Peek-A-Boo! - Games For Babies, Knowledge For Adults

Peekaboo, also Peek-A-Boo comes from the Old French pique-a-beau, translating to resentment for one's lover, which accounts for the covering of one's face with the hands. This was often done to signal to others in town that the coverer was upset at the coveree for some indiscretion and that the offending party was to be dragged off by a mob and beaten with sticks.

It wasn't until after the great Migraine Plague of 1607 that the custom was modified after half of France was bludgeoned to death trying to cope with their headaches.

In the 18th century, it was the Dutch who decided to make Peekaboo a parlor game that could also be used as a social indicator. Only the host or hostess would cover their eyes. This gave guests the chance to bolt for the door if there was nothing but stale Cheetos* to eat. If the host or hostess removed their hands (a factor the French had not invented on their own), and the guests were still there, then they had a rocking party up in this hizzle@.

It wasn't until 1852 that the British, Lord Richard Pattycakes of Bristol in particular, reduced the game further, making it a game for babies by incorporating the now well-known phrase, "Peekaboo, I see you!"+ after removing the hands from the eyes.

This brought Lord Pattycakes considerable renown across the British Isles until he was defeated 3-0 by Simon Smythe the Younger. After his defeat, the details of which are not understood, or even conceivable, really, Lord Pattycakes self-exiled himself to Calais where the community beat him to death with sticks.

Soon after and through the 1890s, Irish immigrants brought Peekaboo with them to the United States, and the phenomenon immediately spread across the country to the western boundary of the then fledgling nation - Ohio^.

In the 21st century, Peekaboo still exists, but now simply as a game to entertain children and test their understanding of object permanence, which is a fancy way of saying that babies are not very bright%.

Some people persist in not removing their hands from their face after covering up to indicate an ugly baby. The proper thing to say in this case is - Oh mon Dieu, c'est un bébé vilain, le rire à haute voix, which translates to Oh my God, that's an ugly baby, lol#.

* - Yes, they did. Look it up.
@ - Which is Dutch for Chateau, which is French for Hizzle. QED
+ - The game was nearly lost in 1851 when Lord Pattycakes, struggling to find a popular catchphrase for the game came up with - "Verily, my friend, it seems I am the victor, for as I remove this veil from my eyes, it is clear to me, as it is to everyone in our presence, that I have, indeed, rediscovered your immediate proximity. Quite."
^ - Made you look.
% - Except, of course, your baby. He/She is a genius.
# - Really! I'm totally serious. You now know a French baby putdown.

How To Play:

1. You know the law: Two men enter, one man leaves.

2. Get to the weapons, use them any way you can.

3. You won't break the rules, because there aren't any.

No...that's Thunderdome. I confuse that and Peekaboo all the time.

Start over...

How To Play Peekaboo:

1. Place baby before you in a comfortable position.

2. Get baby's attention.

3. Place hands in front of your face.

4. Remove your hands from your face and say Peekaboo! (You may also make a surprised face, as if you didn't expect the baby to be there - you know, big eyes, big mouth, goofy look. The Dutch always used the surprised face).

5. Repeat.

That's about it.

Yes, this is a lens about those rules. A fully grown adult in one of the most powerful nations in the 21st century didn't know them.

Note: Don't play Thunderdome with your baby. It's really not fair. Even if they could get to the chainsaw, they couldn't possibly start it.

Feel free however to use those jumper swings you put in the doorway as Thunderdome trainers. They may need that training in the future.

Heh.

Peekaboo does have some elements that must be followed for proper enjoyment of the game. Consider these tips as necessary to both having a good time and being mindful of fellow players.

Do: use this as a formulative bonding game with your baby, or to kill time with someone else's baby. It helps develop a baby's processing and speaking skills.

Do not: steal babies for an underground, unlicensed Peekaboo ring in the Philippines. Babies are way too young to appreciate Filipino culture or tasty lechon.

Do: say "Peekaboo!" or "There you are!" when you remove your hands to give the baby verbal cues and to increase verbal interaction. It makes babies giggle.

Do not: scream "PEEKABOOOOOO!" in your hardcore/screamo voice. Babies make sad faces and start crying, and nobody wants that. It's WAY too loud and intense (the babies, not the screamo).

Do not: say "Pik-a-chu!" as you remove your hands. Nerd. The animal has a one word vocabulary. Don't ruin your baby from the get go.

Do: leave your hands over your eyes if it's an ugly baby. Speak in French if necessary.

Do: trust your friends whose baby you insulted, to drive you home with your hands stapled to your face and let you out, hopefully in front of your house and not in gang territory after midnight. Serves you right.

Do: make goofy faces when you remove your hands. It entertains the baby and gives you the opportunity to make goofy faces, and you like that.

Do not: use opportunity of putting your hands over your face to put on a scary kabuki demon mask to make the poor kid crap him/herself. This goes double if the kid isn't yours.

Do not: take any of this seriously. But thanks for reading so far.

Do: be an adult who knows what Peekaboo is. I mean, come on. Seriously.

The longest game of Peekaboo was played by Maria Castillo (mother) and Juan Castillo (son) of Spain in 1954. It lasted 3 minutes and 21 seconds before both parties called the game a draw.

This game also stands as the record for most reveals during one session - 80. At about one reveal every 2.5 seconds, this was a world record pace, but the team was considered ineligible for the 1956 Melbourne Games due to age restrictions and blood doping.