A towel held up in front of the parent's face, the child's name called from behind it, then the towel drops: 'There you are.' The child hides next and the parent searches with the same words. The pause before the reveal teaches something concrete — that things still exist when they can't be seen.
What you need
- towel or flannel
How to do it
- 1Where are you? I'm hiding behind the towel.
- 2Drop it: 'There you are.' Wait for the laugh — it always comes.
- 3Give the towel to them. You search now. Ask: 'Where did you go?'
- 4Let them control the reveal. Watch what they do with that power.
Variations
- Korb-Tür: If they won't hold the towel — just drop it yourself repeatedly. The reveal is the magic, not the hiding.
- Ausstieg: One final hide. 'I can still hear you even when I can't see you.' You search more slowly. Find them gently. Hug on reveal.
💡 Parent tip
The pause before the reveal is where the developmental work happens, not the drop. Hold the towel a beat longer than feels natural. The child's face in that moment of anticipation is worth watching.
What your child develops
- Object permanence — the understanding that things exist even when hidden is one of the first major cognitive milestones
- Anticipatory joy — the pause before the reveal builds emotional regulation through manageable suspense
- Sound localisation — orienting toward a voice behind a visual barrier engages a different sensory pathway
Safety notes
- Never leave children unattended in the bath.
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