Kelley Nettles
Latest posts by Kelley Nettles (see all)
- The Preschoolers Guide to Hide and Seek - July 5, 2011
- A Tale of Toilet Paper - November 4, 2010
After seeing the tremendous skill and thought that my 3-year-old son puts into playing Hide & Seek this afternoon, I thought I would have him jot down just how he accomplishes his amazing tricks. The two of us thought that his insight could help preschoolers everywhere as they try to outsmart their parents, friends and siblings in this timeless game. When I handed my little dude a pencil and paper to begin his masterpiece, he gave me a incredulous look, found my laptop and independently hammered out the rules below. He looked like Little Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart pounding on keys at the piano. The only thing I did to help was to correct his spelling (wink, wink).
How To Win At Hide & Seek by a 3-year-old boy from Texas
#1: Tell your Mom EXACTLY where you are hiding
Example: “Mommy!! I am hiding in the baaaaaathrooooooom!”
#2: Giggle very loudly while you wait for someone to find you
Brace yourself! For some reason, they usually show up within seconds afterwards!
#3: Hide in the SAME EXACT SPOT each time
The bathroom! Again!
#4: Make sure part of your body is visible in your hiding spot
I usually like to keep a whole leg sticking out.
#5: If you haven’t been found within 15-30 seconds, come out of your hiding spot and insist that the game start over.
Sometimes I just wait 5 seconds.
#6: Bring a friend to your hiding spot whenever possible.
Make sure your friend is completely visible, while you are completely hidden (except for that leg).
#7: Laugh really, really, really loudly with your friend.
This always makes people find you fast. I haven’t figured out why yet.
#8: Yell out “COME FIND ME!!!!!!!” when you hear someone within inches of your hiding spot.
She will usually find you pretty quickly afterwards. Be prepared.
#9: Once found, run wildly out of your hiding spot and into something, preferably a sibling, friend or a really hard object or wall.
After crying for a few minutes & being consoled, get up already. It’s time to play some more.
#10: When it is your turn to count to 10, don’t close your eyes and begin looking for everyone when you get to the number 3.
They won’t be in the bathroom, the VERY BEST HIDING SPOT, so it will take a while to find everyone. If you haven’t found anyone within 30 seconds, give up and go play with your trains.
HAPPY HIDE & SEEKING!!
Although my son is pretty confident he has covered all the ways to perfect the game of Hide & Seek, he welcomes any additional suggestions from your little ones out there!
{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
During the search the other party will usually yell at the top of her/his voice: ‘where is little X, I can’t find her/him. Maybe she/he is behind the couch/chair/under the table/etc’ It is advisable to yell ‘Nooooooo’ really really loud when this happens.
Ha! The pure joy that this game creates is priceless!
Your son lasts 5 seconds in his hiding spot? My girls would come out as soon as the counting finished. They just couldn’t get that the idea was to STAY hiding.
I’m just laughing at the image! He sometimes only lasts 5 seconds.
This is so funny and so true! I love acting like I have no idea where the boys are and looking ridiculous places (like the medicine cabinet and the silverware drawer) and hearing the giggling get louder and louder.
I do this, too! I always check my jewelry box, the microwave, and other impossible hiding places. My little girl gets a kick out of it.
I lI’ve doing that, too! “Is he in the salt or pepper shaker? No?! Where can he be??”
Ah, I miss those days…
You are making me want to play this with him over & over today. He may not want to play after today. Waaahh!!
Oh that’s just adorable! I loved hide and seek as a child. For some reason, I always thought hiding behind a door was brilliant. Until someone would inevitably open the door, hit me on the head and I’d be found after going ouch. Hey, another rule to add!
Ha! I always pick doors. Maybe I am as bad as my 3 y/o!
HAHAHA classic! That so perfectly describes my two girls’ (4 and 3) hide and seek tactics. I have a picture from a few weekends ago of my littlest one playing hide and seek. She’s sitting straigh up in the middle of the back yard under a picnic blanket and her little feet with lime green crocs are sticking out. The giggling is the best part.
~ut_mommy
This really made me laugh out loud! I can just picture those lime green crocs!
Very adorable.
My boys have only figured out 1 spot – beside their toddler beds – that’s it. They don’t venture out much… yet. LOL
That is so sweet! I imagine them sitting there in plain view, too!
So that’s how it’s played! I’ve been doing wrong all these years, I suppose I should come out of hiding now.
Saimi!! You just came out?! Aren’t you hungry??
This is so cute. My kids like to hide in the same spot under the kitchen bar. Together.
That is hilarious! Right under the bar where there is no cover!
When my son was little, he also felt the need to make me COUNT VERY LOUDLY all the way to 20, or some other big number but then didn’t have the patience to wait that long.
And that hiding in the very same place all of the time? Yeah, that was big!
Yeah, 10 seconds is about as long as mine want to last!
My daughter adds: Change spots at least 3-4 times the seekers won’t see you, even if you think they do, you are so quick they probably didn’t.
So cute! I love how she things she’s being sneaky.
My daughters skills are an equal match for your son’s. In fact, much of the time, instead of coming up with her own spot to poorly hide in over and over, she will ask me (the seeker) to come up with a spot for her to hide. Genius, I tell you! Pure genius!
Hilarious!! What a challenging game!
Love this! So true. Although, once they figure out the being quiet part, it’s a little disconcerting. The first time I couldn’t find S, I told her to come out, but she wouldn’t. Mommy was a little worried. We had to redefine the rules.
I never thought about it that way! That would be scary. Come out already!
