Hide-and-Seek, 1885

Fun in Peckles-Wood Shire. Simple Games. Lasting Memories.

Long before televisions, computers, and video games, children discovered that the greatest adventures didn’t come from a store—they came from imagination, friendship, and the world around them. Join the Whitaker children on their Northumberland farm in 1885 and discover how simple games became lasting memories. You may know this game too!

---

James covered his eyes against the old oak tree while Stacy hurried away, laughing as she searched for the perfect hiding place.

She slipped behind a thick hawthorn hedge, then changed her mind. James always looked there first.

Instead, she quietly climbed over a low stone wall and crouched beside a patch of tall ferns. From there, she could hear James counting.

“…eighteen… nineteen… twenty! Ready or not, here I come!” James turned around and looked across the meadow.

He checked behind the hay wagon.

Nothing.

He searched around the sheepfold.

Still nothing.

Then he noticed something moving.

It wasn’t Stacy.

A curious robin had landed on top of the stone wall, tilting its head as if it were helping him search.

James smiled and kept looking.

Children in Northumberland loved playing hide-and-seek. Farmyards, meadows, hedgerows, and stone walls offered dozens of clever hiding places. The game didn’t need special toys or equipment, only good eyes, quick feet, and a little imagination.

James searched behind another oak tree.

Nothing.

He walked slowly past the ferns.

Still nothing.

Then he heard it.

A tiny giggle.

“There you are!”

Stacy jumped to her feet, laughing so hard she could barely run.

“You only found me because I laughed!”

James grinned.

“That’s part of the game.”

The twins raced back to the old oak.

“Your turn to count!” James called.

Before Stacy reached twenty, he had already disappeared.

Did You Know?

Long before televisions, video games, or even electricity, children made their own fun. Hide-and-seek was one of the easiest games to play because every tree, stone wall, hedge, or barn could become part of the adventure.

Hide and Seek Rules

Hide and Seek is best enjoyed with three or more players.

Before You Begin

• Choose one player to be “It.”
• Decide where everyone is allowed to hide.
• Pick a tree, fence post, or other safe place as Home Base.

How to Play

1. The player who is “It” closes their eyes and counts to an agreed number while leaning against Home Base.
2. Everyone else quietly finds a hiding place.
3. When counting is finished, the seeker calls, “Ready or not, here I come!”
4. The seeker searches for the hidden players.
5. When someone is found, they race the seeker back to Home Base.
6. The first player caught becomes the next seeker, or play by whatever family rule everyone agrees upon.

Play Safely

• Stay within the agreed playing area.
• Never hide in barns, lofts, wells, haystacks, or other unsafe places.
• Do not climb trees, fences, or stone walls.
• Watch where you are running, especially over uneven ground.
• Be careful around animals and always leave gates as you found them.
• Play fairly, and help younger children enjoy the game.

A Whitaker Family Reminder

The best hiding places are the clever ones—not the dangerous ones. The greatest fun comes from laughter shared with family and friends, making memories that last long after the game is over.

Welcome to Peckles-Wood Shire

Thank you for visiting Peckles-Wood Shire. We hope your journey through 1885 brings wonder to every road you travel.