Cynical Parent

When you’re shopping for baby toys, there’s an endless supply of options.  It’s almost overwhelming.  One toy that my kids always loved when they were babies is the activity table.  But which is the best baby activity table?

Like we usually do, we spent some time researching a bunch of different options.  There are just so many out there.

Like anything else, you typically get what you pay for, so we’ll go through a few different options – some that are more expensive, but we’ll also tell you what we think is the best baby activity table if you’re on a budget.

Let’s get to it!

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Does your little one love all things bug-related?

We’ve found 10 fun and creative bug activities for toddlers that we think will be a big hit at your house, especially as we get into the spring and summer months!

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Wooden toys have been popular forever, but over the last several years they have definitely seen a spike in popularity.  I never used to have much of a preference between wood vs. plastic – after all, there is plenty of plastic stuff that is high quality, and plastic allows you to do more from a toy design perspective.  So what are the benefits of wooden toys?

Are they higher quality? How does the cost compare to non-wooden toys?

What about durability?

We did a bunch of research around wooden toys and it’s pretty clear that there are in fact a lot of great benefits, including some you probably haven’t thought about.

Let’s get into it.

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More than ever, parents have been looking for ways to keep their kids entertained at home.  We’ve already covered several other options (the Nugget couch, play kitchens, snow day activities, etc.) but today we’re going to focus on the best indoor bounce house for home. 

When I was growing up, a bounce house was one of those rare things you only got to experience if some kid’s parents really splurged for a birthday party.  I certainly would never have dreamed of having one at my own house.

Times have changed. Now, you can own a bounce house, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Of course, like anything else, you get what you pay for and there are a wide range of bounce houses that vary in quality based on price.

We took a look through some of the best indoor bounces houses for home and selected ones from across the spectrum.  Ones with huge slides, ones that are smaller and less expensive, and a few in between.

Let’s go!

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We’ve already written quite a bit about the best wooden play kitchen for kids, but once you have a good play kitchen, the fun has just begun.  Imaginary play is MUCH more fun when you have the right accessories.  So what are the best play kitchen accessories?

We’re not going to lie, there is a LOT out there. Some of it is garbage quality. Some of it is high end – almost as good as the real stuff.  

We decided to look at all varieties, because even if you don’t go with the best (which is typically more expensive), your kids can still have just as much fun with the less expensive, budget quality accessories.

Let’s take a look at what we found.

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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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