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Backyardigans
[amazon_link asins=’B001NGPLA4,B003MEBTYW,B003P5GDM6,B003PVBJL0′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’47b9e070-40bd-11e7-9175-efbf230205ba’] This is a Nick Jr. cartoon that was very popular with our kids. The music is particularly good. 5 animal friends play together with a different theme (Egypt, under-the-sea, space, cowboy, etc.) each episode. The friends take turns being the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ and the overall tone […]
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Dinosaur Train
[amazon_link asins=’B00H540LD0,B003M986JI,B005MAG8SQ,B01KJ5ZFRS,B0194EXGU8,B004AR4VQ8′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c8a1fa43-40bb-11e7-b1f9-13a9ffc7cbc0′] This is a series run by Jim Henson’s daughter Lisa, who seems to be in charge of at least half of all children’s TV programming these days. You can watch the series for free at PBSKids.com or via the PBS Kids app (also free). Neither the site nor the […]
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Spiderman 1967 series
[amazon_link asins=’B0001I55O2′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’08afa41b-40bb-11e7-99fd-cfc1450c8bc4′] We watched a bunch of these on YouTube. They’re corny and dated but the kids loved them. And the old cartoons from the 60s seem so much less violent than those from other decades. The animation style is pretty simple, so older kids probably won’t be into it. But […]
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The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown
[amazon_link asins=’0307021416′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’14267f1c-3fe4-11e7-a719-333ac525808e’] This was my dad’s favorite book when he was a kid, but I didn’t know it until I happened to see it among a set of Little Golden Books at the grocery store. Little Golden Books were a big part of my childhood but lately the brand has been […]
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Robot Turtles board game
[amazon_link asins=’B00HN2BXUY’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e6f31b11-3fe2-11e7-ac5f-47259560c847′] This is a clever game that got a lot of media attention when it came out, touting its ability to teach STEM concepts, specifically logical thinking. The box says for ages 4 and up but I don’t think 4-year-olds are able to grasp all the rules of the game, […]
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Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! board game
[amazon_link asins=’B003G9QEGG’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ba76799a-3fe0-11e7-a4e5-7b688ea79bac’] This is based on a book by Mo Willems. None of us were familiar with his stuff until after we got the game, but that didn’t matter. The box says it’s for ages 3 and up, but the rules are too complicated for our 3-year-old. However, the board and […]
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LEGO Life magazine
LEGO has a free magazine that comes out 5 times per year. In some ways the thing is one huge ad, but the puzzles and activities (mazes, code-breaking, etc.) are pretty fun and our 6-year-old looks forward to it coming in the mail. The cost is free, but you do have to sign up for […]
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Ask magazine
[amazon_link asins=’B0160CLMWQ’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’69160609-3fde-11e7-b716-27b6d77d64cf’] I had never heard of Ask until we got it as a gift. It’s somewhat in the same vein as Ranger Rick, but with a much snarkier tone. There is Marvin, a raccoon character in Ask, but unlike Rick, Marvin is a bit of a jerk. There are no […]
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Ranger Rick Jr. magazine
[amazon_link asins=’B003I7HS5M’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’60c5fd88-3fdd-11e7-9c35-19d322f914de’] In this digital age, tangible media like postcards and magazines are special for children. I like magazine subscriptions as gifts because they continue being a part of the child’s life for months later. Ranger Rick Jr. is the version of Ranger Rick for younger kids and comes out 10 […]
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Wallace and Gromit
[amazon_link asins=’B003V8II2A,6303521517,B002RZ0V6E,B003V8IH26′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8d406508-3fd9-11e7-98d4-7d9ab68c2887′] I remember seeing “A Grand Day Out” at an animation festival around 1990, and then seeing “The Wrong Trousers” and “A Close Shave” a few years later. I was so thrilled by them (not least by the incredible chase scenes toward the end of ‘Trousers’ and ‘Shave’) that I […]
Matchstick
