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The book  Baby Smarts: Games for Playing and Learning by Jackie Silberg is a simple, no-nonsense book with useful information. It outlines developmental milestones for babies 0-12 months of age, and then goes on to outline some extremely simple games (very few props required) appropriate to each age group. The games are divided by age group, and in the description of each game it lists the developmental milestone the game supports. It turns out, my son’s favorite game of rolling plastic cups all over the house is great for his physical development.

Baby Smarts: Games for Playing and Learning is a concise collection of how to support a baby’s physical, intellectual and social-emotional development. Most parenting books are much thicker, this one comes in at just over 120 pages. It would make a good gift for first-time parents of newborns or young infants, or even for important people in a baby’s life who haven’t been around a baby lately. Foster parents who may have the occasional infant placement may find it handy to have on hand. It’s small enough to fit in a purse or diaper bag, which makes it an easy cheat sheet when you are stuck waiting somewhere with a restless baby.

It’s nice to have a developmental checklist in the book, with specific activities that support some of the most important ones. I wouldn’t say that there is anything ground-breaking or new in this book, but it makes a good reference guide to see if your baby is on track and it has plenty of ideas on how to spend one-on-one time with your baby!