Baby Not Laughing at Peek-a-Boo
The short answer
Most babies start showing delight during peek-a-boo between 6 and 9 months, when they develop "object permanence" - the understanding that things still exist when hidden. If your baby isn't laughing at peek-a-boo yet, consider their age and overall social engagement. Some babies prefer other games, and some show enjoyment through smiles or excited movements rather than laughter. What matters most is whether your baby is socially engaged with you overall.
By Age
What to expect by age
Very young babies don't understand peek-a-boo yet because they haven't developed object permanence. When you hide your face, it essentially disappears for them. They may enjoy face-to-face interaction, cooing, and social smiling, but peek-a-boo is not expected to be meaningful yet. Keep playing it - you're laying groundwork for when they're developmentally ready.
Around 4 to 6 months, some babies begin showing early interest in peek-a-boo - they may watch intently and smile when your face reappears. Full laughter during peek-a-boo is not always present yet. Your baby may react more to the playful tone of your voice than to the game itself. If they're smiling socially and engaging with you, they're on track.
This is when most babies start genuinely enjoying peek-a-boo - laughing, anticipating the reveal, and sometimes trying to pull the cloth away themselves. If your baby is 9 months and shows no response at all to peek-a-boo or similar interactive games - not even a smile or a look of anticipation - mention it to your pediatrician, especially if they're not engaging socially in other ways either.
By 9 to 12 months, babies should enjoy interactive social games and show anticipation. They might initiate peek-a-boo themselves or play it with a blanket. If your baby shows no interest in any social games at this age and also isn't making eye contact, pointing, or waving, a developmental check is warranted. But if they enjoy other games and just aren't a peek-a-boo fan, that's okay.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your baby is under 6 months and doesn't react to peek-a-boo yet - they haven't developed object permanence.
- Your baby watches peek-a-boo with interest and smiles but doesn't laugh out loud - some babies express enjoyment more quietly.
- Your baby prefers other games (like being bounced or tickled) over peek-a-boo - different babies find different things funny.
- Your baby laughs at peek-a-boo sometimes but not every time - the element of surprise fades with repetition.
- Your baby enjoys social interaction, makes eye contact, and smiles responsively, but peek-a-boo specifically doesn't interest them much.
- Your baby is over 9 months and doesn't respond to peek-a-boo or any social games - no smiling, no anticipation, no engagement.
- Your baby doesn't seem to notice or care when you hide and reappear - this could suggest difficulty with social engagement.
- Your baby rarely laughs at anything, not just peek-a-boo, and seems generally unresponsive to playful interaction.
- Your baby is over 9 months and shows no interest in social games, combined with limited eye contact, no smiling at people, and no babbling or vocalizing - this combination warrants a prompt developmental evaluation.
Sources
Related Resources
Related Speech Concerns
My Baby Is Losing Words or Skills
If your child was consistently using words and has truly stopped, this is something to act on promptly. Regression - the genuine loss of skills a child previously had - is different from a normal plateau or a toddler being too busy to talk, and it always warrants a conversation with your pediatrician sooner rather than later.
Baby Not Babbling
Babbling with consonant sounds like "ba," "da," and "ma" typically begins between 6 and 9 months and is an important building block for speech. Babies develop at different rates, but if your baby is not making any consonant sounds by 9 months, a hearing check is a good first step.
Baby Not Making Vowel Sounds
Most babies begin making vowel sounds - those lovely "oooh," "aaah," and "eee" sounds - around 2 to 3 months of age. This early cooing is one of the first steps in language development. Some babies are naturally quieter than others, but if your baby isn't making any vowel sounds by 4 months, it's worth checking in with your pediatrician to make sure hearing and development are on track.
Baby Not Responding to Own Name Consistently
Most babies start recognizing and responding to their own name between 5 and 7 months, though consistent response may take until 9 months. It's common for babies to sometimes ignore their name when they're focused on something interesting - this is normal. However, if your baby rarely or never turns when you say their name by 9 months, it's worth discussing with your pediatrician to check hearing and development.
Baby Not Turning to Sounds
Babies typically begin turning toward sounds around 4 to 6 months of age. If your baby isn't consistently looking toward voices or noises by 6 months, it's worth having their hearing checked. In many cases, something as simple as fluid in the ears can temporarily affect hearing, and early identification leads to the best outcomes.
Baby Is Very Quiet and Not Vocalizing
Some babies are naturally quieter than others, just like some adults are more talkative than others. However, all babies should be making some sounds - cooing by 3-4 months and babbling by 7-9 months. If your baby is very quiet and rarely makes any vocal sounds, it's important to have their hearing checked and discuss their development with your pediatrician. A quiet baby isn't always a concern, but it's worth investigating.