TinyStepper
Child poking at a large ice block with colourful toys frozen inside

Cloth Peek-a-Boo Basket

Hide small toys under scarves in a basket for your toddler to discover.

Activity details

12m–2y8 minslowindoorBasket or BinScarves or FabricStuffed Animals

Instructions

Get ready
  • Gather a basket or bin and several small scarves or pieces of fabric
  • Collect a few small, familiar toys your child loves
  1. Gather a basket or bin and several small scarves or pieces of fabric
  2. Collect a few small, familiar toys your child loves
  3. While they watch, hide a toy under a scarf inside the basket
  4. Ask excitedly: 'Where did teddy go?'
  5. Encourage them to reach in and pull the scarf away
  6. Celebrate the discovery: 'You found it! Peekaboo!'
  7. Let them try hiding toys for you to find
  8. Vary the game by using multiple scarves layered over the toy

Parent tip

Set out basket or bin and scarves or fabric before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Toddler sitting back from a sensory tray looking calm and satisfied after focused play

What success looks like

Watch for focused exploration — fingers digging in, pouring back and forth, or sorting by feel. Even a few minutes of this builds concentration.

This enhanced peek-a-boo game supports object permanence, the understanding that things exist when hidden. Reaching into the basket, grasping fabric, and pulling it aside builds fine motor control and creates delightful surprise that toddlers want to repeat. The reveal-and-hide cycle also provides emotional reassurance for children working through separation anxiety.

Why it helps

This enhanced peek-a-boo supports object permanence — the understanding that things exist when hidden. Reaching, grasping, and pulling fabric builds fine motor control, and the reveal-and-hide cycle provides emotional reassurance for children working through separation anxiety. Zero to Three highlights that when toddlers experiment and discover how things work for themselves, they are building the thinking skills that underpin all later learning.

Variations

  • Layer multiple scarves over the toy for a multi-step reveal.
  • Use different textured fabrics — silk, cotton, fleece — for sensory variety.
  • Hide toys in different rooms and give simple verbal clues to find each one.

Safety tips

  • Use lightweight, breathable fabric that does not pose a suffocation risk.
  • Ensure all hidden toys are too large to be a choking hazard.
  • Supervise closely to prevent fabric being wrapped around the neck.

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