Cynical Parent

Kids love imaginary play.  Whether it’s playing “house”, driving a racecar, or building a fort, they love anything that seemingly connects them to what they see from adult, in books, or on TV.  Our kids absolutely love their play kitchen, which prompted us to do a little bit of research on the best wooden play kitchen for kids.

Why wooden? Wooden toys have a few key benefits over plastic or metal:

They are more durable and last longer, they are safer for kids, they’re environmentally friendly, and over time, wooden toys are less expensive (because they rarely need to be replaced).

Let’s take a look at what’s out there.

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Spring has arrived! That means more time outdoors enjoying the warmer weather on sunny days, and more time trying to keep your preschoolers occupied indoors when spring storms hit. Fortunately, there are plenty of spring activities for preschool kids that are fun and totally engaging!

Even better, there are tons of spring activities for preschoolers that require little to no planning and minimal supplies. In fact, many of the supplies you can find in your pantry or outdoors in nature.

Plus, most spring activities can be completed outdoors so you can embrace the beauty of the season (and keep your home clean).

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The Nugget is currently one of the hottest kids’ products on the market.  It appeals to all ages – babies, toddlers, younger and older kids, and even adults.  It became so popular, that it spent most of 2020 sold out.  Every time it would come back in stock it would sell out in seconds (which prompted us to write an article about Nugget couch alternatives).  But we’re here today with our official Nugget couch review.

Personally, we own two Nuggets at home, so we’re prepared to give you both the good and the bad, from first hand experience.  We’ve also been connected with dozens of parents who own the Nugget and have seen how different families use it.

We’ll start with this – the hype is real and it’s there for a good reason. But there are still a few things you should know before deciding to get one.

Let’s get into it.

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It’s that time of year again.  You’ve spent years dealing with Valentine’s Day with your significant other – some people love it, some people feel it’s just a Hallmark holiday excuse for buying cards and flowers.

And then, eventually, your kids enter this world. And they have to do Valentine’s Day too.  

I may be a little cynical at times (ha, yes, that’s the name of this blog), but I think Valentine’s Day is a fun opportunity for preschoolers and kids in general to do different crafts and start to explore the art of giving and receiving gifts.  It doesn’t need to have a romantic element.

Of course, we’re hot off of the holiday season, so your kids are likely well-versed in the gift receiving department.

With all of that said, we’ve rounded up a bunch of great (and easy) Valentine’s Day crafts for preschoolers that your kids will definitely enjoy.

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If you’ve been lucky enough to snag a Nugget couch, you might find yourself wondering about what you can do to enhance your Nugget play experience. We’ve written at length about various Nugget accessories, but what if you want to make some changes to the way your Nugget looks?

The company that makes the Nugget does sell extra cover sets, and as you may know, they have a pretty wide variety of colors.  The problem is, outside of special, limited release cover sets (that typically sell out right away), all of the designs are solid colors. 

They’re nice, no doubt, but if you were looking for a special pattern or a color they don’t have, you’d normally be out of luck.

Fortunately, we’ve done a bit of research and have tracked down some places where you can buy custom Nugget covers that are different from the official standard colors.  (Keep in mind, these are designed and manufactured by third parties, not the Nugget company itself.)

Here’s what we were able to find.

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I read somewhere recently that non-furry pets were becoming more popular again with kids, so I started doing some research around which types of pets are recommended (mostly reptiles).  For this post, I’ve decided to focus on the best snakes for kids to keep as pets, because snakes are often a pretty polarizing reptile. 

Some are poisonous and life-threatening; others are harmless and perfectly fine for a pet.  (There are actually over 2,500 different species of snakes, which I had no idea about!) 

If you’re considering a snake for a pet, there are a few important things you need to know.  Keep reading, and we’ll cover all of that including which are the best snakes for kids.

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Peace and quiet…something all parents can appreciate.

When you have a preschool-aged child running around, however, those moments are few and far between. Some kids are non-stop until bedtime.

While it’s tempting to sit them down to watch TV or a movie – and don’t get me wrong, that’s a good idea sometimes – it’s nice to find something a little more engaging for them to do.

So, as we usually do, we searched the depths of the internet and found over 20 great, and more importantly, quiet activities for preschoolers.

Check out the full list below!

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We’ve written about Nugget alternatives before, but now we’re going to take a look at a new Nugget alternative contender: The Figgy.  In a comparison of the Figgy vs. Nugget, which play couch should you buy?

If you haven’t heard of the Figgy, it’s new to the rapidly growing play couch scene.  Play couches to a certain extent have been around forever, but when much of the world experienced a “stay at home” order in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, play couches (and the Nugget in particular) exploded in popularity.  Kids are playing at home more, and the Nugget ended up being a great solution for parents.

But with the popularity of the Nugget, the demand far exceeded supply and parents everywhere were left fighting for Nuggets.  Whenever they would restock, they would sell out within seconds.  They’ve since increased production capacity and have begun selling more on backorder, but the increased demand has opened the door to new options such as the Figgy.

Let’s compare the two and see what’s right for you.

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Here in the Midwest, there are several months of the year when it is cold and there is plenty of the white stuff.

Snow is a four letter word most of us have a love/hate relationship with.  It’s pretty and fun to play in, but it can also be a hassle (driving can be a major pain in the ass). And sometimes, when old man winter is feeling especially generous, it means you’re stuck in your house for a while.

Fortunately, this makes me an “expert” on finding fun snow day activities (since I’ve been snowed in more than a few times myself!).

So, if you are dreading that first good snowfall and the inevitable school “snow” days, fear not! Here are 10 insanely fun snow day activities for you and the kids this winter!

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Whether you’ve been able to grab an actual Nugget or one of the Nugget alternatives, you’re probably wondering what the best Nugget couch accessories are.  You know, the things that can really take Nugget play to the next level.

Aside from buying more pillows, Nugget (the company) themselves don’t actually sell any accessories.  And let’s be honest: if they did, they would probably be sold out right now given how hot this play couch is.  

We did some digging around though – looking through Pinterest, Instagram, etc. to see what other people are using to maximize playtime with the Nugget, and compiled it all in a nice little list.  

Let’s get to it!

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