Kids are a lot of things that the rest of us aren’t. They’re still full of imagination and happiness, and they’re always ready for a game. What’s more, they’re eager to believe that anything is possible, which means they’re also very gullible.
However, kids’ brains are still developing and that means a couple of things. For one, their centers of logic and reasoning aren’t mature yet. They can’t necessarily think their way through situations and come up with logical conclusions about what’ll happen next. Kids just can’t make inferences yet.
Why is all of this relevant to playing hide and seek? Well, just so we all can understand what is going through these little minds.
Kids…are not very good at hide and seek. Their still-developing brains don’t understand that you can see their feet poking out from behind a chair or that it’s not enough to just hide their face. But that doesn’t really matter, does it? They’re just happy to play with you and giggle as they wait for you to find them!
So, the next time you play hide and seek with a little guy or gal, pretend like it was really hard to find them — but take a picture, too.
1. Genius
You know what’s not suspicious at all? A toy alligator standing up against the wall. Either it’s a really fancy toy or that alligator has come to life. Or, you know, a kid is hiding behind it.
2. Where could she possibly be?
Unless your kitchen cabinets usually have feet (and wear socks), you probably won’t have to look too hard. Poor kid probably thinks she’s totally invisible.
3. He missed a crucial piece of information
This child hasn’t yet caught on to the concept of something being translucent. This box is over him and he’s underneath it, so he’s clearly completely hidden.
4. It’s not an afternoon hiding place
This child thought he could stash himself away behind the blinds. Unfortunately, he chose a westward-facing window in the late afternoon.
5. She’s a professional
Some kids are still fooled by the idea that if they can’t see you, you must not be able to see them. By that logic, just covering their own eyes is enough.
6. Foiled by the sun
This wouldn’t be the worst hiding place of all time, but that pesky sun decided to ruin the game. Now it’s time for the parents to pretend like they’re looking really hard for a couple of minutes.
7. They’ll never find us
Okay, let’s review something here: your parents might not be able to see you, kids, but they’re sure going to notice the large lumps under the blanket in the middle of the kitchen!
8. How did she fit?
This tiny girl must be, well — REALLY tiny to fit behind the toilet. But you can’t help but laugh at the sight of her little head poking up over the tank.
9. If I can’t see you…
…then you can’t see me, right? It doesn’t matter if I’m standing behind a skinny little pole that doesn’t actually cover my body. It’s just science.
10. A decent attempt
This little guy won’t be winning any hide and seek prizes, but it’s not a terrible hiding spot! Of course, his head’s sticking out and he’s wearing bright blue jammies, so there’s that.
11. They’re basically invisible
Ah, kids. They think they can just pull any object over any part of their body and they’ll be hidden. While it’s not real effective, they’re pretty cute while they do it!
12. Nothing to see here
These tricky brothers are convinced they’re totally hidden, but they’ve forgotten one critical piece of information: their parents know the curtains don’t usually have feet.
13. Respect for this girl
Some kids are naturally gifted hide and seek players! This little girl probably gave her seekers a tough time before they finally found her spot.
14. He’s a champion
This child actually had a pretty good hiding spot — he’s got the “hidden in plain sight” thing down. Unfortunately, the view through the glass looks like a scene straight from a horror movie.
15. This room is empty
The first rule of hide and seek in the mind of kids is: don’t bother hiding your whole body. As long as you cover your face, no one will find you.
16. We don’t quite have the hang of the game
Surely no one will notice a pair of disembodied little legs on the bed! They’re not at all related to that head-like lump under the blanket.
17. Looks like a totally normal lamp to me
His plan was foolproof: they had a lamp by the door. They would never look twice to see if the lampstand had turned into a T-shirt with legs.
18. He accidentally staged a horror scene
This toddler’s hiding place is hilariously obvious, but there’s a second reason why it’s making us laugh/cringe. By hiding under a toy car, he made a pretty gruesome tableau.
19. Sheer curtains aren’t your friend
I get what she was going for, but next time, she might want to skip the sheers, which are literally designed to be, well, see-through. Are there any light-blocking curtains in the house?
20. Neither are mirrors
This little girl had an okay hiding spot but she failed to account for the mirror that was right behind her. We’ve all been there, kiddo.
21. Just a bit too small for you, sister
You can’t help but laugh at this adorable baby who’s convinced that she can fit into a shoe. Sorry, cutie, you’re tiny, but you’re not that tiny!
22. Has there always been a lump on the floor?
We all saw it happen during our childhood: the seeker starts to count, and everyone flies in a panic under the nearest object they see. For instance, the rug in the middle of the room.
23. Cubbies aren’t hide-and-seek friendly
If you’re trying to fit in a space designed for shoes or art projects, I’m going to take a guess and say it’s too small for you. Another clue is if your feet are hanging out!
24. A master of disguise
Some kids are almost weirdly good at hide and seek. This kid managed to make it kind of creepy. Did the seeker have a heart attack when they found them?
