Toys + Playthings Archives

10 of the coolest backyard water toys we’ve found, to help kids beat the heat this summer

Happy summer, friends! If you’re facing pool closures or limits in your neighborhoods this summer (gah!) then you’re likely looking for some fun backyard water toys to help your kids enjoy the summer months without melting while they’re outside....

Crayola introduces Colors of the World crayons with 24 gorgeous skin tones in every box.

by Christina Refford | DIY, Doing Good, Toys + Playthings

There’s so much in the news right now, you might have missed that today is International Diversity Day. (Not that every day shouldn’t be International Diversity Day but that’s another story.) Which makes this the perfect day for Crayola to announce...

These are the 5 fun card games for kids that our family is loving right now. Ready to change things up?

by Kate Etue | Kids, Party Ideas, Toys + Playthings

We’ve all had a lot of (ahem) together time recently, and we’re honestly starting to get a bit bored the same board games. There’s only so many rounds of Apples to Apples I can play before it’s not so funny anymore. So lately, we’ve...

8 board games you can play over FaceTime or Zoom for remote fun with friends

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

We love our game nights with friends, and cancelling those has been a sad part of the quarantine for us. But we’ve found 6 great games you can play over FaceTime or Zoom. It helps make that distance feel not so far at all, and gives you more opportunities to...

So who’s ready for a cool new LEGO set? LEGO Super Mario to the rescue!

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings

With our kids tearing through our craft kits, puzzle boxes, activity books and more while they shelter indoors, the brand new, 231-piece, interactive LEGO Super Mario Starter course could not have come at a better time. I can’t think of anything more delightful...

50+ creative ideas for Easter Basket gifts you can grab right at the drugstore

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

With Easter around the corner, I’m thinking about how I’m going to fill three Easter baskets and dozens of plastic eggs safely and finding Easter gifts from the drugstore is a smart way to do it. First off, we love ordering Easter gifts from Etsy that...

18 fantastic Easter gift ideas for kids, from Etsy shops that could really use the support right now.

by Liz Gumbinner | Kids, Toys + Playthings

We know that this year’s Easter gifts are going to take on a lot more meaning for our kids this year. At the same time, Easter gifts sold by small businesses can really make the difference in another family’s life, too. Which makes it an extra wonderful...

Where to find the iconic Eric Carle + Magna-tiles sets that just launched today.

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

We love some Magna-tiles around our house. My kids like to build cool structures with them, and I love how easily we clean them up (thanks to those magnets). So when we heard about the new Eric Carle + Magna-tiles collab, we got excited. Yes, cool art on awesome toys...

These no-carb dumplings on Etsy are perfect for your Valentine.

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings, Valentine's Day

Happy year of the Rat everyone! With the Lunar New Year upon us, I’m so happy to find this adorable new Etsy shop, which celebrates all things dumplings. Only, not the edible kind, so if you’re low-carbing right now, you’re in luck. Christine Jee has...

The best subscription gifts for kids this year: There’s one for every age, and every interest

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks, Toys + Playthings

It’s final countdown to the holidays, which means last-minute gift ideas, which means subscription gifts for kids, which are always some of our favorites to give — last minute or not! Wwe know from experience that our kids love to receive boxes in the...

A special needs mom shares 4 great toys for kids with cognitive disabilities.

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

With the holidays coming up, grandparents and friends are naturally asking for ideas for gifts for the kids, but when you are shopping for toys for kids with cognitive disabilities, it can make the gifting a little more challenging. For my daughter, play time is also...

A brilliantly easy way to donate your kids’ plastic toys to children who will really love them.

by Christina Refford | Doing Good, Toys + Playthings

If the picture up top makes you think, Ack! That’s every room of my house, then you’re going to be so happy to learn about Second Chance Toys, an organization that will help you get those no-longer-wanted toys into the hands of kids who really do want them...

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.

Trivia: It was called Cool Mom Sh*t for the first two days. (Yeah, we rethought that.)

We had no idea our site would grow to become a major lifestyle network, that we'd end up sharing our finds with the TODAY Show and Martha Stewart, that we'd be able to make a real difference for so many small businesses and women-run companies, or that we'd end up with an incredible community of the coolest readers on the planet. (If we do say so ourselves).