Hide & Seek: Nine (9) ways to play!
"In this episode I was doing my best to hide from Herman, and it turned into the world’s biggest game of Hide and Seek. Even when you’re inside there are a lot of ways to play this game that can make it exciting again. Check out some of our favorite ways to make things more fun." - Oscar
The Basic Versions --
1. Hide And Seek (Standard)
You probably know this one cause it’s so fun. Here’s the basic game: One person is a Seeker. They stand somewhere and count to a specified number. Everyone else goes to hide. Once the Seeker ends their countdown, they shout ‘Ready or Not, Here I COME!’ and go to find all the Hiders. When you are found, you go to a waiting point until everyone else is found. The Last person to be found is the next Seeker.
You can play 2 ways:
Hiders pick a spot and don’t move until they are found,
OR --
Hiders can move around to new hiding spots as much as they want as long as they don’t get caught.
2. Hide and Seek Team Up
You start the same way, with a Seeker counting and the others hiding. But when the Seeker finds someone then that Hider becomes another Seeker, and they team up to find the rest. Eventually it’s everyone looking for the last Hider.
3. Everyone Is On!
This is a simple idea. It’s one against many! One person hides, and a whole team of people try to find them.
The Level up Versions! --
4. Secret Wave
This is like Team up, but harder. The seeker goes off to look for the others, and anyone who gets found becomes another seeker. However, here’s the twist. If a new Seeker is able to spot someone that is hiding before the main seeker sees them, then they (new seeker and hider) can do a secret wave to each other. As long as the original seeker doesn’t catch them waving, the person that was originally a hider can run away and hide again.
If the Seeker catches the person hiding doing a wave, then they are found and come and join the seeking team. The game ends when everyone is found.
5. Hide And Seek Jail
Herman loves this one! The Seeker starts counting next to a specific spot that will be considered the ‘jail’. It could be a couch or certain room in the house. Everyone else goes away to hide, but whenever the Seeker finds someone, they have to go and sit in the ‘jail’. But, anyone still hiding can ‘free’ people in the jail by sneaking over to the jail and tagging anyone in there. If you get tagged you can run away and hide again.
If the Seeker gets everyone into the jail the game is over and you start again.
6. Start the Clock!
The Seeker has some kind of timer or stopwatch for this game. A Hider finds a hiding spot and, after counting down, the Seeker starts the stopwatch and searches for however long it takes to find the Hider. Keep taking turns and see who is able to hide for the longest.
7. Countdown!
Like Start the Clock, but taken up a notch! Once the Seeker starts looking the clock begins a countdown, and they only have a certain amount of time to find the hider. Can they find all the Hiders before the alarm goes off?
8. Safe
This is like Hide and Seek and Tag at the same time! Everyone hides while the Seeker counts down next to a designated “home base.” The goal of everyone hiding is to get back to this “base" before they get caught. While the Seeker is looking, everyone else tries to sneak back and reach the official base. Once you get there you have to shout ’Safe!’ If you do, then you stay safely at home base. If not, you are caught. What happens then is up to you! They can go back to hiding until they manage to make it to home base, OR they can become a seeker and help catch the other hiders.
9. Hide the Leonard
This last one is another Herman favorite. Someone picks an item/toy/thing to hide around the house/apartment/yard (We usually use Leonard). The Seeker starts counting down with their eyes closed, while the Hider finds a good spot for their special item. Then the Seeker tries to find the certain item. The Hider can set a timer like the other versions, or use "Hot & Cold" to help them find the item. Say “Hot" when the seeker is close, and “Cold" when the Seeker is moving away from the toy.
NOW get ready to play some Hide and Seek! Pick your favorite version and start playing today!!!
And be sure to watch Episode 4 - The Secret to see how Oscar hides from Herman like a pro!