by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
Ahoy mateys, it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, one of our favorite should-be-a-real-holiday days of the year. And though my “pirate speak” is a little rusty, my ability to find some of the cutest and coolest pirate-related treasures is right on the mark....
by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings
Okay, so I’m going to go ahead and say it: The holidays are creeping up. I know that means half of you hate me, and the other half are like “whatever, my list is already done.” In which case, I bow to you. But if you’re starting to think about...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
Buying a special gift for a four-year-old is so much fun since this is the age that kids really start to show their preferences and interests. Plus, they aren’t sticking every little piece into their mouths (phew) and can play independently for a lot more time...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
Those iconic handmade wooden crate and roller-skate-bottom scooters from the Great Depression have been retooled and re-imagined to form the fierce-looking Skate Crate, hopefully coming soon to a sidewalk near you. At least if you ask our kids. Currently about halfway...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
It’s not always easy for us to find a game for kids that is doable, yet challenging, and that the entire family can play. What can we say, we have high standards. However cool-game maker Blue Orange’s new Doodle Quest is giving my family a run for our...
by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings
Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, a sentient tree who can only say three–fine, four–words is this summer’s coolest superhero. And when I think of how cool these plantable, sprouting pencils will look once they bloom in a pot of soil, all I can think...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
Summer may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean kids will be hanging up their scooters anytime soon. In some neighborhoods, we’re even scooting to school and hopefully safely. Our partner Micro Kickboard (we love them so much!) is a brand we all have...
by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings
Why settle for #2 pencils when these literary pencils are bound to be #1 on any bookish kid’s school supply list? Whether you’ve got a tween into Harry Potter and Ramona Quimby or a teen with a soft spot for Alice or a hankering to be Divergent, those...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
Choosing the best gift for a two year old from among ride-on vehicles, construction toys, dolls and more can seem overwhelming, so we’ve narrowed it down to some favorites that our own boys and girls have loved. Because that first birthday party may get more...
by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings
We’ve seen just about everything in the dollhouse world, but we’ve never seen an elephant you could live in. The natural wooden dollhouse called the Ele Villa (“elephant house”), from natural, sustainable toy company Rock and Pebble definitely...
by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings
It can be a struggle to get kids to remember to wear their helmets, but when their bike safety gear looks as good as these cool bike helmets for kids–they’re much more likely to use one. So since it’s July, and in our house the Tour de France is on...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
With ride-on toys like the Skoooch, the CycoCycle, and the Explorer Go-Kart in our garage, our own driveway is often the most fun place to be in the summer. And if you’re looking for something totally different to get your kids out and riding this summer, here...