(and variations of this amazing game)
No-one needs the rules of this simple and fabulous game explaining – that’s the beauty of oral tradition passed on by children to children throughout the generations ! As an adult and leader I have rediscovered this game and entered back into that young childhood fun alongside the children and adults alike. With a few straightforward boundaries your children will help you extend this into potentially hours of fun.
In forest school we liken traditional games like hide and seek to experiences animals may have in the animal kingdom, to teach about hierarchy, predator – prey relationships and develop empathy for, and wonder, awe and awareness of the natural world. During a good game of hide and seek you can expect to experience adrenaline, raised heart beat, heightened sensory awareness and mindfulness as your attention is fined tuned to your immediate surroundings. We can use this situation to empathise with the plight of prey animals but it’s also an amazing way to spend time with each other working out strategies and working with each other’s strengths.
This game can be extended to a larger scale with a couple of adults, a map and walky talkies.
YOU MAY WANT TO TRY
- camouflage – try mixing up some mud for face paint
- walky talkies
- variations of the ‘rules’: Sardines – where every one is a seeker and gradually as they find the one hidden person, they disappear; Manhunt, Camouflage capture – one person, child or adult, to guard a central point and others have to creep up and capture the base. Eagle Eye – one person stays on the ‘Eagle’s eyrie’ (a tree or other natural landmark). Other players take the opportunity to sneak up to the nest and tag the landmark while the eagle’s eyes are closed and then opened for variable lengths of time e.g. count of 20 or 30. Eagle announces clearly length of time open and closed.
- Trailing – teams or individuals lay a trail to where they are hiding using natural ‘signs’: stones placed in a pattern, a stick dragged through leaf litter, chalks if using pavements.
- Mapping – drawing up your own maps using a local map found online and adding co-ordinates
- observe the countryside code and up to date government guidelines on going outside https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code
- set clear boundaries and time limit if necessary
- agree safety call back sound (HOOOOWL)
- practice safety call back so everyone knows
- agree a basecamp or meeting point