Experimenting with Babies: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform on Your Kid

I started buying this book for friends and family who are reproducing or who have recently reproduced, mainly because the title makes me giggle and the reviews are good. Turns out that it is like crack for new parents who are already fascinated by every burp, wiggle, and wide-eyed blink that emerges from their offspring. It gives them more to do with the infant than just stare at it and make odd, high-pitched sounds. The only drawback is when they want to tell you all about the results of the experiments as if I have read the book and know what they are talking about. They seem so excited about it that I don't want to burst their bubble, so I nod and smile and think about how much sleep I got the night before, and how I went to see a movie at a theater without weeks of planning. Results may vary.

This is my go to baby shower gift to my first time parent friends. They don’t have a lot of downtime once the baby is born, but they all tell me it’s a fun read and anticipation for the new arrival and a fun way to get to know the little one.

My WHOLE family loves this book. It is very informative. Although the name seems provocative and silly, this is a serious book for Anyone who wants to understand their child better.

This book is very interesting, and couldn't wait to give it to my friend, so she could start "experimenting" on her baby! There's lots of projects to try, some are more complicated than others, and the age range vs. amt of projects is at a good ratio. I also enjoyed that the projects have some background facts and information about them. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is because there seems to be quite a few experiments that repeat themselves, testing the same reactions, just using slightly different projects...that was kinda lame...However! Over all, this book is an interesting read. You'll likely learn a few things about the way human bodies change as they grow, and something about your experimentee as well!

I bought this book for a high school student who is interested in careers working with babies. I started reading a few of the experiments and ended up reading the book cover to cover. It's well written and very well organized, with adequate detail provided for conducting the experiments. The significance of each experiment is explained. Two other reviewers pointed out that there is no method offered for keeping track of a baby's responses and no bibliography which would provide a way to track down research that is mentioned. I figure most people will use a digital timer to record the amount of time a baby looks at each object presented, and a sheet of notebook paper will suffice for logging baby's responses. I, too, missed the bibliography, which would have been a nice addition. I loved the author's sense of humor. I'm going to get his other books, too. He has written about experiments for toddlers and for kids AND FOR SPOUSES (that should be a good one!) among other subjects. Please count me as a bonafide Shaun Gallagher fan!

YES YES YES! Purchased as a gift for an adorably geeky couple to celebrate the birth of their first child. Couldn't resist flipping through the pages before wrapping it up and found myself wanting to borrow a child to try the experiments. These "experiments" use a baby's natural & instinctual behaviors and traits (e.g: head turning with arm extension in a very young baby). None of evil, awful, or will cause harm. And, if anything, its a great way to entertain yourself as a new parent or childless friend that comes to visit! Highly recommend, especially as a fun baby shower gift.

We gave this to a pregnant science teacher at our school, and though we bought it as a gag looking for a laugh, it actually turned out to have some super cute ideas in it! The recipient LOVED it, and several of the new dads at the shower looked envious that they didn't have a book so they could "experiment" with their own babies. I will definitely gift this again! :D

There's a ton of cool new research on the inner thoughts of babies...when they develop a sense of morality, etc. I was hoping for more of those types of experiments. While there's definitely some of those types of experiments, there are also filler "experiments" which aren't particularly interesting - especially on newborns like "if you turn the baby's head, he will extend his arm out." Congrats, you just performed the fencing reflex. That being said, if you're a new parent or not familiar with the psychology of babies, it's still something to do besides singing "Old McDonald" for the thousandth time. The format is clear and easy to follow with age at which the experiment should be performed, the difficulty of the experiment and the takeaway. The experiments should get more interesting as the baby gets older so I'll continue using this book but maybe supplement with experiments I see on TED talks. .

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sadly i couldnt get it

We bought this for our newborn having seen it in a famous TV program, some amazing little experiments that are fun and engaging, brilliant book.

I am an engineer and for me, this is a must if you have a baby and a perfect gift.

„Experimenting with Babies“ ist ein unterhaltsam geschriebenes und überraschend informatives Buch, das aufzeigt, wie sich einfache, alltagsnahe Beobachtungen nutzen lassen, um die Entwicklung von Babys besser zu verstehen. Die Experimente sind nicht als echte Laborversuche gemeint, sondern vielmehr als spielerische Aktivitäten, die Eltern und Kind gemeinsam durchführen können, um Neugier und Lernprozesse zu fördern. Das Buch erklärt anschaulich, wie Babys Denken, Sprache, Motorik und soziale Fähigkeiten Schritt für Schritt entwickeln. Jedes „Experiment“ wird leicht verständlich beschrieben, ist sicher umzusetzen und basiert auf bekannten Erkenntnissen der Entwicklungspsychologie. Besonders positiv ist, dass viele Aktivitäten ohne Vorbereitung auskommen und gleichzeitig wertvolle Einblicke in die Wahrnehmung und Reaktionen von Kindern geben. Einige Leser könnten sich tiefere wissenschaftliche Hintergründe wünschen, aber gerade die Mischung aus Wissenschaft und alltagspraktischen Ideen macht das Buch so zugänglich und unterhaltsam. Empfehlung: Ideal für frischgebackene Eltern, die spielerisch mehr über die Entwicklung ihres Kindes erfahren möchten – oder für alle, die neugierig sind, wie Babys die Welt entdecken und verarbeiten.