I often tell parents that hide-and-seek is a more mature form of “peekaboo.” Most parents know this simple baby game, and many know at least some of the developmental benefits (4, 6).When our kids are babies, we enthusiastically hide behind a blanket or cover our face with our hands and suddenly pop out in surprise to our baby’s delight. The moment is exciting and joyful for both. For the baby, it’s also probably quite thrilling, especially if they haven’t developed “object permanence” yet. In the baby’s eye, you have just disappeared out of thin air which may cause brief concern or uncertainty. But the moment you are revealed, there is shear joy over the reunion and often laughter from both you and your baby.

There are some similar elements in hide-and-seek. Moments of separation are followed by reunions and the corresponding joy and giggles. But there’s so much more to it. The benefits of hide-and-seek are boundless. Just think—if something as simple as peekaboo can help develop cognitive, motor, and social skills, just imagine what you can work on through hide-and-seek, including:

• Social Skills

• Motor Skills

• Regulation and Self-Regulation

• Emotional Development

• Executive Function & Other Cognitive Skills

Regulation: learning to manage energy states:

For children who have difficulty regulating their energy levels, hide-and-seek offers good practice for managing their bodies in different arousal states. While hiding, the child learns to be quiet and still. But not for long because soon they will be found, and this is when it’s socially appropriate to jump up and down and squeal gleefully. As the child moves in and out of low- and high-energy states, their brain learns the full range of arousal. Once our brain has a solid sense of that range, it becomes easier to find the middle-ground—the “quiet-alert” state that helps children be successful at their desk in the classroom, on their carpet square during circle time, or at the family dinner table.

For children who experience sensory processing differences, hide-and-seek may also offer a play-based opportunity to work on regulation through the senses. Eileen Richter, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA, and Patricia Oetter, , MA, OTR/L, FAOTA, have discussed the various therapeutic spaces that a child needs to explore to facilitate integration of the senses and to learn to self-regulate. In Womb Space, the individual is often in a small, contained area that might feel soft, cozy, and supportive with few things to see or hear. The tactile and/or proprioceptive systems are stimulated while the auditory and visual systems are minimally stimulated. This helps the “Calm and Restore” part of our nervous system activate. In hide-and-seek, the child may find themselves in a “womb space” while hiding. Meanwhile another therapeutic space, described as Kid Power, is all about physical exploration, excitement, and balance challenges. This activates our vestibular, visual, auditory, proprioceptive, and tactile systems and invites the “Active and Alert” portion of our nervous system to come online. In hide-and-seek, the seeker may find themselves in “kid power” mode as they search high and low for their hiding partners and feel the rush of the playful hunt. When we engage in a range of these therapeutic spaces, our bodies are stimulated with a variety of sensory inputs with variation in intensity, quality, and length of exposure. This leads to improved integration of the senses and nervous system regulation.

Emotional Well-being: learning self-confidence, self-competence, and resiliency

Playing hide-and-seek helps build emotional wellness through experiences of shared joy and opportunities for (mild) risk-taking. The term “shared joy” in its fullest sense is not readily discussed in mainstream or even in many therapeutic discussions. Sharing joy isn’t just about telling your mom about the amazing time you had at a friend’s birthday party. It’s also about experiencing an activity that you love while simultaneously being with another person who also loves that activity. When two people are engaged in something that brings them joy—and they do it together—they experience positive brain changes. Interpersonal Neurobiology is a field that dives into the intricacies of how this works (3), but for the purposes of this topic, let’s just stick to the general concept of shared joy. As parents, what we find fun about hide-and-seek might be different than our kids, and that’s totally okay. While our kids might like to squeeze themselves behind a couch, you might be claustrophobic, so small spaces aren’t your thing. Rather, maybe you enjoy hiding in plain sight and watching your child laugh as they turn the corner and find you. Maybe you have the most fun when you play a “tag” version of hide-and-seek. There is no right or wrong way to play hide-and-seek to benefit from shared joy—only that you do it in a way that is fun for both of you.

