by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
Spurred on by one of our favorite readers seeking a not made-in-China Jack in the Box for her daughter this holiday, we went on a mad internet quest to help a mama out. Especially considering that the category leader has had its share of recalls this year. Oh joy! Oh...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
With all toy recalls, everyone has been joking about making their own toys. But considering I can barely make a complete dinner, I don’t know that I can be trusted to handcraft a cool toy worthy of my picky 3-year-old.But we can most certainly paint...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
In light of this year’s recall of the Ubiquitous Licensed Cartoon Character Train Set Which Shall Remain Nameless, we’ve gotten an insane number of inquiries from cautious parents looking for other options. Oh, if only there were something made from wood,...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
Like all parents, I’ve learned that indeed it’s true, kids are often happier playing with the package a gift comes in than the gift itself. Of course it doesn’t stop us from giving them more than cardboard boxes. Until now.The cardboard playhouse is...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
I am a little melancholy as I embark upon my first holiday season in close to two decades without my beloved, nasty, shedding, crazy, man-eating cat. But if the trade-off means that I can justify bringing home these Little Dear Fatkitties from artist Aimee Ray,...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
So blocks are blocks, right? They’re wooden, you build with them, you knock them down. Blocks. Yeah, well, not the Graffiti Blocks from Rockin’ Blocks. No alternababy or rock n’ roll love child’s toy collection is complete without a set....
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
I honestly didn’t understand the appeal of stick horses until I set my two year-old loose on a toy store display filled with them. My God, you would have thought they were real ponies the way her face lit up as she mounted one and took off down an aisle towards...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
Everyone knows that babies go nuts for tags, but not everyone loves the mass produced tag blankets made from synthetic materials. (Raising hand here.) In which case, the Grabby Taggy pillows from the wonderful shop, Nico & Zoe might be more your style. We found...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
When I was little, I was lucky enough to go to this super cool place in Holland called Madurodam, an entire city done in miniature. You could even drop a coin into certain displays and watch a teeny wedding party enter a teeny cathedral or have a teeny boat cruise...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
If your child loves puzzles as much as mine, maybe you’ve got a collection (like we do) featuring boring animals and licensed characters that really have no business being called "a collection."But puzzles based on original art, like these from...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
Ever since our Safer Toy Guide went live, I’m growing more and more into the idea of getting all the mass produced plastic stuff out of my baby’s hands and mouth. (Hear that, grandparents?) Wood and knit rattles were good enough for babies for decades and...
by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings
I’m beyond tickled that my daughter has taken an interest at being behind the camera. But for now, I’m thinking the wooden version from North Star Toys is probably the safer bet than my Canon. This nearly functional camera, including a turnable focus...
