last person finds them, what they're really finding is a pile of smushed people. Kind of like a can of sardines!
    • Oh, and play in the dark! It's much, much more fun that way. When you find someone, ask them "Are you the sardine?" And if they tell you yes, they are, join 'em!
  5. Play manhunt. This is like jailbreak, but team style. You have two teams (preferably of 4 or more) and they're each assigned a home base. The teams go hide around the other team's home base and try to make it back to theirs. When everybody makes it back home without being tagged, they win.
    • This is best played in really, really large areas, like parks. And if it's nightfall, even better! Just make sure no one gets lost and you can communicate. People have to know when the game is over!



Tips

  • Hide in places that look impossible to hide in (example: in a cabinet under a sink in the bathroom) Just make sure you can get out pretty easily without hurting yourself A LOT or moving everything if you hide in a small space.
  • Use your surroundings. It there's a pile of blankets lying around before and during the game, you can hide there. Just remember to make a breathing hole that you can use without being caught.
  • Hide where your body won't cast a human-shaped shadow. Cat-shaped, okay. Dog-shaped, fine. Just not human-shaped.
  • If you are the seeker, try to make the hiders laugh in each room you go in. That way if they laugh, It will be easier to find them.
  • Don't breath heavily. You WILL be found out.
  • If you have younger children, you can play this right inside the house. When you hide and the little ones find you, they laugh in delight.
  • There are lots of different strategies of hiding. One is to hide in plain sight. For example if there is a table near home base hid under it: it often will not be expected and make a really short run back to home base.
  • If you are short and skinny, a cupboard is a good hiding place.
  • Try to find different places to hide, but do not make it too hard to find you. Younger children can become frustrated when they cannot find you.
  • First when you are trying to get to base just run a little closer then hide for a second. Second playing hide and seek in a big place and at night is so much fun because it's a little harder to see.
  • Hide in a place where you have access to at least two escape routes in case your spot is compromised.
  • If you are small, you could hide under a bed, couch, or sofa.
  • Climb a tree, and keep quiet if you can.
  • If you play where the first to be found is "it," then hide somewhere really hard to find, and after a few people have been found, get out of that place and hide somewhere easier to find. This way, you can keep your hiding-spot and reuse it throughout the game.
  • Don't cheat in the game by looking at where they hide.

Warnings

  • Don't hide in a place like a refrigerator or dryer. Oxygen in these small spaces is limited, and the door could close behind you, cutting off means of escape and air.
  • Don't hide in a off-limits area. You may get in trouble.

Things You'll Need

  • At least 2 people
  • Places to hide
  • Timer (optional)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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