Hide and Seek as a Tool for Learning

We all have played the fun game of hide and seek at some stage in our lives. This popular game, wherein one player, referred to as seeker covers his/her eyes and counts giving other players time to hide and then attempts to find the hidden players, has been played for generations. However, in recent years, mobile games and online games have gained more popularity. Children are seen whiling away their time playing online games rather than indulging in group activities. Games like hide and seek might just seem to be a fun activity, however, the game has several advantages and is a source of great learning for children. Some of the benefits of playing hide and seek are listed below-

·       Object Permanence- Research with infants establishes that games involving disappearance and reappearance help in building the concept of object permanence. Object permanence refers to the cognitive understanding that people, objects continue to exist even when one cannot see, touch them. Similar games like peekaboo in infancy also help in attaining object permanence.

·       Help with Separation Anxiety - Hide and Seek can also be an effective tool for alleviating separation anxiety in children. Children who have separation anxiety get anxious when separated from their caregivers. They may start crying uncontrollably when they anticipate separation. Separations and reunions are important component of hide and seek game. The game assists in children understanding that they will be reunited after some time and thus provides comfort to them.

·       Building Secure Attachments - Hide and seek facilitates the development of secure relationships in children. The game fosters trust and reliance among players.

·       Cognitive Development- The game enhances executive functioning skills in children. It strengthens cognitive skills such as planning, prioritizing, divergent thinking, perspective taking, working memory in children.

·       Impulse Control- The game fosters impulse control and frustration tolerance. Children need to think before acting. For example, children who are in hiding need to stay silent and at one place. They can’t blurt out ‘I am here’ impulsively. Children also learn to tolerate their frustration. For example, on getting caught, they learn to manage their irritation and accept defeat.

·       Fostering Independence- Children learn to independently take decisions, such as choosing the spot to hide. It also boosts their confidence level and ego.

·       Social Skills- Since the game is often played in a group, children learn valuable social skills, such as taking turns acting as seeker, helping each other find a hiding spot, interacting with one another.

·       Elevate Mood- The game boosts happiness among children. The act of hiding and finding each other enhances mood and increase happiness.

·       Gross Motor Development- The game gets children moving. They run to find hiding spots. It also enhances their spatial skills, since at times, children need to decide whether they would fit at a certain hiding spot.

Thus, even the fun game of hide and seek can be a great tool for learning. It is imperative for the child to participate in both indoor and outdoor games. Play activities are equally important as scholastic work since play is the child’s natural medium of expression and child also learns a great deal by indulging in free play.