Toddler Time: Hide and Seek

I am all for keeping it simple and this activity certainly keeps it simple. No materials or preparations are needed. All hide and seek requires is your time. When you stop to think about all the benefits of hide and seek it is really a learning game for little ones:

• visual perceptual skills - the child must visually scan an area looking for you.  If they see just a little bit of you they must use his/her visual closure skills to determine where you are.  
• counting skills - when someone is hiding, counting out loud to any number helps to establish early math skills
• emotional health - you and the child are separated for a time and then back together again in a  fun and playful manner!
• auditory skills - maybe you need to make a noise to help them find you.  The child needs to use the ability to listen closely to find you.  
• motor planning skills - the child must plan which direction to go to find you and then execute that action
• physical activity - all that running and hiding is a great aerobic activity
• helps to develop a sense of autonomy - the toddler is left alone and must determine how to find you.  Once the child is successful in finding you, the pride and independence shows on his/her face.  They did it themselves!

So it might be simple, but for no money and just your time, your little one will experience a multisensory cognitive, emotional and physical activity.  And, you thought hide and seek was just a game.