We use these same rules at my house. The body part sticking out is key.
Yes. It seems like it is one rule he never forgets!
Oh, that is SO funny! And oh so true…
Isn’t it, though? I think all little ones are so much alike on this one!
Or if you can’t find a good hiding spot just sit in the middle of the floor and close your eyes really tightly….if you can’t see them, they can’t see you!!
It totally works!!
My two-year-old loves this game. But her thing is hiding behind doors, then jumping out and yelling, “Boo!” right when I’m about to find her. She’s actually startled me a few times. And the sitting in the middle of the room with eyes shut totally works, Mandy!
I love that! She is just so dang happy you are playing this with her. Childhood is awesome!
This is so cute, and so true. Really made me laugh, Thanks
I will give your kind words to my son. Thank you. :)
This is funny! AND so true!
My 3 y.o. daughter always says to me “Mommy you count to 10 and find me under the table in the kitchen.”
This really cracked me up! I laugh every time I read it!
I Love Kelley and her breakroom. How funny and true these are. Next time we play hide n seek I’ll be found immediately because i’ll be laughing so hard thinking of these #10 tips. Bravo Kelley!
TV, you are too kind! It has been TOO LONG since I have stopped by your encouraging corner of the Internet! I will pop in soon! :)
No wonder I always lose!
Kelley never fails to amaze me with her comedy wit. Once again.
Oh, CB, you are making me blush! I know you know these rules well. You lose on purpose, don’t you??
My 13 month old’s favorite place is behind the curtains of the patio door. As soon as you ask where he is, he’ll pop out from behind the curtain with a big grin on his face, just to hide right behind it again. We don’t even need to count yet! =)
What an even more efficient game player! So cute!!
My 2yr old hides behind me (usually leaning against my back) and repeats “no peeking mommy” while I count.
I will be so sad when she gets a real hiding spot!
Oh, that made me laugh & smile. That is sooooo precious & sweet! I think I might cry!
That is exactly how the game is played here! I just love it when I’m hiding and the little seeker looks for 10 seconds and then gives up to play trains but doesn’t tell me. And I sit and wait…and wait…
That is so funny! Where did he go?? Ha!
Mine always come running out from behind the couch and yell “found you!” as soon as I get to 5.
Kids can be so sweet, right??
So accurate and hilarious!
I find it the funniest when my daughter begins the game without telling me and hides in a usual spot. I pretend I don’t notice and after several minutes she comes out victorious thinking she has finally tricked me.
Who knew such a simple game could be so rewarding?? I need to play this every day!
Such a fun post Kelley. I play with the 4 and 6 year old every evening. I love when the 4 year old announces “I am here mommy!” The fun part is to be found and hopefully get tickled when found. He also yells, “again, again”, which can go on for hours.
Ha! That is so fun. Yes, sometimes we have to end all the fun or they’d keep us up for hours, right? Thanks for sharing!
Oh, sweet wistful tears over this post.
I remember my firstborn…for some reason, he was the most fun.
Maybe b/c it was all so new:
but I remember, he’d hide and shout, “if you can’t find me in 20 seconds, mama, then come behind the sofa, K?”
I.loved.that.
I’ve been tearing up at the different comments left on this post today. Comments like yours! Children are so innocent (can be!) and have such big hearts. Your story made me laugh!
Of course, you the Queen of games would play with your kid! Make the rest of us mothers who lounge on our deck chairs all afternoon, and yell out, “Make sure your brother resurfaces after he jumps into the pool!” look bad!
Seriously, though, awesome and funny post! I would have expected no less. And congrats on being featured here and writing for Nicklelodeon! You’re a rockstar!
Oh, Sandra, I know you’ve played with your kids! Ha! Your kids are just good at playing with each other. My 6 y/o plays a lot with my 3 y/o but sometimes I join in. Your comment cracked me up, as usual! Thanks for your kind words. :)
Whoa, that is impressive. Your kids could count to TEN? Mine usually wanted to count to “twenty-teen” and it usually went, “One, twoooo, ummmm, six, four, eleben, what comes after eleben?” The other one would answer “twenty-teen.” “Oh, twenty-teen. Here I come.” The rules of the game just never change.
What fun!! Best part of being a parent or a grandparent is getting to be a kid all over again. We might get older, but we never have to grow up.
These tips will come in handy during my next round of hide and seek. I couldn’t figure out where I was going wrong but it was hiding my whole body and not talking!!
Bud always “hides” right in front of me underneath a towel or blanket and yells, “where did Bud go?” Cracks me up every time.
We don’t do the whole game yet, but when it’s bed time, every single night, both boys run upstairs ahead of us, get under our covers and giggle & wiggle – and we pretend we can’t see them, walk to the other rooms, yell “Where did Big Kiss go? Is he outside? did you leave him at school?” More giggles. Then we sit on the bed and they jump out screaming.
Every night. I’m sayin’
When is this going to get old for them? It’s exhausting.
My four year old tells ME where to hide.. “mommy, you go hide in the playroom closet. I’ll count.” :)
When my husband was little he would stand in the toilet and flush because everything in the toilet “goes invisable”.
Great minds think alike! My daughter follows all of those same guidelines…. especially the one where you giggle really loud. They don’t really like to play w/me as much anymore since sometimes I tell them to hide and then get caught up with something else & forget to find them. Oops. Bad mom. *wink
We play the exact same game, but I love it because I don’t even have to stand up. I can just yell ‘Is he here? Noooo…’ and eventually he’ll come running out.