Duration: 20-30 minutes
Primary SPIRIT Skill(s) focus:
- Flexibility
- Problem-solving
Brief Description:
In this closing activity, one child is chosen (to be a “HUNYÓ” – a seeker). She/he stands in the middle of the play area with closed eyes, extends her/his arms sideways at shoulder height, shouts “TAKE COVER!”, and counts down from 19. During this time, the other players must quickly run up, touch the HUNYÓ’s hand (while saying their own name), and then hide somewhere in the play area.
When the HUNYÓ finishes counting, opens her/his eyes and tries to spot the players without leaving their spot. They can move slightly, but one foot must remain in place at all times. If the HUNYÓ sees someone, calls out the player’s name, and that person must come out of hiding.
If the HUNYÓ no longer sees anyone, they close her/his eyes again, extends her/his arms, shout “TAKE COVER!” once more, and count down again—but this time starting only from 17. With each new round, the countdown begins from a number 2 less than the previous round, giving players less and less time to hide. This increases the challenge and encourages players to hide closer to the seeker. A key rule is that players cannot hide in the same spot twice in a row. Game variation: To make the game more dynamic, the HUNYÓ may take up to three steps while searching the players. If they still don’t see anyone after the third step, they shout “TAKE COVER!” again from their new position. This keeps the hiding spots changing and adds excitement to the game.
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills?
The game supports the development of flexibility as students must quickly make decisions about new hiding places and adapt to constantly changing situations. Resilience is strengthened as children learn to cope with setbacks (e.g., being found early) and try again. Within a safe and joyful environment, the game helps build perseverance, self-regulation, and attention to others.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
The goal of the game is for students to develop the ability to quickly adapt to changing situations and respond flexibly to new challenges. Strengthening resilience is important, meaning learning to manage setbacks and develop a persistent, restarting attitude. Additionally, the game helps improve attention, self-regulation, and the ability to be considerate of peers.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
- Outdoor movement game
- Counting backward one by one
- Number sequences decreasing by twos.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
None
Preparation notes
Choose an area with plenty of hiding spots, such as bushes, shrubs, trees, small hills, etc.
Guided Questions
- How did you handle it when you couldn’t find your hiding spot right away?
- What did you do when you had to hide quickly and had little time?
- How did you feel when someone else was chosen as the seeker?
- What did you do when the game didn’t go the way you expected?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- What helped you adapt quickly when the rules or situations changed?
- How did you feel when you had to start the game over again and again?
- What did you learn about playing with others who think or act differently?
- How can you use what you learned in this game in other situations, like at school or at home?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- The main purpose of the game is to release the tension built up during the many activities, so it is definitely worth ending the session with this or another active game. The children have done serious mental and emotional work. Of course, skills are also developed during the game, but the focus here is not on that; rather, it is about closing the entire program with a positive, light-hearted experience.
- Common issues in children’s play:
- The seeker does not shout loud enough.
- The seeker should start counting from an odd number each round, which is 2 less than the starting number in the previous round. Children often get this wrong. It’s not very important, but it’s good to pay attention to it because it helps develop skills.
- They clap too hard on the seeker’s palm. Remind them if it feels uncomfortable for the seeker