Buzz
Whether you're engaged in a game of hide and seek, trying to escape an annoying person, or simply playing a prank on friends, there are times when you need to master the art of hiding. A hiding spot is a place that can conceal your entire body, such as behind a sofa, under a pile of clothes, inside a closet, or in any similar tight space. Once you've found the perfect hiding spot, remain silent, avoid any movement, and make yourself as small as possible to avoid being seen and discovered.
Steps
How to Hide Effectively
Stay out of the searcher's line of sight. People often scan from left to right when looking for something, so you should choose a spot either above or below eye level. This way, your hiding place will be less obvious, and if you move, you're less likely to be noticed.
- When entering a potential hiding area, observe where your eyes naturally look first to avoid being seen from those spots.
Make yourself as small as possible. Once you've found a hiding spot, crouch, kneel, or sit down, tucking your arms and legs in tightly against your body. If you're hiding in a narrow space, stand up straight and keep your arms pressed close to your sides. The smaller your body appears, the less likely it is for someone to spot you.
- Even if you're hiding behind something large enough to conceal your whole body, it's still a good idea to curl into a tight ball instead of stretching out. This reduces your chances of being noticed, like when you're hiding behind a couch.
Remain absolutely still. Once you've taken your position and made yourself as small as possible, try to imagine yourself as a statue or a piece of furniture. Resist any urge to move until you're certain that the person searching for you has moved far enough away.
- Avoid scratching an itch, adjusting your hair, or rearranging your clothes, no matter how uncomfortable they may feel.
- Human eyes are very good at detecting movement, especially in the dark. Even the slightest motion can reveal your hiding place.
Stay silent. When hiding, avoid making any sound that can be prevented. Hold back any sneezes, coughs, throat clearing, or noises that might give away your position. Even the rustling of clothes can alert someone to where you're hiding.
- Breathe slowly and quietly through your mouth. Deep breaths are quieter than rapid, nervous breaths or breathing through your nose.
- If you're hiding with others, don't talk. Not only does speaking create noise, but it could also distract you and make it harder to hear someone approaching.
Camouflage yourself with your surroundings. Sometimes, you won't be able to hide inside a closet or under a table. If you're in an open space with no large objects to hide behind, lie down and grab anything nearby to cover yourself. This temporary cover can help you avoid detection until you find a better hiding spot.
- If you're in a bedroom, you can hide under a pile of blankets or dirty clothes, or in an outdoor setting, you could crawl into a pile of leaves.
- Though these items might conceal you for a while, they're not a long-term solution for hiding.
Be ready to move if your hiding spot is compromised. Even the best hiding places can be discovered sooner or later. If you sense that the game is about to end where you're hiding, wait for a chance to escape or relocate to a more concealed position.
- Movement can alert those searching for you, so be sure to wait until they're far enough away that they can't hear your footsteps.
- Instead of rushing to a new hiding spot, move slowly and quietly. It may seem counterintuitive, but moving carefully helps prevent making noise and reduces the risk of stumbling or knocking something over.
Find a Hiding Spot Inside the House
Crawl under the bed. If you're in the bedroom and need to disappear quickly, crawl under the bed. Lie flat on your stomach or back and remain still. When someone peeks into the room, they won’t notice anything unusual.
- If the bed has tall legs, the person may spot you or see your shadow.
- Hiding under the bed is a common tactic, so be ready to flee if you're discovered.
Hide inside the wardrobe. A wardrobe can be a reliable hiding place. It's spacious enough for most people to fit in, and sometimes there are coats or other clothing items that can help conceal you. Since wardrobes are seldom opened, the person searching for you may not think to look there.
- Open and close the wardrobe door carefully to avoid making noise.
- If you're playing a game of hide-and-seek and the stakes are high, avoid hiding in the wardrobe unless there’s no other option. It's a rather predictable hiding spot.
Hide behind the sofa. If you hear someone coming into the room, quickly crouch down behind the sofa and kneel to minimize your profile. They may glance over and move on, assuming you're not there. Make sure the sofa is facing the door so you aren’t exposed.
- If there's no long sofa available, you can also curl up behind a loveseat, armchair, or even a mattress.
- The back of a sofa is completely open, so this is not a good long-term hiding option.
Squeeze behind the curtains. Slide into the gap between the curtain and the window, then pull the curtain down in front of you. Stand straight and keep your arms close to your sides so that no suspicious movements give away your hiding place.
