Through interactions with parents, repetitive play and a bit of peek-a-boo, a child's memory expands and learning begins. According to Developmental Specialist Dr. Brenda Hussey-Gardner, the first sign of memory in children comes when they understand object permanence near 6 months of age.

Once a child develops this form of memory, he can begin to learn other concepts. "As the child gets older, his memory becomes more sophisticated, and the scope and complexity of what he is able to learn expands," she says.

Peek-a-boo is more than fun and games when it comes to learning for infants because it helps the child understand object permanence. This cognitive development involves knowing that objects and people exist even when they can't be seen. Parents will know that their child is beginning to develop object permanence or memory when their child continues to look at a toy that they cover with a cloth.

Parents can encourage memory development through a variety of games. Hussey-Gardner suggests that parents can hide a toy under a washcloth and watch to see if their child looks away or continues to look at the cloth. If the child looks away, parents can take off the washcloth and say, "Peek-a-boo! Here's the toy!" If the child continues to look at the cloth, parents can ask, "Where's your toy?" and let the child try to take off the cloth by himself in order to find the toy.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.