Peekaboo with a Scarf
A face disappears, a face comes back: the game that proves what leaves can return.
Peekaboo with a Scarf is a Montessori activity for a child aged 12 to 18 months. Area: Language. Time: 5 min.
What the activity builds
Build object permanence, the foundation of emotional security and language.
The materials
- A thin scarf, big enough to cover a face
- A comfortable spot, face to face
- Nothing else
How to do it, step by step
- Sit facing them, at their height.
- Put the scarf over YOUR OWN face, without saying anything.
- Wait a moment, then pull it away, smiling.
- Do it again, varying how long you wait.
- Then put the scarf over an object, and let them find it themselves.
The parent's role
Show once, then step back. Always start by covering your own face, never theirs: you're the one who needs to disappear and come back, so they learn the return is certain. Stop right away if the wait worries them.
Safety
⚠️ A scarf over a child's face is a suffocation hazard: it's YOU who covers up, never them, and the scarf stays in your hands. Store it up high the moment the activity ends, never in the crib.
You remain the sole judge of what is right for your child. These activities are offered for educational and recreational purposes: they do not replace medical advice or the guidance of an early childhood professional.
Ways to adapt the activity
- Easier: your hands over your eyes, no scarf.
- Harder: hide an object under the scarf and let them search for it.
- Extension: hide the object under one of two scarves, they choose.
Up next
More activities for a 12 to 18 months child.
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