There are many variations of the Peek-a-Boo game.
Take a toy (a doll, a teddy bear etc.) and a scarf or any large cloth. Cover the toy with the scarf and ask your baby: Where is dolly? Can you find her? Then remove the scarf and exclaim: Peek-a-boo! Here she is! You can verify the game. Take the toy out of different parts of your body e.g. the head or an arm. Hide the toy behind you back and exclaim: Peek-a-boo! Now you see! Here she is! when taking it out. Or hide the toy in different places of you room thus encouraging your baby to crawl and move.
Cover your baby with the scarf and ask: Where is my Mary? Can I find her? Walk around the room looking into different places and pretending you don’t see your baby. Where could she be? Then take the scarf off the baby’s head and exclaim: Peek-a-boo! Here she is! Now I see!
This game makes your baby laugh and giggle. The more you play the more your baby laughs.
Say the rhyme while playing the game. Watch whether your baby tries to pull the scarf off herself.
Put the scarf on your head and let your baby find you. Ask: Where am I? Can you find me? When your baby pulls the scarf off your head exclaim: Peek-a-boo! Here I am! Now you see! You can hide behind the sofa, under the table etc.
Play over and over again.
Hide your/my/her head
Where are you? (say your baby’s name)?
Baby’s playing peek-a-boo!
Where is baby?
Can I find him/her?
Peek-a-boo! Here she is! Now I see!
You close your face with your hands, count 1 2 3, then open your face and cay: Peek-a-boo! You can verify the game with many other activities of hiding yourself. You can also hide you baby, toys and different objects in your room. And ask: Where are you? Peek-a-boo! Here you are! Where is the ball? Peek-a-boo! Here it is!
You can add silly sounds like: Where am I? Peek-a-boo! Here I am! Doo-dee-dee! Where are you? Peek-a-boo! Here you are! Blah-bloo-blee! And so on.
You should know
– Peek-a-Boo teaches a complex set of rules that help acquire the social skill of turn-taking.
– Language is taught as well as personal communication.
– The game develops eyes and neck muscles, as well as visual memory.
– Each time you are playing Peek-a-boo thousands more connections are being made between the brain neurons cells. These connections are best made in the first years of life and will serve a child for life in everything she does.
– This generates the type of excitement and a baby realizes that objects are still there even is she cannot see them.
– Peek-a-Boo gives your baby the security that things she loses sight of are still there and will come back. This increases her confidence in and connection with you.
– Peek-a-Boo games are very important in stimulating motor, language and cognitive child development.