Cool Mom Picks Holiday Gift Guide: Best Advent Calendars for Kids
LEGO, Hot Wheels, Build-a-Bear and more!
Category
Kids
Avenlur climbing wall: An indoor adventure course for kids
A holiday gift that encourages active, adventurous play for kids • Described as a larger, more substantial Christmas gift • An indoor play space that brings playground energy into the home • Open-ended design encourages imaginative play in different scenarios
Q&A with middle grade author Jamie Sumner
Jamie Sumner is a best-selling middle grade author who often writes about the disability experience. • Wish You Well follows three kids who feign friendship to scam a wish-granting foundation.
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.
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
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…
The sweetest back-to-school tradition
Back-to-school season doesn't have to be all backpacks, supply lists, and new sneakers. Sometimes the best way to mark a new school year is with something that feels a little more fun—and a lot less practical. Enter Build-A-Bear , where …
Shiekh makes the back-to-school shoe hunt easier
Back-to-school shopping has a funny way of turning into a negotiation. Parents want shoes that are comfortable and durable. Kids want the pair everyone will notice in the hallway. Luckily, Shiekh makes it a little easier to keep everyone…
Back to school shoes that will never go out of style
If hearing the words K-Swiss instantly transports you back to mall food courts, CD players, and the absolute thrill of picking out your first "cool" sneakers, you're not alone. One of the best parts of back-to-school shopping is seeing a…
The kids' backpacks we're swooning over right now
Back-to-school shopping has a way of turning into a marathon, but finding a backpack your child actually wants to carry shouldn't be the hardest part. That's why we're so excited about the brand-new collaboration between STATE and Magnet…
Make back-to-school clothes shopping easy with Primary
Back-to-school shopping has a way of sneaking up on even the most organized moms. One minute you're enjoying summer, and the next you're searching for clothes that can survive playground adventures, classroom crafts, and countless trips …
Our favorite lunchboxes for Back to School 2026
Packing lunch is one of those back-to-school rituals that happens every single day, so the right lunchbox can make mornings smoother and afternoons a little more enjoyable. Whether you're shopping for an adorable preschooler who needs ea…
Stylish glasses at an unbelievable price
If you've ever paid hundreds of dollars for a pair of prescription glasses only to sit on them two weeks later, welcome to the club. That's exactly why we were so intrigued by Zenni Optical. You can get stylish frames with prescription l…
The baby shower gift they'll always remember
When it comes to baby gifts, we all want to give something that feels a little more meaningful than another stack of onesies. That's exactly why we love Cuddle + Kind . These beautifully hand-knit dolls are the kind of gift that parents …
Summer is better with Funboy
We've tested our fair share of pool toys in our neighborhood pools over the years, and here's our verdict: Funboy actually lives up to the hype. The designs are playful without feeling over-the-top, the quality is noticeably better than …
11 dorm room essentials your college student needs
My second child is off to college this year, and oh boy, it doesn't get easier. But one thing you can do to prepare is have your dorm room essentials packed and ready to go. That way, when you're moving them in you can focus on them rath…
Prep your 4th of July party at Target
There’s something about the Fourth of July that just feels like summer at its best. Long afternoons by the pool, burgers on the grill, watching your neighborhood parade, kids laughing in the backyard, and fireworks lighting up the night—…
Summer Called—It Wants a Funboy Float
Summer is short, which is exactly why we refuse to waste it on boring pool floats. If your backyard pool, lake day, or beach vacation could use a little extra personality, Funboy is here to make sure your summer looks as good as it feels…
Cute Without Trying Too Hard: Why Primary Just Works
There are two kinds of kids' clothing: the pieces that look adorable for five minutes and the pieces that somehow become the MVPs of your entire laundry rotation. Primary firmly falls into the second category. If you've never shopped Pri…
Back-to-School Glasses Made Easy
If you've ever watched your child come home with scratched lenses, bent frames, or the mysterious announcement that their glasses have "disappeared," you know that shopping for kids' eyewear can feel like a risky investment. That's one r…
10 books for Kindergarten graduation gifts that you, and your child, will love.
We love giving sweet, inspirational books for Kindergarten graduation gifts. Especially when they deliver messages about empowerment, adventure, living your values, and pursuing your dreams. So we've highlighted some of our favorites you…
Summer reading, covered...at Barnes & Noble
Summer is officially the season of “I just need a good book.” Beach chair, backyard hammock, poolside lounger—whatever your setup looks like, it’s incomplete without something you actually want to read. And while the kids are building th…
Storytime Gets Personal: The Magic of Wonderbly's Custom Books
There are plenty of gifts for kids that get a quick smile and then disappear into the toy abyss by next week. And then there are gifts that actually get kept, reread, and proudly dragged to every grandparent visit like a prized possessio…
Why Converse is our go-to shoe for spring
The weather is gorgeous outside here, which means my kids are respectively jumping in puddles, cutting the grass, and going for hikes on muddy trails -- all in the shoes they've been wearing all winter. Which means: it's time for some ne…