Book Love: Experimenting with Babies

S gave me the book Experimenting with Babies: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform on Your Kid, by Shaun Gallagher for Christmas and I just got around to reading it in the past few weeks.

I thought it was just going to be a funny/silly read at first, but I quickly realized that it gives really useful insight on how your child develops in the first two years. I was AMAZED to learn some of the things babies know/pick up on in just their first few months. For instance, they can recognize the difference between possible and impossible shapes. And, they understand basic rules of grammar before they can speak! There is also a ton of information on baby reflexes and instincts (such as the instinct to “help the helper,” or help someone who has helped them previously), and on their natural preferences (familiar faces, a capella music, child vs. adult faces). I would recommend this book to anyone who has a small baby or is about to have a baby, or anyone who is interested in child development at all. It really helps you realize how aware infants are.