I must admit the wedding I went to on the weekend has put me into a reminiscing mood. I was watching all my cousins’ children running around and it reminded me of doing the exact same thing when I was their age. It also made me remember one of my absolute favourite games, which was a slightly different version of hide and seek. The name of the game (and I have no idea how this is really spelled!) was Aleasheo.
Someone would be the seeker and before the game started, there was a place that was allocated as home base. At Granny’s house it was always the side porch, and at my cousins’ place it was the hammock. Everyone would be given a set time to hide and then the seeker would try to find them. If they saw someone they would yell, “Aleasheo! I see XXX.” and that person would have to go back to home base.
Now here is the interesting bit. Once they got to home base, anyone who was still hiding could come and free them, by running up and tagging them. 
That meant the seeker had to keep an eye on home base, while also trying to find everyone else. The game didn’t end until everyone had been found!
It was always so exciting and nerve-wracking keeping an eye out for the seeker, while also trying to sneak to home base to free whoever had already been caught. It was incredible fun.
I remember one time when I was the seeker and I was absolutely bamboozled by how people I had caught could possibly be running free the moment my back was turned. Finally I discovered my father in the tree that the hammock (home base) was tied to!
The next generation of kids are almost at an age where they’ll be able to understand the game and I think I’ll be the one to teach them! 🙂
What was your favourite game as a child?
Photo Credits
P7270036.sm via photopin (license)
K and R hide via photopin (license)