25. You took forever
This cute little girl found a great hiding place — so great in fact, that it took the seeker a while to find her. In the meantime, she decided to snuggle up for a nap.
26. I am puppy
This hilarious kid thinks they can disguise themselves as a puppy. Not under the puppy, but actually as the puppy — as you can see from the fact that their entire body, minus their head, is visible.
27. This looks right
Kids don’t yet have the awareness of space or the reasoning abilities to realize that things like trees are too small to hide them. That leads to hilarious pictures like this one.
28. Might need to review the basics
I suspect this little boy couldn’t find a hiding spot and just threw himself on the stairs in a panic. He might feel like he’s hidden, but he’s very visible.
29. That…is a litter box
This kid had the brilliant idea to crawl inside a litter box, which unfortunately was completely see-through. I sincerely hope it was clean.
30. The concept was good – the execution not so much
Hiding under a table is a great move in hide and seek! However, that doesn’t apply when it’s a table with a glass top.
31. A hide-and-seek prodigy
This kid managed to pull off hiding behind the glass doors, which is pretty impressive in itself — but I can’t help but wonder how on earth they fit in there!
32. Not too bad, kid
This kiddo actually hit on a pretty good spot! Most people might not think to look there since the space between the wall and the ottoman looks too small to hide behind.
33. Um, are you okay?
This hiding spot leaves a lot to be desired. But it’s also a bit of an alarming sight to see a person lying face down on the floor, covered in a blanket. The seeker probably got a scare!
34. The giggles gave her away
This little girl’s parent posted this picture and said she was giggling like crazy while hiding, which immediately gave her away. I think they’d have noticed even if she hadn’t giggled
35. “It’s like I was never here”
Kids don’t exactly have the greatest awareness of their bodies, and they don’t have the reasoning capabilities to understand their feet need to be hidden too. In their minds, as long as they feel hidden, they are hidden.
36. This is amazing
See above: for kids, it’s not important that they’re actually concealed, just as long as they feel like they are. Case in point — this little girl, who’s convinced that a floating Lego bucket won’t be noticed.
37. How did you find me?
This child has truly won the prize for “fantastically obvious hiding spot.” However, according to her parents who shared the picture, she was stunned they found her so quickly.
38. A true chameleon
This little boy actually found a pretty good hiding spot! He mastered the art of blending in with the background — and fitting into teeny tiny spaces.
39. I am a couch
The only way this little girl could get away with this is if you were looking from a bird’s-eye view …and also not questioning why the couch cushions are a mess.
40. Two-year-old’s are something else
It’s sweet to see evidence of so much innocence. This toddler honestly thought that standing in the middle of a room with her blanket over her face made her invisible. Let’s pretend to look for her for a bit, okay?
41. It takes practice
You kind of start to wonder if most kids just don’t understand the concept of hiding yet. Sure, they’ll find a spot, but it’s mostly about making sure they can’t see you
42. So close
This little cutie got caught right away, and her expression says it all. The funny thing is she might actually be able to fit in that cabinet if she tried!
43. He’s basically invisible
Kids also can’t quite understand the nuances of hide and go seek. For example, they don’t know why people would notice a cabinet door hanging open. But bless his heart, he’s trying his hardest.
44. Does the chair usually have legs?
This kiddo doesn’t quite fit in this little chair but she’s willing to die trying. Just overlook the awkward crab creature on the floor for a moment and pretend you’re still looking.
45. He’s making an attempt
Yes, he’s technically behind the blinds, which would be a fine spot except that he doesn’t realize the blinds are open. He’s clearly visible through them — but he’s so pleased with himself.
46. Well, she can’t see YOU…
This little girl is enjoying a holiday-themed game of hide and go seek during a long winter. Maybe she’ll ask Santa for a better hiding spot this year.
47. It’s perfect
Boxes are great places to hide if you’re trying to win a game of hide and seek! Of course, you should probably make sure the box is big enough to cover more than, say, your forehead.
48. A genius in the making
Okay, this one is actually impressive. I don’t know how many times this kid’s parent walked by him before they found him, but I’m betting he stayed in that little bag for a long time.
49. Her plan was foolproof
This picture might be upside down, but that baby isn’t hanging from the ceiling. Nope, she just decided to take refuge in a regular basket and hope that her makeshift hat hid her.
50. I want to say good try…
This hysterical little girl tried her best, but she hasn’t figured out hide and seek yet…not even a little bit. But she seems convinced!
51. Peek-a-Boo
These brothers like to run and hide when their dad comes home at the end of the day. Way to give Dad a challenge, kids!
52. They’ll never notice you there
Kids always think, “I’ll hide under the chair! They’ll never find me there!” Don’t deny it, you did it when you were a kid, too. Unfortunately, most of us didn’t realize that chairs are terrible hiding spots.
