Gratitude peek-a-boo
1–2 yearsFamily ConnectionNo materials needed
Play peek-a-boo with a gratitude twist. After revealing your face, say thank you for playing with me or I appreciate you. Let your child hide behind their hands, then when they peek out, express appreciation for their smile or laughter. This familiar game becomes a vehicle for modeling grateful language. The repetition and fun make the words stick naturally in your child's growing vocabulary.
Part of the Imprint developmental journey — personalized to your child.
How to Do This Activity
Play peek-a-boo with a gratitude twist. After revealing your face, say thank you for playing with me or I appreciate you. Let your child hide behind their hands, then when they peek out, express appreciation for their smile or laughter. This familiar game becomes a vehicle for modeling grateful language. The repetition and fun make the words stick naturally in your child's growing vocabulary.
Why It Works
Toddlers are in a vocabulary explosion phase where rich language input directly correlates with language development. Embedding gratitude expressions in playful, repetitive games helps these words become part of your child's emerging vocabulary. Research shows that grateful children demonstrated better emotional regulation and stronger family relationships, with family gratitude practices predicting 25% higher family satisfaction (Ma et al., 2013). Starting gratitude practices through play during this language-rich developmental window builds habits that strengthen relationships.
Tips for Parents
Use the same appreciative phrases each time. Repetition helps language learning at this age.
Let your child lead the game sometimes. Follow their cues to keep engagement high.
Keep sessions short and playful. Toddlers have limited attention spans of three to six minutes.
Materials Needed
None
Learning Methods
Language-Rich EnvironmentImitation and Modeling
Loved this activity? Let us do the planning for you.
Imprint personalizes every activity to your child — their interests, their stage, the traits they're building — so playtime is more fun and every moment counts.
Science-backed. Private by design. No spam.