Although often mild, the risk-taking element of hide-and-seek also helps build emotional wellness. The benefits of risky play are well documented (2, 7); however, many times the discussion focuses largely on physical risk-taking. There is also benefit to emotional risk-taking. I talk about this as “playing on the emotional edge.” Think about the last time you faced and conquered a fear. Did you feel proud? Strong? Resilient? This is how kids feel when they experience a certain level of emotional risk or challenge while playing. There is an implied risk of never being found or potentially being lost forever. Even if playing indoors in a familiar setting, there is a subtle but instinctual sense of danger and risk. This is partly why kids become so excited and energized from the game. If you have older kids who need the risk level to be kicked up a notch, try playing flashlight hide-and-seek in the dark. One client I worked with called it “Haunted House” and the challenge was to find the hider before they popped out and scared you. Facing these mini emotional challenges helps us feel competent and resilient which ultimately helps us feel secure and safe in our own bodies and minds.

Executive function:Learning to plan, adapt & control impulses

“Executive Function” is a term that covers a wide variety of higher-level cognitive skills that we need in daily life, whether: learning a new software program, finding a morning routine that works for your family and gets you out the door on time, or deciding how to spend your money. Because these are high-level skills, it takes years—even decades—to fully develop. As small children play and engage with others, they begin to lay the foundation for “pre-executive function” skills, and it’s in their best interest that we create opportunities for them to learn how to attend, problem-solve, and control impulses through play.

So, how does this relate to hide-and-seek?

Have you ever played hide-and-seek with a two-year-old? If you have, you know that they are notorious for leaping out of their hiding spot, wiggling constantly while “hiding,” and giggling or talking right up until the moment they are found. But when you compare the toddler to playing with an older child—even a five-year-old—they are better able to remain still and quiet until the seeker actually finds them. Through motivation to stay hidden for longer, the child learns to control their impulses to move, talk, or laugh.

Now go back to the two-year-old again. Chances are you can predict with 90% certainty where they will hide…Every.Single.Time. At Grandma’s house, my oldest son hid by the side of the couch over and over again, no matter how many rounds that were played. It was fun and exciting for him every time (and the adults found joy in the entertainment of his silliness). Some toddlers “hide” by unironically standing in plain sight or by simply covering their face but not their body.  How about the kids who all hide together in a single spot? There’s nothing tricky about finding 10 kids “shooshing” each other as they wait to be found. However, as children get older, they start to strategize their hiding spots. They try new hiding spaces and use objects to cover or camouflage themselves. I’ve even had clients create “decoys” to trick the seeker into thinking they’ve just found a hiding spot only to uncover a huge stuffed animal or cushion. The mental steps it takes to create a novel “hiding plan” and then execute that plan are not far off from the mental steps needed to write a paper, budget and save for a car, or cook a meal from start to finish. It is through play that children practice the real-life skills they will need to grow up. Hide-and-seek offers many opportunities to practice these “pre-executive function” processes.

Of course, these are not all of the benefits from playing hide-and-seek. However, the benefits I have described here are the particular reasons why I often incorporate this simple game into my treatment with kids. With such little set-up or equipment needs and high engagement, fun, and motivation, the return on investment is incredibly high. Perhaps most importantly, hide-and-seek is an activity that any parent and any child can do together while simultaneously building on their physical and emotional wellness. So, go ahead—play a round or two with your child today!

Novel Ways to Play Hide-And-Seek:

• Using a flashlight in the dark

• Playing “Haunted House” hide-and-seek in the dark. The seeker has to find the hider before they jump out and spook the other person.

• Hiding stuffed animals or toys instead of your own body. Especially good for higher-level challenges and/or in smaller or more open-concept rooms where there are limited hiding spots. Can add the “hot” and “cold” game.

• Playing outdoors. This increases the “risky” feeling of being lost. Make sure to establish the play boundaries before you begin!

• Incorporate the “decoy” strategy and try to trick each other. Hint: Allow extra counting time for multiple decoys to be set.