- Your feet will often be visible beneath the curtain, so consider relocating after a short while.
Jump into the bathtub. If the bathtub has a solid door, close it. Otherwise, lie down and hide behind the side of the tub. If the person searching just takes a quick glance around, this could be an effective hiding spot.
- Don't jump into a shower stall with clear glass doors, as it won't hide you at all.
- Be careful not to knock the soap or spill shampoo bottles in the tub; you could easily get caught!
Squeeze into a tight space. If you're small enough, look for nearby closets, wall niches, or bookshelves in concealed areas where you can slip into. Most homes have a few hidden nooks, so you'll likely have options, even if they are cramped.
- Some clever hiding spots include storage trunks, cardboard boxes, and laundry baskets.
- Never hide in a locked container or one that requires unlocking. You could get trapped inside, risking suffocation, especially if you're alone and no one can hear your cries for help.
- Never attempt to crawl into a space that's too small for you. If you get stuck, the situation could turn worse than simply being found.
Go up to the attic or down to the basement. These areas are often cluttered with boxes, old furniture, and hidden corners, making them perfect for hiding. Generally, no one wants to bother searching behind, under, and around every piece of furniture, so you might go unnoticed.
- Many people are afraid of attics and basements, which means they won’t even bother checking those spaces for you.
- Attics and basements are often dusty, so make sure to breathe through your mouth to avoid sneezing.
Hide outdoors.
Climb a tree. Look for trees with thick foliage – they offer excellent coverage. Because your hiding spot will be much higher than an average person's line of sight, the seeker is likely to focus on the ground, trying to guess where you’ve gone.
- If you're sitting on a low branch, avoid dangling your legs in a place where they can be easily spotted.
- As with any hiding spot, stay silent and still. The rustling of leaves could give away your position.
Hide in the bushes. You don't necessarily need to crawl into the bushes. In most situations, simply crouching down and hiding behind them will suffice. Just like hiding in a tree, avoid making any sudden movements that could cause the bushes to shake and give away your position.
- Be cautious with thorny bushes or plants with sharp leaves. You might end up scratched while climbing in and out.
Hide in the garage or shed. These areas are usually dark and a bit intimidating, which means the person searching for you may hesitate to venture in. The best part is that these places often have many tools, vehicles, and machinery around that you can use to hide.
- Don't hide in someone else's garage or shed. You could get into trouble if you're caught trespassing.
- Don't hide under cars, whether they're sedans or trucks; it's not the best idea.
Hide under the porch. Many houses have spaces beneath the front or back steps that were built to store things. Look for a way to sneak under the porch of the house you're hiding in. You might spot a small door or gate, or perhaps find a gap along the side of the house to slip through.
- Be mindful of dangerous creatures when hiding under a porch. These dark and damp spaces often house snakes, spiders, rodents, and other creepy critters.
Lie still in a pile of leaves. Fallen leaves make a perfect natural camouflage. You can dive into a freshly raked pile of leaves and cover yourself up completely. Your friends will never suspect a thing—unless, of course, you decide to jump out and scare them!
- Toss a stone or poke the pile with a stick before hiding to make sure no wild animals are hiding in there.
- Leaf piles can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, especially when they're wet, so avoid covering your face and don’t stay in there too long.
Hide in the darkness. Darkness is the ultimate hiding place. If there’s no other place to hide, rely on the cover of darkness, where you can become invisible to the seeker. Even if you’re not entirely concealed, you can still blend into the surroundings and sneak from one spot to another.
- Wearing black clothes also helps you blend in with your environment.
- If the person searching is carrying a flashlight, try to find something large to hide behind when they approach.
Advice
- If you're playing outside at night, avoid venturing too deep into the forest. You might get lost!
- Use decoys to mislead anyone tracking you. You can place some pillows under the blanket on your bed to make it look like you're sleeping, or create an impromptu scarecrow by hanging some clothes on a coat rack.
- Generally, the saying 'If you can’t see them, they can't see you' is good advice. However, there are exceptions, so be sure to think carefully when choosing your hiding spot.
- If possible, scout out the area first to identify potential hiding places.
Warning
- Never hide in dangerous spots such as a washing machine, dryer, or the trunk of a car. If something goes wrong, you could get trapped or even injured.
