Hide and Seek Games

 

Hide and Seek is a great game and can be played by children of all ages.  All the players hide while one player tries to find them all.

 

These are the traditional rules and directions to kids favorite Hide and Seek games.  Traditional Hide and Seek plus fun favorites like Chain Hide and Seek , Squished Sardines, Flashlight Hide and Seek and Kick the Can.

How To Play Hide and Seek Game

The Object of the Hide and Seek Game
The object of Hide and Seek is for the person who is "it" to find the other players who are hiding.

 

 

How to Set Up the game of Hide and Seek

Set up the boundries on where the game will be played.
Choose who will be "it" or the Seeker.

 

How To Play
The first player who will be the "Seeker" covers their eyes and counts to 50 or 100 if the playing area is very large.  While the Seeker is counting all the other players run to find a place to hide.  When the Seeker is done counting to 50 they call out "Ready or not, here I come!" as a warning to all players that they need to be in a good hiding spot.

 

The Seeker then tries to find the hiding players.  When they find a hidden player the player that was found is out of the game.   The last player to be found becomes the new "it". 

 

 

 

 

There are many fun and interesting variations that have been made from the basic Hide and Seek game. 

Hide and Seek Variations:

Chain Hide and Seek

 

The rules to play Chain Hide and Seek are similar to the basic hide and seek rules with a few twists.

 

1.  When a player is found they are not out of the game, but join arms with the Seeker and go with them to find the rest of the players.

 

2.  Each time someone is found they join the chain of Seekers.

 

3.  The last person to be found becomes the new Seeker for the next round of play.

 

This is a great variation of the Hide and Seek game and allows everyone to play during the while game.  This is a good variation to use for younger children who are just learning the rules of the game. 

 

 

 

 

Squished Sardines

 

Played like the traditional Hide and Seek game but with a really big twist!  Instead of the group of players going to hide and one player seeking them, the Seeker goes to hide and all the other players try to find the Seeker and then hides with them.

 

1.  Choose a Seeker and while the rest of the players count to 50 the seeker finds a place to hide. 

 

2.  All the players go to search for the Seeker.

 

3.  When a player finds the Seeker they hide with them. 

 

4.   The last player to find the group of other players becomes the new Seeker for the next round.

 

Strategy: 

1.  The first Seeker needs to find a large enough spot for several kids to hide with them so that they won't be found right away

 

This is a very fun game for kids of all ages.  It is almost impossible for them to all hide together quietly and so the laughter of the group usually gives away their hiding spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kick the Can

 

Played almost like Hide and Seek however there is a way to avoid being caught by the Seeker.

 

For this variation you will need an empty can.

 

1.  Set up the can in a large open area. 

 

2.  Determine a place near the can that will be the jail.

 

3.  When the Seeker finds a hidden player they call out the players name and location.

 

4.  Then both the player that was hiding and the Seeker run to the can and try to be the first to kick it.

 

5.  If the Seeker kicks the can first then the player goes to the jail.

 

6.  If the player kicks the can first then they and everyone in jail are free and the Seeker must count again.

 

7.  If the Seeker catches all the players and places them in the jail then they are the winner and and get to choose the next Seeker.

Variations: 
Instead of calling out the players name the Seeker must tag the hiding player.

 

Any player who has not been caught can kick the can at anytime and everyone in the jail goes free.

 

After the Seeker calls out a players name that they have found they have to run back to the can, place their foot on top of it and yell out " 1, 2, 3 on _____________ (hiding players name)!  The hiding player must kick the can out from under the Seekers foot before the Seeker finishes the 1, 2, 3 call.

 

 

 

Flashlight Hide and Seek

 

Flashlights are needed for this Hide and Seek variation.

This version is played outside at night or inside with all the lights off.

 

1.  The Seeker tries to find players that are hiding in the dark with a flashlight.

 

2.  The Seeker tries to find players without using the flashlight.  When they find a hidden player they shine their flashlight on the hidden player and gives that player the flashlight.  Then the new Seeker turns off the flashlight and goes to find a new hidden player.

 

3.  Game goes on without an end or a winner since everyone can become the Seeker.

 

4.  Players can move around and change hiding places in the dark as long as they aren't caught by the Seeker. 

After any of these Hide and Seek games if you want to call all the players out of hiding then you shout "Olly olly oxen free!" and all the players can come out of hiding without fear of being caught.  

 

 

Hide and Seek style games for kids

 

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