When we received a homemade ice pop kit for my daughter’s birthday I was so thrilled–it’s one of those things I had been meaning to get for ages anyway. As it turns out, this one is even better than I could have imagined. If you’re cool with insects.

tovolo bug ice pop molds | cool mom picks

Not only do the six Tovolo Garden Friends Bug Pop Molds churn out adorable ice pops that look like ladybugs and beetles and not entirely creepy caterpillars, but they’re really smartly designed.

You secure the molds two to a leaf stand, fill them with juice, then lower in the “stem” stick and freeze. Done. And when they are, I love that the stem has a bit of a well, so it keeps them for dripping all over my home, way better than standard popsicle kits–let alone the old “ice cream stick in a paper cup” trick from my own DIY childhood.

tovolo garden friends bug pops | cool mom picks

The kids adore them (especially when they concoct the flavors themselves) and I feel good about saying yes to fresh juice pops after dinner. Actually, my daughter has created her own blend of Tropicana Orange-Peach-Mango juice plus Paul Newman’s Lemonade and I have to say, it’s quite good.

Just be sure you run the molds under warm water so they slide off easily. Otherwise you could break off one of the cute little green leaves on the stem. Like, uh, I did. What can I say, I’m impatient when it comes to popsicles. –Liz

Find Tovolo Garden Friends Bug Pops at Sur la Table for a great sale price ($8.99!) or through our affiliate Amazon.com.