Are you looking for fun and new ways to use your child’s nugget play couches on cold and rainy days? This list of 22 fun and easy 1 and 2 nugget couch ideas will show you super neat ways to configure your nugget couch (or couches).
Play couches can be turned into everything from a crash mat to a slide, train, tent, cozy bed, tumbling mat, table, and more.
You can make a lot of fun configurations with just one play couch and even more fun configurations with 2 play couches. Scroll down for 10 fun one play couch build ideas and 12 fun two play couch build ideas.
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What is a Nugget Couch?
A Nugget is a soft foam couch made from four different pieces. There is one large and thicker rectangular piece that folds in half, a smaller and thinner rectangular piece that folds in half, and two triangular pieces that sit on top.
When it is set up it looks like a kid’s couch. The pieces are made out of a soft foam material and covered in microfiber covers that are machine washable.
The pieces can be moved around and set up any way. There is a handle on the large microfiber rectangle. They are called Nugget Play couches because that is the brand that makes them.
**There are a lot of other brands that make play couches. The builds shown below are made with one nugget and one Sam’s Club play couch. The Sam’s Club play couch has the same number and sizes of couch pieces.
Play Couch Build Tips
*The majority of the builds below are for one or two play couches. A few of the builds listed below also use extra materials such as a normal couch, a table, the stairs, or a wobble board. You do not need these things for all of the builds listed below.
*Some of the builds below are better for younger children and some are better for older children. Use your best discretion when building the builds. Do not make a large or high play couch build if your child is too young and cannot handle playing on it safely. You know your child and their capabilities best.
1 Nugget Couch Ideas
1. Standard Play Couch Build
This standard play couch is super simple and perfect for just about anything you desire. Makes a great and cute couch for a playroom or living room, a cozy spot to sit and watch a movie or read a book, or just a a fun area to play and jump on.
2. Cozy Couch Bed
The cozy couch bed is the perfect cozy spot to watch the movies. Lay out all of the pieces, add a pillow or two by the head and a blanket in the middle. Set it up next to the tv for the perfect cozy movie spot.
3. Tent on a Hill
This setup is the perfect setup for climbing up, hanging out, rolling down, and playing. Kids will love going up and down the wedge hill and hiding in the fun tent area.
Make sure to leave a little space between the triangles when balancing the top rectangle piece on so it doesn’t tip over the ends while in the tent.
4. Nugget Couch Tent
This build uses the rectangular pieces standing up next to each other. Add the two triangles on the top to make it look like a castle fort.
You can add a blanket covering the front and throw in a few pillows and a Toniebox or toys for entertainment and you have the perfect kid’s hideaway play fort.
5. Christmas Pine Tree Build
This build makes a fun holiday themed decoration while being a fun play area for kids at the same time. Build it up like a tree and play inside.
If you’re feeling extra festive you can add “felt” ornaments, garland, a star on top, and more. This build doesn’t just have to be for Christmas though. Makes a great tree for making forests and pretend play.
6. Cozy Hideaway
This fun build is a mix of a cozy bed and a tent hideaway. The fun curve of the rectangle makes for a great cozy spot to lay in while the other rectangle goes on top for a fun hideout.
Bring in some books and a cozy blanket for a fun and relaxing rest. Cover the sides with a blanket to turn it into a fun fort for kids.
7. Comfy Single Chair Build
This fun play couch build makes a large chair. The two rectangles come together to make the base of the chair and the triangles on each side make the arm rests of the chair.
This build is perfect for watching TV, a chair to jump and play on, or relaxing with a cozy blanket. The comfy chair will need to be made against a wall in order for the back of the chair to set up correctly.
8. Tent Slide Nugget Build
This Nugget build uses a wobble board and a single nugget couch. Balance the end of the wobble board coming off of the bottom couch and add a tent shape on top. Add two tringles to the side for an extra sitting or jumping spot. Kids will love playing in the tent area and sliding down the wobble board slide for this one.
9. Nugget Stair Slide
This is one of our favorite ways to use the Nugget couch. Start one of the play couch pieces on the floor in front of the stairs for cushion at the bottom. Add the other coming off of the first one on the stairs to look like a slide.
Add the triangles wherever you need extra support near the bottom of the slide. They help as crash pads on the back wall or the sides of the slide for us. Kids will love climbing up and sliding down over and over.
*If you have two Nugget couches this build can be extended with another rectangular piece or two on top of the first two going up the stairs.
10. The Canyon Jumper
This super fun build includes two hills and a small space in the middle. It looks like a canyon when it is set up together. You can jump from one side to the other and climb up or roll down. Kids will love making the jump but be supported by the soft landing if they miss.
2 Nugget Play Couch Builds
These 12 additional Nugget play couch ideas include directions to make play couch builds using two play couches.
The two play couches shown include one Nugget play couch as well as one Sam’s club play couch dupe. Both are very similar. Some of the setups may also include a wobble board as well.
