Fun | Why we play Peek-a-boo with our babies?

Where's Romé, where's Romé …. There's Romé!  Where's Romé, where's Romé …. There's Romé! And giggles will follow.  What is this about this silly game that fascinates babies so much? It's played all over the world and babies just love it!.

For those who don't know what I am talking about, here's how it works - You cover either the baby's face with a cloth {or something else} or your own face with your hands. While covered up you say: 'Where’s Baby, Where's Baby…" and then uncover the face and go 'There's Baby!'.  Quite simple, but when they see your face, their facial expressions will vary from puzzled or shocked to happy or excited.  This, of course, is the entertaining part for the parents and as soon as you get a good reaction out of them you will go again! Later on they will start to take the cloth off and peek out themselves and will even challenge a game by covering themselves up with the cloth!

Romé is the perfect age {7 months} for the game now and plays along. When covered, she would stretch her little neck out, lift her chin up and kick vigorously with her feet until her eyes appear at the top of the cloth {I suppose it is not dramatic enough for her when using her hands J}.  

Although it is fun to play, it also teaches your baby about permanence.  Have you ever left a room while your baby was playing all happily, and as soon as you’re out the door she bursts into tears? Babies don't have a sense of permanence, which means that if they don't see you, they think you are gone. {Now it makes sense, right?}

There are all sorts of educational toys and flip-up books that accomplish the same thing. Those books where the frog hides under the leaf and you need to lift up the leaf to reveal the frog? - That's the ones to look out for.  I found these soft, foam-ended books with shapes that you can take out and put back in. These are great for Romé as it won't hurt her and the pages can't be torn either {they do like to chew on it by the way :-)}. 

You can tweak the game as you like, even if you hide behind somebody else and appear again. When you see the faces that the parents pull {incl myself}, it is not surprising that babies find it amusing ;-). Be creative, go out there and have some fun with this classic game! Peek-a-boo!