by Liz Gumbinner | Holiday Picks, Kids
When Lisa asked us for cool but appropriately creepy non-candy Halloween gift ideas for her teen and tween nieces and nephews, I was on the case! I checked with my own Halloween-loving but decidedly…particular teens to see what kinds of things they would think...
by Caroline Siegrist | Holiday Picks, Kids, Party Ideas
For my fellow millennial parents who need a laugh, I present these hilarious 90s throwback Halloween costumes for kids, all inspired by the decade of our misspent youth. We’ve got Fresh Prince! Wayne’s World! Clueless! As if… you couldn’t tell...
by Kate Etue | Books for Kids
September means new backpacks and football kickoff and pumpkin spice everything (*insert eyeroll), but mid-month, September becomes Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15). So we put together some of our very favorite children’s books, middle...
by Kate Etue | Books for Kids
I’ve been looking for children’s books about 9/11 because now that 2001 is so far behind us that it feels like “history” to our kids (and now, to some young adults) I want to be sure my kids to really understand the importance of this day. You...
by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids, Doing Good
“Activism is the power to spark the compassion and the empathy of the whole world,” says the young narrator of The Artivist. the stunning and important new children’s book from architect turned Disney Imagineer turned best-selling author/illustrator...
by Cool Mom Staff | Back to School Shopping, School Gear
Back to school time isn’t just about shopping! (Not that there’s anything wrong with shopping, of course.) One of our favorite annual traditions is sharing our favorite back to school printables in our Back to School Guide to help make the school year...
by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids
I’m not sure how many kids have ever really asked what is Labor Day? It’s become synonymous with the unofficial end of summer, a three-day weekend, barbecues, and yeah, mattress sales. So much so, we kind of blow past it without the tributes and...
by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear
Each year, in our annual back to school shopping guide, we always love tracking down those cool lunch box accessories, water bottles, bentos, and other fun goodies that help make opening that same old lunch box every day a little more special. Some of of these lunch...
by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, Kids' Furniture, School Gear, Storage + Organization, Tips + Tricks
So many parents have learned over the past few years that setting up a study space at home is more important than ever. Maybe you homeschool, maybe your kids just need a dedicated space for homework, or maybe they’ve got virtual tutoring or other extracurricular...
by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear
When we put together our picks for the coolest backpacks for preschool and kindergarten each year, we think about how exciting it is for little ones to pick what may likely be their very first school gear ever. They seriously geek out over all their  school...
by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, Kids
As our kids have gotten older, we know they prefer lunch bags to lunch boxes because it’s so much easier to shove into a backpack–especially when they may or may not have a locker. And of course, it doesn’t look so “little kid” The key is...
by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear
When we look for cool backpacks for teens, it’s not enough for them to just be, you know, cool. As kids head to middle school or high school— especially after a whole year at home more or less (sigh) — they need bigger, sturdier backpacks, better shoulder...
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds. Whether you found us from appearances on the TODAY Show, from a Google search, or from a friend, we're so glad you're here.
