The fascinating reason you loved peek-a-boo

Want to explore the science behind peek-a-boo even further? One place to start is with Jean Piaget’s original work on cognitive stages The Origins of Intelligence in Children. It’s not a short read, but it dives deep into object permanence, social smiling, and a whole lot more. For a more modern perspective, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has collected tons of resources on how the infant brain develops as well as the role of serve and return interactions. For more on why young kids are, uh, not great at hide and seek, check out this article. And finally, if you’re looking for practical insights on how simple games like peek-a-boo build lifelong communication skills check out Zero to Three, an organization dedicated to researching early childhood development.