Materials
none
Instructions
1. This fun version of hide and seek provides good practice in counting and
keeping quiet. It can be played indoors or outdoors, as long as there are
a number of good hiding places available. Outdoors, drape large play
equipment with blankets to make hiding places. Indoors use a few rooms
(if available). If you can, have children from several different classrooms
play together and use all the different rooms.
2. Choose one child to go and hide. If you have a large group, divide the
children into teams of six or eight and have one child from each group
hide.
3. The rest of the children hide their eyes and count aloud to 20 (or
whatever number is appropriate for the children in your class).
4. Tell the children that they are all silent "trackers" and must move very
quietly (no talking or laughing) as they search for the hidden child and
especially after they have found him.
5. When a child finds the hidden child, she must stay completely silent,
creep into the hiding place with the hidden child, and wait for the other
children to join them. Remind them not to speak or giggle so they won't
give away their hiding place.
6. The game continues until all the children are squashed into the same
hiding places, like sardines in a can.
7. If possible, show the children a can of sardines and demonstrate how
tightly packed they are.
More to do Games: Play other varieties of hide and seek.
More Games: Play other games that practice keeping quiet, such as
Sleeping Lions.
Group or Circle Time: Invite the children to talk about times and places
when silence is appropriate.
Music: Sing songs about fish and adapt one to make it a sardine song.
