Hide and Seek

© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.

Play peek-a-boo games with babies to help them learn that things—and people—exist even when they can’t see them.

• Sit looking at a baby. Let him see you cover your face with your hands. Move your hands away and say, Peek-a-boo! After a while, he will begin to coo, reach, or wave in anticipation of your “peek-a-boo.” Play until he lets you know he has had enough.
• Let a baby feel a see-through scarf. Put the scarf over your head and ask, Where’s <your name>? Pull the scarf off. As the baby gets comfortable with the game, move closer and let him pull the scarf off. Try to switch roles and place the scarf on his head as long as he doesn’t show signs of being afraid.
• Place a blanket within a baby’s reach. Hold up and squeak a favorite squeak toy. Cover the toy with the blanket and squeak it again. Let him pull the blanket off and find the toy.
  • For an older baby, move the blanket out of reach. Cover the toy and squeak it through the blanket. Let the baby move toward the blanket and pull it off the toy.
  • As the child grows older, hide the object under the blanket and then, as he watches you, move it to another hidden place. Encourage him to find the object.

Be sure to talk with babies as you play hiding and finding games to help them learn concepts such as inside and outside and here and gone.