Week 13: Peek-a-boo

I have been a Mommy for 13 weeks...Go Me! Now that I have passed survival mode and moved into a semi-comfortable level of Mommyhood I have started to wonder what to do with Chiara now that she is awake for longer periods of time. I found an awesome book called Slow and Steady Get Me Ready with activities for every week from birth to age five...the only thing is some of them are way old-school (like using spools from thread). I decided to adjust some of them and also start posting one game every week on this blog along with what it helps develop as a way to track what I'm doing with Chiara (and to use as a reference for baby #2). If anyone has suggestions on any of the games or has tried them let me know what you think. Also, just so you know...everything that I have read says that repetition is the key with babies so just know that these are games that can be(and should be) played over and over...sometimes many times a day...just because you are sick of it doesn't mean baby is! Additionally most of the material here is not my original idea...because let's face it, I am not the most creative person...this is just a chance for me to motivate myself to play with my baby and for that Mamarazzi part of me to have more opportunities for cute photo shoots!

Researcher Jean Piaget coined the term "object permanence" (also called "object constancy"), but parents have long recognized it as what puts the fun in peekaboo. Babies who've developed object permanence (typically between 4 and 12 months) look for a toy or person hidden under a blanket because they have come to realize it still exists even when they can't see it.

There are many ways to play peek-a-boo. The classic version is to cover your face with your hands for a few seconds and then open your hands and cry, "Peek-a-boo!" The full-body version involves hiding from a baby (by ducking under her crib or behind the door) and then popping out and yelling, "Peek-a-boo!". Blankets can be put over baby to teach her to pull it off (a safety plus to fight suffocation) or over Mommy's face. Another favorite is to walk around a sitting baby making silly noises increasing volume when coming into baby's vision.

Babies love peek-a-boo for a variety of reasons. First, who wouldn't like seeing a grown-up act so smiley, energetic, and ridiculous? The peek-a-boo-playing adult turns his whole attention to a baby, and all babies love receiving undivided attention. Babies are also naturally attracted to human faces, and peek-a-boo puts your face close to his. Babies also love smiles, which are a large part of the game, and babies love the sound of a grown-up's voice. That sing-song "peek-a-boo" is fun for them to hear. Additionally, peek-a-boo is fun because of the element of surprise. A baby doesn't know exactly where or when a beloved face will peek through closed fingers.

There is something positively thrilling to a baby about being surprised in this way.
Understanding this concept, also known as object permanence, is an important milestone, and signals that your baby is making leaps in cognitive development — both his memory and his ability to think abstractly are growing.

This week's game uses all the best parts of peek-a-boo. Draw a large face on a paper plate. The face can be funny and should only be on one side. Show baby the face. Turn it over and show the baby the blank side. Turn it back over (from left to right) and say "Peek-a-boo! I see (baby's name)." as the face gradually comes into view.



This simple game is making baby aware of the front and the back of an object. Also baby's eyes follow the movement of the face, thus visually training them from left to right (reading skills at 3 months!)

This activity develops:
More awareness of a face
Awareness of the concepts front and back
Motivation by initiating a purpose for observing
Visual tracking left to right
Awareness of name
SMILES :)