Peek-A-Boo

Now let’s look at peek-a-boo from a young child’s point of view. When an adult hides his face, the baby thinks about the situation very differently. The adult might really be gone! Peek-a-boo helps children learn that something can be hidden from view but still exist in the world. If we slow the game down, it may look something like this:
I can’t see Daddy’s face. (making an observation)
Where did he go? Is daddy still there? (asking a question)
I’ve played this game before, and I think he’s still there. (creating a hypothesis)
Let’s see . . . Peek-a-boo! It’s great to see Daddy again! (testing hypothesis)
I was right. Daddy can hide his face, but I know he’s still here. (evaluating the evidence)
By playing peek-a-boo, children test their ideas about things that disappear. Over time and with evidence from many games, children learn that objects still exist even when they’re hidden from view.

Along with being fun, peek-a-boo also teaches babies the concept of object permanence, which occurs somewhere between the ages of 4 and 12 months. A baby learns that even if something is out of sight, it still exists.
Finally, a baby will quickly learn to play peek-a-boo back at you, covering his face with his hands or his head with a shirt. When he reveals himself and giggles he is making a joke — you thought I was gone but here I am! Ta-dah!