Hide and Seek is one of children’s favourite games. Whether it is played indoors or outdoors, it is great fun! And as our delightful children’s greeting card, ‘Hide and Seek’, shows, adults love to join in the game.
The Goldcrest Gallery Children’s Corner collection features ‘Hide and Seek’, an original vintage design drawn in pen and ink, and painted in watercolour. The picture shows a little family of mice playing at Hide and Seek in their country cottage. The artist has used a subtle palette of green, blues and purples, with a sunny yellow background. Wooden floors, cupboards, stairs and beamed ceilings highlight the rustic cottage charm. Children will enjoy the little details in this scene: a framed wedding picture on the wall, a bunch of dried flowers, a basket, candlestick and pottery bowl of purple tulips.
Playing at Hide and Seek
Everyone knows how difficult it can be to keep still and quiet in a hiding place. As the searchers hunt high and low, the excitement builds. How long will it be before all the hiding places are discovered? Who will be found first? So Papa Mouse whispers, “Sssh!” to his little daughter, who is about to speak! Her brother crouches behind the curtain, with a hand over his mouth to keep himself perfectly silent. Even a tiny doll mouse is motionless!
And now Mama Mouse begins to look for the others. Baby Mouse is helping her to search. No, nobody is in the linen cupboard. And no one is behind the little curtain over the sideboard. Where can they all be?
Composition
The picture is designed in two halves. One side shows the busy searchers at work. Behind the long green curtain, in the other half of the picture, a group of three mice are hiding. This composition emphasises the opposing objectives that the players have in the game – one side has to search, and the other has to hide. The dividing curtain highlights the different emotions that they experience. The seekers feel eager and sharp-eyed, but the hidden mice feel tense and secretive.
This lovely card reminds us of how it feels to join in a game of Hide and Seek. We remember what it is like to be the one searching, and recall the excitement of trying to stay hidden. Children will soon spot Brother Mouse’s little tail protruding from under the curtain. Surely it won’t be long now before Baby Mouse finds him!
The Reverse of the Card
On the reverse of this delightful card, there is a cute pen and ink sketch, showing more of the Hide and Seek game. Mama Mouse and her two daughters are looking for their big brother. Is he under a blanket? No! Is he in the grandfather clock? No! Meanwhile, children share Brother Mouse’s delight in his clever hiding place, up on a high shelf. A witty poem helps to describe all the fun!
‘Hide and Seek’ is available as a 7″ x 5″ greeting card, priced at £2.75, from Goldcrest Gallery Children’s Corner.