Quick Description
Play a game of hide and seek where all the players act as if they are hiding but are clearly visible and the seeker searches for them and doesn’t see them immediately.
How to Play
Explain to the group that they will be playing a game of Hide and Seek. Where one person closes their eyes and counts to ten while the others find hiding places in the room.
The main difference is that instead of finding a real hiding place, they will pretend to hide.
Think of it as playing hide and seek without actual stuff to hide behind.
Frank Smallegange
When a group plays it for the first time there are often some participants trying to actually hide under a table or behind a curtain. They find out soon it is more fun to really hide in plain sight acting as if they are hidden (multiple people sharing the same hiding place are the best).
As soon as the seeker decides they has seen someone they says so-and-so is found. This continues until everyone is found.
Notes
This is one of those weird games that work because they are both safe and still at least a bit out of (most) peoples comfort zones.
Winning and losing is not the important point of this game.
You can debrief the game on what the participants experienced in playing with the tension of being found, almost being found, making a noise when the seeker is near, bonding with the people in the same hiding place.
These are all great metaphors for telling stories, keeping attention and teamwork. A lot of the times for example everybody agrees that someone was found to soon or to late.
Variations
You might include the found people as seekers
Origins
This games comes to us from Frank Smallegange. You can find his English web site here: http://www.franksmallegange.nl/home-en
Thank you Frank for sharing your experience and insights.
Don’t know Frank? Put him on your radar. He’s a bright light of Applied Improvisation
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