Hide-and-seek
Tonight for a family activity we played hide-and-seek. By “we” I mean all six of us, Howard and I included. The game was Link’s pick. At first I was not all that thrilled about it, but standing in my first hiding place, trying not to breathe loud, my mind hearkened back to similar games from my childhood. It was very much the same. Standing there, listening to noises, trying to figure out if people are close, hoping they won’t see you because your hiding spot is too awesome, getting bored, being a little uncomfortable, deliberately making noise so that they’ll find you faster. That last bit was almost the best party. The rounds lasted about ten minutes because the kids had a hard time finding people. I would listen carefully for the sound of frustration and start making noises so that the kids had clues. The older the child, the fewer clues they needed. Even with me making noise, I was usually one of the last people found. It isn’t that my hiding places were amazing, it is just that I know how the kids think. I know which types of obstructions will render shoes or toys completely unfindable to them. All I had to do is hide in those places. Mom is good at hiding from kids. Mom is also very, very good at finding kids. They did not need to give me any hints. I found them all inside three minutes. Again, I know my house and I know my kids. Finding things is something I do daily. I’m good at it. I never realized before that hide-and-seek is an educational game. It teaches kids how to search methodically. Howard was also good at hiding and finding. The game was fun. Next time I think we ought to play sardines.