Small Spaces

As a grown-up, I wonder what makes kids love hiding in small, hidden spaces. Are they nostalgic for the womb, where every need was met?

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“HA!! FOUND YOU!!”

All of us cousins chortle as one of them finally discovers me scrunched into a corner of the upstairs bathtub, hiding behind a shower curtain.

Hide-and-go-seek is one of our favorite games. I’m pretty clever at it: I find those hiding places right under their eyes, like standing behind an open door as they frantically search a room.

Now, as a grown-up, I wonder what makes kids love hiding in small, hidden spaces. Are they nostalgic for the womb, where every need was met, and no one ever yelled at them?

Some children, especially sensitive ones, become overwhelmed by too much noise and action around them. Hiding somewhere small and quiet provides welcome relief from the madding crowd.