by L Wiles - 2008-08-01
Hide and Seek (also called Hide and Go Seek) is a hiding game played with 2 or more players either inside or outside. Popular variations of Hide and Seek involve running and tagging.
One player is selected as the seeker. The seeker closes his or her eyes and counts to a set number, usually anywhere from 20 to 100 depending on the size of the play area and the skill level of the players. When the seeker is done counting he or she yells “ready or not here I come” and starts searching for the hiding players. The round ends when the first player is found. At this time the seeker yells out “oly, oly, oxen free” or other all clear signal and all players are free to come out of hiding. The first player found is the seeker for the next round.
Usually Hide and Seek is played within certain physical game boundaries.
A very popular version of Hide and Seek doesn't end when the first person is found, but rather when a hiding player is tagged. In this version hiding players have the option of running to home base, if they make it without being tagged by the seeker they are safe. The first person tagged is it for the next round.
If the seeker can't find even one hiding player, the “all clear signal” can be given. The game ends and all players come out of hiding .