Peek-a-boo!

(Babies)

You will need

All you will need is a scarf or light material, though your baby will still be engaged and amused by you using your hands to cover up your face.

For Hide and seek - the only resources that you will need is a safe environment familiar to the child to hide in and about.

What to do

1. Cover your face (with your hands or scarf). Your baby will think that because they can no longer see your face, you have gone
2. Open your fingers or remove the scarf and reveal your face, saying "Peek-a-boo, I see you!"
3. Encourage your baby to do the same to you!

Top tip: Repeating the game and saying, "Peek-a-boo! I see you!" each time is comforting and helps your child build their object permanency skills (knowing that you are still there, even if you can't be seen and are covered up)

Skills your child will learn

Babies often start with covering their face or head. This could be with a hat or scarf, not realising that the rest of their body is visible to the seeker.

Later, as their skills develop, they hide in obvious places. They want to be found at this stage. The thought of not being found is frightening to them. They may giggle as you get near to them or jump out before they need to.

Hide and seek develops from Peekaboo as your child understands object permanence, when they understand that you will return.