
Toddlers are also keen on the game, especially when they can play peekaboo while hiding from you. 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.ĭon’t underestimate the power of peekaboo as your baby approaches her second year. 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. Another option is to hide yourself under a blanket and see if your baby can pull it off you. 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. 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. 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.Īs your baby grows and starts to "get" the game, try playing peekaboo by using toys. 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. When and How Your Baby Learns About Object Permanence 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. Playing peekaboo with your babyĪlmost any time baby is awake and alert (and well-rested and fed!) is a good time to play peekaboo. Now your cutie has a new way to show her surprise and delight. That said, once babies begin to laugh aloud (around 3 to 4 months), peekaboo becomes more fun for both of you. In other words, babies of all ages can benefit from peekaboo. By months 9 to 12, your baby will likely be able to play peekaboo on her own. Object recognition develops around month 3, and babies start to better understand the concept of object permanence by month 8. Is there a perfect peekaboo age? Not necessarily.

Plus, peekaboo helps reinforce object permanence, the idea that even though your child can't see something - like your smiling face - it still exists. 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. 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.