53. We’ll work on it
Blinds are not a great spot in and of themselves, for reasons we’ve already covered in this essay (okay, it’s not an essay). But this guy didn’t even quite manage to get more than his head behind the blinds.
54. We’ve misunderstood some things
Hey champ, if you’re going to hide behind a piece of furniture, maybe you should choose one that’s not, you know, flat with lots of spaces in it.
55. That’s not how this works
Then there’s this little champion, who thinks that to play hide and seek, you don’t even have to find a secluded spot. All you have to do is turn your face to the wall.
56. Okay, let’s review
We’ll cut this cutie a break and say that maybe they just didn’t have time to close the door. Or, you know, perhaps they forgot they were completely visible with the door open.
57. Okay, but those little feet are cute
Is it an effective hiding spot? Not even a little bit. But how can you not laugh when you see those teeny tiny feet poking up to say hello?
58. Just because you can’t see me…
Here’s another kid who took the direct approach and just plunged their own face into a pillow. Sorry, kiddo, that’s not quite how this works.
59. Not even close but you get points for being cute
That skinny little Christmas tree doesn’t do anything to hide this little sweetie, but it’s hard not to smile at that adorable face. Plus, they’re just so proud of themselves!
60. Well, that was a short game
Desperate times call for desperate measures and I get the feeling that that’s what happened here. Unfortunately, they don’t necessarily mean ACCURATE measures.
61. This child is a ninja
This kid either dove for cover at the last possible second or she’s just over playing hide and seek. Either way, I don’t think she has a future in the professional hide and seek game.
62. We’ll get there eventually
This little guy might just be small enough to curl up behind one of those pillows…but that requires, you know, actually curling up. It’s not going to do a thing if we can see the sneakers hanging out!
63. When you spot those little feet…
This guy or girl actually had a good idea when they ran for the closet! Unfortunately, they didn’t think to hide their feet. Their sneakers were instantly spotted.
64. She’s going to go far in life
If you needed a moment to actually spot the kid in this picture, you’re not alone. She’s got a rare talent for hide and seek, which will serve her well…in the future when she plays games with her kids.
65. Crushed it
Babies are tiny and super flexible, which means they can cram themselves into all sorts of spots! That means we get hilarious results like these.
66. Best hiding place ever
Unless you usually have random blankets trailing across your floor, this probably isn’t the best hiding place. Plus, it’s notoriously difficult to hide a child-shaped lump under a blanket.
67. Well, that took…0 seconds
Finding a good hiding spot can be hard. But whatever you do, don’t do what this kid did, which was to fall face down in the middle of the floor and wait to be found.
68. There’s always a lamp in the bed, right?
Maybe if you barely glanced at the bed and you were at exactly the right angle, you might dismiss this picture. Otherwise, nice try, kid, but you’re caught.
69. “I can’t find our daughter, but there’s a ghost on the bed”
Apologies to kids everywhere, but hiding under a blanket just isn’t going to cut it. Especially not if you’re sitting bolt upright.
70. Is it enough to just try to turn invisible?
When all else fails, just run into a corner and hide your face. No one will ever be able to find you as long as you can’t see them, right?
71. If you stay still, they’ll never notice
Those little baby feet haven’t yet learned they’re pretty conspicuous down at the bottom of the bed. You know, since most beds don’t have teeny tiny feet.
72. It’s just a pair of socks
Maybe this kid’s plan was to convince us that a few stray socks were laying on the bedspread. We all forget to put our laundry away sometimes, right?
73. I don’t know where he is, but why is that tree wearing pants?
This kid had the right idea — dive into a nearby bush to avoid being seen. Unfortunately, he or she just didn’t dive quite enough.
74. Huh, don’t remember putting the lamp there
I can see this kid’s line of thought. The lamp has nice, long, dangling sequins so it serves as a natural curtain. Unfortunately, it does very little to hide those little legs.
75. So close and yet so far
This kid might have gotten away with it for a moment or two! At first glance they kind of blend in with the stuff in the corner, but that outstretched hand gives them away.
75 kids who are all time pros at the game of hide and seek
Cedric Jackson
09.09.19
Kids are a lot of things that the rest of us aren’t. They’re still full of imagination and happiness, and they’re always ready for a game. What’s more, they’re eager to believe that anything is possible, which means they’re also very gullible.
However, kids’ brains are still developing and that means a couple of things. For one, their centers of logic and reasoning aren’t mature yet. They can’t necessarily think their way through situations and come up with logical conclusions about what’ll happen next. Kids just can’t make inferences yet.
Why is all of this relevant to playing hide and seek? Well, just so we all can understand what is going through these little minds.
Kids…are not very good at hide and seek. Their still-developing brains don’t understand that you can see their feet poking out from behind a chair or that it’s not enough to just hide their face. But that doesn’t really matter, does it? They’re just happy to play with you and giggle as they wait for you to find them!
So, the next time you play hide and seek with a little guy or gal, pretend like it was really hard to find them — but take a picture, too.