Peek-A-Boo – An Easy Game that Helps Babies Learn!

Playing peek-a-boo with your baby is a fun little game that is easy to do, and is sure to make them giggle, but it’s also a fabulous way to help babies learn!

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Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that are the most fun. My one year old thinks a game of peek-a-boo is the most hysterical thing ever, and we all think his funny little laugh is the most hysterical thing ever, so we spend a lot of time playing peek-a-boo. And while it is lots of fun making the baby laugh, this simple baby game, that has been played for centuries is also a fabulous way to help babies learn!

What do babies learn when you play peek-a-boo?

Babies from around 3 months of age will enjoy playing peek-a-boo, and as they get older they will be able to engage more and eventually join in the game.

Here are some things your baby is learning when you play peek-a-boo:

• Object Permanence.
  This is the ability to understand that a person or object can still exist even though it can’t be seen. This develops between the ages of 4-7 months, so before then your baby thinks you have magically disappeared if they can’t see you. This is the peek time to play peek-a-boo with your baby!
• Language Skills
  The wait and respond pattern of the peek-a-boo game is the beginning of turn taking in conversations. Plus there are lots of opportunities for non-verbal communication, and imitation of verbal communication too.
• Motor Skills
  As your baby reaches and grasps a cloth to pull it from your face or theirs they are using lots of gross and fine motor skills, and working on co-ordination.
• Social Emotional Learning
  Peek-a-boo is a great way for babies to experience lots of emotions such as anticipation, surprise, and joy
  

Easy Ways to Extend or Vary the Peek-a-boo Game.

As your baby gets older they will be able to join in with peek-a-boo, copying your actions, then imitating the game on their own, and there are lots of fun variations of the game you can play.

You can add a simple rhyme to the game – we like to add this easy little chant:

“Peek-a, Peek-a, Peek-a-boo!
Peek-a, Peek-a, Peek-a-you!”

Playing peek-a-boo with a toy is a fun variation that babies love and is a great way to work on object permanence when it comes to things as well as people.

There are also lots of fun peek-a-boo books that reinforce the concepts and extend the game even more. Here are a few of our favorites: