Looking for a great game to play with your baby? That old standby peekaboo is still one of the best baby games ever invented. You can play it anytime, anywhere.
And because your parents played it with you, it’s not like you have to learn the rules to start playing it with your little one. Best of all, peekaboo has staying power and will delight your cutie well into toddlerhood.
What is peekaboo?
Peekaboo is a classic hide-and-seek game: You cover your face and uncover it while saying, “Peekaboo! I see you!” Another variation is to say “peekaboo” when you cover your face, and “I see you” when you uncover it.
No matter how you play it, peekaboo stimulates baby's senses, helps build gross motor skills, strengthens visual tracking, encourages social development and, best of all, tickles her sense of humor.
Plus, peekaboo helps reinforce object permanence, the idea that even though your child can't see something — like your smiling face — it still exists.
When do babies play peekaboo?
Is there a perfect peekaboo age? Not necessarily. Object recognition develops around month 3, and babies start to better understand the concept of object permanence by month 8. By months 9 to 12, your baby will likely be able to play peekaboo on her own.
In other words, babies of all ages can benefit from peekaboo. That said, once babies begin to laugh aloud (around 3 to 4 months), peekaboo becomes more fun for both of you. Now your cutie has a new way to show her surprise and delight.
Playing peekaboo with your baby
Almost any time baby is awake and alert (and well-rested and fed!) is a good time to play peekaboo. In fact, the more practice baby gets with games like peekaboo — ones that combine visual development, gross motor skills and social interaction — the better it is for her growing baby brain.
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You can play peekaboo with your newborn by covering then uncovering your face with your hands — newborns are fascinated by faces, and she would rather look at your face than anything else. Newborns are easily overwhelmed though, so watch her cues: If she turns her head to the side or startles at your "boo," take a break and try again later.
As your baby grows and starts to "get" the game, try playing peekaboo by using toys. By 9 months, your baby can likely look for objects she sees you hide, so conceal a favorite plaything under a pillow or blanket and encourage her to search for it, then reveal it with a flourish. Or try partially concealing a toy under a blanket, and see if your baby will reach for it herself — if she does, reward her with a big "peekaboo!" and lots of smiles. Another option is to hide yourself under a blanket and see if your baby can pull it off you.
Peekaboo is also a great way to calm any fussing during diaper changes — hide your face or your baby’s behind a (clean) diaper — or when you have to pull a shirt over her head. If your cutie starts to fuss when she’s at a restaurant, hide your face behind a menu or a napkin until your food arrives.
Don’t underestimate the power of peekaboo as your baby approaches her second year. Toddlers are also keen on the game, especially when they can play peekaboo while hiding from you.
What not to worry about
Around the same time that babies grasp object permanence, they typically begin to exhibit strong preferences for their caregivers. It's no coincidence that many babies start to develop separation anxiety as early as around 7 to 8 months, about the same time when object permanence really clicks in baby's brain.
A baby who cozily snuggled in a visiting grandparent's loving arms as a newborn might suddenly start crying whenever Grandma or Grandpa try to pick her up. Reassure them that it's nothing personal — it's just separation anxiety, the natural flipside of object permanence.
What's next in the milestone department? More baby games, of course! As your child's hand-eye coordination improves, she’ll be able to play patty-cake and other gentle interactive games like “Itsy Bitsy Spider." At first, you’ll be doing the hand and arm gestures, then you’ll be moving your baby’s hands and arms, and before you know it, she’ll be doing them herself.
The more often she plays these games, the more skills she’ll pick up — the give-and-take of socializing, matching words with actions, learning new words and finessing her finger and hand movements (also known as fine motor skills).
With her newfound skills, it won’t be it won’t be long until she’s scribbling and playing ball with you in her second year.
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