Peek-a-boo

Fabrics - you could use pillow cases or scarfs
Book
Toys
An enthusiastic tone and a smile

The Activity:

Sit facing your child and say: “We are playing Peek-a-boo!”
Hide your face with fabric or a book. Gently pull this away from your face.
Smile at your child and say: “Peek-aboo!”
You may want to play peek-a-boo with a toy. Pop it up from behind a book, table or piece of fabric. Or cover your eyes with your hands.
You may want to respond; “Where are you?” and “There you are”
You might find your child wants to cover their own head with the fabric, if so respond with “Where is …..?“ and then “There you are“.

Extending The Activity:

Holding your child in your arms, look together into a mirror and whist you talk and make faces observe both of your facial expressions.
Singing songs and rhymes with facial expressions and actions, making sure you always have eye contact with your child.
Hiding objects under a cloth or book and then revealing them from there, supporting your child to understand that if an object is out of site it does not mean it is gone.

Words to introduce during the activity to support language development

Boo
Where
Are
You
There
Gone

Through play and interaction, babies learn about the world around them. They learn how people interact with one another and develop social skills. Babies are intrigued by people or toys who temporarily disappear.

By encouraging eye contact, this activity can also help to develop attention skills and turn taking.