Dopamine Please! Why Children Love Peek-a-Boo

July 29, 2024

Picture the scene….an 18-month-old pulling a blanket off her face filling in the verbal routine Peek-a-“Boo!” with smiles and lots of giggles. The look of pure joy on her face and the resulting joy on her caregiver’s face. Peek-a-Boo is the ultimate “serve and return” game encouraging repetition, connection and trust between a child and her caregiver.

Why does Peek-a-Boo bring so much joy between a child and her caregiver? Peek-a-Boo is an opportunity for a child to learn about object permanence. Object permanence is when a child understands that a person or object continues to exist even when they are not seen by the child. Peek-a-Boo teaches a child each time she plays the game, that the caregiver is still with her. This idea is practiced and practiced over and over again with glee!

While a child develops the understanding through LOTS of repetition (how a child learns new skills), her brain is rewarding her with a feel-good hormone called dopamine. Dopamine is the brain’s reward chemical which motivates the use of repetition, solidifies learning and helps create positive emotions that foster meaningful social interactions.

The BEST part though is the feeling of connection when the game of Peek-a-Boo is played with a child. The game focuses on three components 1) establish mutual attention, 2) act of hiding, and 3) uncovering and reappearance.

Caregiver considerations by age:

0-5 months – Caregiver is close and then far away with no actual hiding of his or her face. The focus is on sensory stimulation and pleasure of interaction.

5-8 months – Caregiver oversees initiating the three steps listed above and the infant will show anticipatory looking and smiling during hiding. Consider positioning the infant either on her tummy or on her back.

8-15 months – Infant initiates the steps and will reverse roles by the end of the first year. When the infant learns to crawl and walk, she can hide herself.

Peek-a-boo games and songs are an integral part of early childhood. Consider joining a music and movement class where your infant or toddler can experience the power of Peek-a-Boo in a group setting.

Concerns? Consult with a speech-language pathologist! Go to Book Now to schedule a Meet and Greet or email me. If not, here are some additional resources to help build your knowledge of the importance of Peek-a-Boo and other social games to promote connection and learning.

Resources

Molly Wright: How every child can thrive by five/TEDTalk

Serve and Return

The Significance of Peek-A-Boo in Early Childhood Development

References

Center for the Developing Child (n.d.) A Guide to Serve and Return: How Your Interaction with Children Can Build Brains. Retrieved from: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/guide/a-guide-to-serve-and-return-how-your-interaction-with-children-can-build-brains/

Fernald, A. & O’Neill, D. K. (1993). Peekaboo across cultures: How mothers and infants play with
voices, faces, and expectations. Parent-child play descriptions and implications (Ed. K. McDonald).
Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Galinsky, E. (2010). Mind in the making: The seven essential life skills every child needs.
HarperCollins e-books.