Peekaboo and Cognitive Development

One of Rocco's favorite games is playing peekaboo. We play it in many ways. Sometimes, we hide from the door, or we hide from the back of the one carrying him. Other times, we hide our face in the blanket, or using our hands. Each time is always a hit! I guarantee that playing peekaboo would always elicit so much laughter from Rocco. Priceless talaga!

Lately, I was surprised because Rocco initiated the game on his own. Unlike before when we start the game and just get a reaction from him, now, it's him hiding his face from us. One time, he caught the edge of the curtain in our room and hid his face there, and then showed us his face again while doing the peekaboo expression. So funny!

Last weekend, he discovered another way of doing peekaboo! He got his inflatable log toy and started peeking through the plastic. When I peeped through the other side, he hid his face and laughed!! Good thing we caught it on the camera.

Now before we think that playing this game is just a way to elicit laughter in babies, Peekaboo is actually a very significant cognitive developmental milestone.

According to the blog www.laurainthesky.com:

"At approximately 8 months of age, a baby develops what is known as object permanence. Put simply, this is when the baby is able to understand that people and objects are permanent. The best way for me to explain object permanence is to give a simple example. Imagine a baby crying because you took a toy away from them- The baby without object permanence will continue to cry. A baby with object permanence will understand the toy is still there, and might look for it, or cry and scream increasingly in attempt in such a way that is sort of demanding that you give them back their toy. This is because they understand the object is still existing somewhere, just not within site.

Object permanence is an important cognitive development for your baby. Aside from promoting an essential cognitive development that will carry on and prepare you for the rest of your life, peekaboo play has many other benefits:

• Reinforces the bond between a parent and a child. Peekaboo play creates an intimate, positive, one on one play experience for you and your baby.
• Gives your little baby an opportunity to engage socially, and to communicate with the adult through smiling, laughing and baby talk.
• As your baby gets older you can take turns surprising each other through peekaboo play. This gives your baby a chance to practice taking turns in play, and will help to prepare them to play with other children.

I'm so excited to witness the other milestones that Rocco will achieve. Looks like walking on his own is his next target! :)