Kids

The Creeper ate my homework!

If Minecraft ate a bunch of your kids' time this summer, this Minecraft Creeper backpack is the perfect way to head back to school, where sadly, Stampy Longnose videos are not part of the daily curriculum. Of course teachers will not accept "The Creeper ate my homework," as a viable excuse but that shouldn't stop your young Minecraft fan from begging for a creeper backpack to start the school year. With oodles of compartments, pockets, organizers, and sturdy double zippers, the Minecraft Creeper backpack from our pals at ThinkGeek is an unusually savvy way to merge video games and a workhorse of a bag. It's got everything you'd want from a backpack, including padded straps, a top loop, and padded compartments for tablets or laptops or up to 36 stacks of cobble, evidently.   Just be aware it isn't afraid of ocelots, should you encounter any. And, you know, it won't explode in front of your child. Which is a good trait in a backpack. Find the officially licensed Minecraft Creeper backpack at ThinkGeek. We're pretty sure it doesn't eat children.

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shannon hale princess in black book and author

Q&A with children’s book author Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale is the bestselling author behind The Princess in Black series. It's a favorite early chapter book series for kids ages 5–8 and boys love it as much as girls do. Her newest book, Princess in Black and the Trick or Treating Trouble, comes out just in time for Halloween. We talked with her about it as part of our Q&A author series and asked about a few of her favorite things too.

Explore Build-a-Bear

Some Not-So-Spooky Fun this Halloween

How can Build-A-Bear be used for Halloween costumes? Let kids create a spooky Build-A-Bear sidekick to incorporate into their costume, which can help the costume be enjoyed beyond Halloween.

Q&A with children's author Sophie Blackall

Q&A with children's author Sophie Blackall

Cool Mom Picks readers, we are so excited to launch a new series for you. We are obsessed book lovers over here at the CMP headquarters, and we have a particular soft spot for children's books (even though we're moving our kids into coll…