1. 2 Nugget Simple Couch Build
This simple couch build is how we set up our Nugget when not in use or to use just as a couch in our living room. Just stack all of the rectangular mats on top of each other. Then add two triangles to the back and one on each side for the couch arms. This makes a great playroom simple setup and is perfect for reading books or storing your Nugget.
12. The Climbing Gym
This super fun build is perfect for little ones who love to climb and jump. You can climb up one side and roll down the other. It is pretty high off the ground so make sure your little one’s know how to get up and down safely when on this build.
3. Tent and Roll
This build uses all of the triangles like stilts on the bottom. Then add on two of the rectangles. Put the two tent pieces on top and you have a tunnel tent to crawl through with a hill at the end to roll down.
This double play couch configuration is a great one for crawling babies because even though it is raised. the tent pieces are blocking the edges so they can’t roll off as easily as some of the other builds.
4. Train Play Couch Build
This build was a favorite of my 1 year old train loving boy. Set up three of the rectangles on one side. Add the last rectangle folded in a triangle shape to the side of the stack. Stack one triangle on top of the rectangle stacks for a seat and add the other three triangles as shown in the photo to make the top of the train.
As a bonus, you can add circle pillows (or square pillows with the points pushed in to look like wheels) at the very bottom.
5. Play Couch Restaurant Table
This super cool build turns a play couch into a restaurant booth. With one rectangle on the bottom, set up the other two on the outsides standing up. Add all four triangles to the middle.
The middle two triangles will become the base of the table and the outside two triangles will be the booth seats. Fold the last rectangle in half and add it to the middle to make a fun play couch table.
This table isn’t super sturdy so I wouldn’t recommend eating food on it unless it is a simple snack that can’t make a big mess if spilled a little bit
6. Double Tent Build
This super simple double tent build uses the two larger rectangles on the bottom with each having a smaller rectangle folded in half on the top to look like a tent. Then add in the triangles at the entrance to each tent and you have a fun little double tent build.
This build is great for make-believe with siblings. Once built, it looks like a fun town where each child has their own house, or is great for pretend play camping.
7. Triple Triangle Build
This build is super fun for climbing and hiding in and has double layers to play in.
Start with two rectangles folded in half and stand them up next to each other. Then add the four triangular pieces in between these. Top it with a smaller flattened rectangle. Then fold the last smaller rectangle and put it on top.
This one looks like a double decker tent or is even great to pretend it is a hotel with different rooms to hang out in.
8. Play Couch House
This super fun play couch build uses the two rectangular pieces shaped like a house and flipped on top of a smaller rectangle piece. Make sure to stack the four triangles up on the inside to use as supports to keep the house standing. Makes the perfect play couch fort to play in.
*Just be warned that this fort isn’t super sturdy. If you run into one of the sides too hard the whole thing can come collapsing down so make sure to warn your children to be ready for this when playing inside. Luckily the pieces are soft and not too heavy if this happens.
9. 2 Play Couch Tunnel
This play tunnel uses two smaller rectangles folded on the bottom. Then you prop up the larger rectangles so they’re standing up on the other side with the top part of the rectangle folded over and resting on the triangles.
Kids will love crawling through this fun tunnel over and over again.
10. 2 Couch Tunnel Bridge and Rocker Board
This build makes two fun tunnel tents and connects them with a rocker board in the middle. Just set up the tunnels as pictured and add your rocker bridge in between them. This one is super fun to crawl in and over the bridge.
For additional pretend play add alligator stuffed animals underneath or pretend like the ground is lava and you have to cross from one side over to the other using the bridge.
11. Teeter Totter
This super simple setup uses one larger reactangle on one side and two smaller rectangles stacked on top of each other on the other side. Put the triangles together in a line down them middle.
Add the last large rectangle on top of the trinagle line. Kids will love keeping it balanced in the middle or using it like a teeter totter going from one side to the other.
Can also double as a fun science activity and kids can balance items on each side to see how to get it to stand up on it’s own in the middle of the triangles.
12. Giant Play Couch Fort
This is one of the biggest forts mentioned in the list. It uses the two larger rectangles standing up and slightly folded in half. Top it with a smaller rectangle. Then prop up the four triangles on their side about 1 foot away from the rest of the structure.
Place the last of the smaller rectangles going from the propped triangles to the top of the structure to add on the roof. Children will be able to crawl in on either side and play in the fort.
This one makes a great hideaway for a movie or books and snuggly items like blankets and pillows.
Additional Ways to Use a Play Couch
We love fun play couch builds. Some of our other favorite ways to use our play couch include:
- A moveable bed to put in a caregiver’s room to allow sick children to sleep nearby
- Parts of an obstacle course
- A crash pad
- A place to allow children to jump safely
- Triangular pieces make great child sized chairs
- A fun hideout to decorate for the holidays
- A cozy spot to watch a movie
- A cool tent to hideout in
The Nugget play couch is one of our must-haves for children. To check out some additional must-have items for toddlers and children check out our thoughts on the Toniebox and Wonderfold Wagons.
