Tag: peekaboo

Outdoor Peekaboo

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Parents, let’s not forget the original purpose of peekaboo: to help a child remember that even when you disappear for a moment, you always come back! So here’s a fun outdoor variation on the game, in case you’re tired of hiding your face behind your hands at home.

While in the park, I first hid my face behind a big straw sunhat.

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Peekaboo! Veronika was immediately delighted.

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After a few rounds like this, I knelt down beside a picnic bench. I stayed where she could just see the tip of my head and she leaned forward eagerly from her stroller.

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Peekaboo! This was rewarded with huge smiles.

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She liked our final version best of all. I went behind the trunk of a nearby tree. Say peekaboo first from one side…

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…then the other.

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It was so fun to see her delight! Veronika loved guessing which side I would pop out from next. In sum, this easy game will take your next park stroll to the next level, for parent and baby both. You can try lots of variations, too, popping out from an umbrella, a playground slide, etc.

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Reverse Peekaboo

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Today, Veronika and I mixed up our games of peekaboo. Unlike in the past, this time she played peekaboo with me!

Okay, perhaps not really, but this is a super-cute variation. First, to get her comfortable with the idea, I placed a see-through scarf over my head. Where’s mommy?

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Peek-a-boo!

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Now I draped the scarf loosely over her head. She looked a bit confused but delighted.

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Where’s Veronika? Peek-a-boo!

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Needless to say, we played many rounds, with different colored scarves for variation.

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This game was also a reminder what fun these see-through scarves are for tots. Wad it into a ball and hand it to your child, and let the fun begin!

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Take Peekaboo To a New Dimension

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A few weeks back, we introduced peekaboo; now it was time to take the game to a new level! Peekaboo never gets old for babies, but as your baby gets older, you’re going to keep want to find ways to keep it novel and entertaining.

So whereas in the past I’ve draped a see-through scarf over Veronika’s head, today, I used an opaque (but lightweight) blanket. Prop your child up and drape the blanket over his or her head.

Quickly and gently lift one corner with a big happy, “Peek-a-boo!”

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Likely, you’ll get giggles and your little one will want you to repeat again and again.

Though to be honest, sometimes Veronika was more into the blanket itself, and the tactile feel of it over her head or in her hands.

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Then repeat the game with a favorite toy. “Peek-a-boo,” says her pudgy little bear.

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She eagerly awaited each reveal whenever the blanket hid the toy.

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When it appeared again, I’d greet it with, “There’s the toy!”

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As a reminder, there’s a purpose behind this classic. It’s one of the best and earliest ways to teach your child object permanence, so keep those peek-a-boos coming!

 

Introduce Peekaboo

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No doubt you’ve played peekaboo with your baby; by three months old, hasn’t every child engaged in this game at least once? It’s funny that this is one of the first games we instinctively play with babies, but there’s a good reason for it. Babies don’t yet understand that someone who leaves will come back (otherwise known as object permanence), so “disappearing” behind your hands for a moment and then quickly coming back helps cement the idea that a beloved caretaker exists, even when not in sight.

So with that science lesson out of the way, have some fun with peekaboo today!

To combine peekaboo with hand control, you can put a light scarf or towel over your face, then encourage or help baby to pull it free. Peekaboo, there’s mommy! The more surprised I acted, the greater Veronika’s enjoyment of the game.

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You can also get stuffed animal friends in on the game, covering gently with a scarf and then having a big reveal.

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We also played with flap books for extra peekaboo action. Where are the chicks? Peekaboo!

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Finally, I love playing peekaboo at the diaper table. A (clean!) diaper makes a perfect peekaboo toy. Hold the diaper up over your face, then – surprise! – reappear with a big smile. This one in particular gets a giggle from Veronika every time.

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