We're big fans of toys that inspire creativity in our kids . And if they're small enough to fit in a backpack, even better. The Dollhouse Book by Rock and Pebble is perfection. This house-shaped cardboard-cover book is a 30-page blank ca…
Walking the toy aisles of most big discount stores can make any parent feel dizzy, to use a polite word. Where are all the cool wooden toys? Where are the toys that inspire imagination? Why does it seem like every toy made for kids these…
My daughter loves her screen time, that's for sure, but lately I have been keenly aware of the other creative toys that she, as an 8 year old, really gravitates to, without any prompting from me. Or really, the toys that I realize I'm al…
I still remember how special it would feel to get a brand new box of 64 Crayola crayons just for myself -- and that was before Crayola My Way , a super cool new way to create a box of totally custom Crayola crayons . Not only can you per…
There's something special about getting a doll that looks "just like you." It's one of the many reasons Cool Mom Picks loves companies like Corolle who make baby dolls of color as well as boy dolls for our sons to love. Of course it's pa…
Since Cool Mom Picks started a decade ago, we've made it our mission to find small, independent stores that sell unique, eco-friendly, hard-to-find toys for your kids so that all you have to do is scroll and shop. My newest favorite, Oh!…
If you're the type willing to seek out creative, responsibly made , well-designed gifts for your kids -- or for one of the endless stream of birthday parties they get invited to -- then you have to check out Treehouse Kid & Craft . We ju…
As someone living in Massachusetts, I've always gotten the appeal of having a great playhouse for kids. For many of us, our kids' primary playtime through the winter will take place indoors where it isn't 20 degrees and icy. So if you're…
Kudos to my sister-in-law who scored with arguably the biggest hit of all the gifts this holiday season, Telestrations . Or actually, credit may go to my 9-year-old niece who saw it in a store and said, "hey, that looks fun" which was th…
When you think back to the best toys of the year (and other playful gifts for kids) you probably think about tech, tablets, and things that require cords and batteries. And yet there's so much more, from wonderful board games, to handmad…
I have a longstanding love affair with Sesame Street, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that our friends at Tattly recently teamed up with the Sesame Workshop to create a Sesame Street character set of temporary tattoos …
This is a sponsored message from Flare Play Kids love video games, but understandably, parents can justify the gaming time better when kids are actually playing something educational. That's where Flare Play comes in to make everyone hap…
Okay, so the world is obsessed with Star Wars right now in light of the premier of The Force Awakens . And hey, we count ourselves among you all. Now we can't exactly say we've covered Star Wars "since before it was cool" because 1.) no …
I made a quick stop at my local toy shop the other week to grab holiday gifts for Liz's kids, and the second I saw the squishable food stuffed animals I was pretty sure I had found winners. Well, after listening to the shrieks and squeal…
My kids were in a museum gift shop with friends this summer and of everything in the store, all four spent the entire time fighting over (I mean, taking turns with ) what's best defined as a handmade voice or music recording gadget from …
H i Cool Mom Picks! Can you put to gether some unique holiday gift ideas for creative kids that go beyond the same craft kits I see everywhere? Thanks so much! Ooh, I love this question. We know that all kids have creativity in them, so …
Paper jewelry kits are a pretty awesome gift, giving your crafty kids something wonderful they can make and wear -- even when you're sure you want one more little bead, button, or plastic charm strewn about your house. I adore paper jewe…
We love finding new ways to teach our kids about the big, diverse world that extends far beyond the boundaries of their neighborhood and town. And while nothing can replace actually going to the countries themselves, playsets like this o…
We've got a few passionate skateboarders in our lives so we've been super excited to have the opportunity to spend some time searching around for cool skateboarding gifts then sharing our faves. We are stoked (see how we did that?) to we…
If there is one gift we always hope our kids get unwrap this holiday, it's an art toy or craft kit , or something that encourages and help develops their artistic sides. For us, toys that build on children's natural creativity are as imp…
Now that it's officially December, I will soon unpack and set up my childhood nativity set, even if our holidays are largely secular nowadays. However after three kids who turned my nativity into a sort of dollhouse toy each year, it's t…
Some of our very favorite gifts for our active kids are the cool outdoor toys that get them up and moving all year round. And, wow, we have found a bunch of great outdoor toys for kids of every age at Fat Brain Toys , our fantastic spons…
Since the first November it launched several years ago, even long before American Express started sponsoring and championing the campaign, we've been staunch advocates for Small Business Saturday. And we're still thrilled to mark on our …
If you could use a little help picking out toys for the kids on your list this holiday, we're about to make things a lot easier for you with a mini holiday toy gift guide, starting with the best educational toys for kids. This is the fir…