Play & Learn: 1001 fun activities for your baby and child is the latest offering from Gymboree. It includes age-appropriate activities ranging from newborns to kindergarten-aged children. The 1001 suggestions are sorted across 11 distinct age groups to meet typical developmental milestones, and in nearly every case include parent explanations for the relevance and learning goals. As with other Gymboree books the design is engaging for parent and child, and the language used is simple without sacrificing information.

Now that I've expounded on what this book is all about, I can start raving about how much I love it! I have several recent offerings from the Gymboree library, and this is far and away the best of it. It covers every topic, including music, active play, arts & crafts, science & nature, family interaction, fun outings, and more. You'll learn how, even at the earliest stages, to teach a variety of skills while having fun doing things as simple as singing silly songs together. There are even some great suggestions for distracting your toddler before the grocery store tantrum hits full bellow.

I would strongly recommend this book for any parent, not just first timers. I would even go so far as to say you should get this one before any of the other Gymboree books, just because it is so wide-ranging and a great value for what you will get from it.