Self Awareness with Peek-a-Boo
Parent plays peek-a-boo to help baby develop self-awareness, object permanence, and emotional expression. The agent guides the parent to observe baby's joy response, anticipation, and ability to remove the blanket — building cognitive and social-emotional skills.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Baby seated comfortably (supported if needed) facing parent. Light blanket or cloth within reach. Baby should be alert, content, and making eye contact.
How it works
- 1~35s
Cover your face with the blanket and say 'your child, where am I?' Wait just a second or two, then pull the blanket down and say 'Peek-a-boo!' with a big smile. Watch your child's face closely — does they smile, laugh, or show surprise? Do it two or three times and see if your child's reaction changes. Tell me what you see.
Watch for: Baby shows positive emotional response to peek-a-boo — smiling, laughing, or showing excitement when parent reappears.
- 2~30s
Now let's try it the other way. Gently drape the light cloth over your child's face — not completely, just loosely so they can easily breathe and move it. Say 'your child, where are you? Where did your child go?' Then wait a moment. Does your child try to pull the cloth off? Or do you need to remove it? When you lift it off, say 'There you are!' with excitement. What happens?
Watch for: Baby attempts to remove cloth from face, showing body awareness and emerging problem-solving.
- 3~40s
Let's play a few more rounds of peek-a-boo — you covering your face. This time, before you uncover, pause and say 'Where is you?' Count slowly in your head — one, two, three — then reveal. Do this three times. By the third time, watch your child carefully during the pause. Does they seem to anticipate you appearing? You might see leaning forward, reaching toward you, or increased excitement during the wait. What do you notice?
Watch for: Baby shows anticipation during peek-a-boo pauses, suggesting emerging understanding that hidden things still exist.