Ever in search for more colorful playthings to brighten up the dreary northeast weather, I am so happy to discover Laughing Crickets , an Etsy shop creating the most beautiful, bright, happy-making handmade toys for kids, with a focus on…
As I'm looking around the web for ideas for a little token Valentine's Gift for my kids, I came across this adorable wooden stacking heart blocks toy from Natural Family Shop on Amazon and yes, I heart it. It comes with 8 natural, beauti…
It's pretty easy to find a teddy bear that my kids will love. Cute and stuffed? Check. But finding one that I love for them is a bit trickier. Bears for Humanity is a winner for all of us. My favorite thing about Bears for Humanity is th…
I am always a little proud of myself when I help my kids with a difficult LEGO design, or find just the piece they've been searching for in our big bin, but my accomplishments pale in comparison to what one dedicated mom in Seattle did w…
I'm always happy to introduce you to beautifully-curated independent web boutiques and here's one more new one that's caught my attention since its launch just a few weeks ago. Mini Life is an exquisite children's lifestyle boutique pack…
Like many parents I know, I have never been a fan of the pouty-lipped, heavy-lidded, overly-made-up Bratz line of dolls. But after I saw what this mother-daughter team has been doing to "rescue" the discarded toys, I was totally charmed …
My three-year-old son brings artwork home from nursery school by the armful -- if you consider a couple of paint drops on construction paper to be art, that is. Every so often, however, he creates something that actually resembles a pers…
It's going to be a while before I can look out my window and see anything bright and colorful fluttering around my yard, so I'm especially pleased that LEGO has chosen to release LEGO Birds , a brand new set of feathered friends that is …
When the holidays--and the cold weather--hit, it's the time I make sure our games are in good shape. As in, half the cards from UNO aren't missing and there is actually Monopoly money in the Monopoly game. As opposed to the play kitchen.…
My husband comes from a family of players. Game players, that is. The next time we host a family dinner, I'd love to pull out this gorgeous four in a row wood game to engage in a bit of healthy competition. (Spoiler alert: I've always be…
If you're still puzzled (yes, I went there) over what to get some of the kids on your list , keep reading. Whether it is a small wooden puzzle for little hands to manipulate, or something larger and more complex that gets the entire fami…
Some of the best toys don't need a lot of bells and whistles, or even horns, to make them a plaything that kids will love for years. Our newest find is Candylab's stunning, yet durable, wooden toy cars . After Candylab wooden toy cars re…
On a recent trip to Venice Beach, I wandered through skate shops and hung out at the skatepark. What can I say -- I'm still a skatebetty at heart, even at my age. But unlike the old days when bumper stickers proclaimed Skateboarding is n…
We're big fans of the Lottie doll line here at Cool Mom Picks. She looks like a real kid, has cool adventures, and encourages girls to be themselves, whether they dream of being pirates, soccer pros, or lighthouse keepers. So you can ima…
Like many of you parents, I wanted to purchase the best first scooter for my little kids when they were old enough, but was overwhelmed by all the choices in the stores. But after reading a review of the Micro Kickboard Mini Micro scoote…
There aren't many wooden toys for toddlers that I can imagine an older kid would love too, but these super nerdy ABC blocks from Uncommon Goods are a major exception. They're made from locally sourced wood and printed with non-toxic inks…
If it's not yet clear from the pages of Cool Mom Picks, the holiday season is upon us. And for a lot of us, that means time to come up with a standout holiday gift for the little guys and gals on our shopping list will be a hit without b…
I'm a veteran babywearer, so it's no surprise that the first thing my daughter thinks about when she wants to take her dolls for a walk is putting them into a carrier. We've always had cute little doll pouches for her babies, but with wh…
Perhaps thanks to Sophie the Giraffe , teething toys have gotten way more fun than the rainbow plastic rings we used to rely on. That drooly baby stage now has its own array of accessories from chic teething jewelry for moms to handmade …
Okay, so maybe my eight-year-old daughter already knows how to use a coffee maker. And maybe she has her own hand-painted Goblet of Fire mug, in which she begs for a sip of the steaming hot ambrosia of morning. But still, what if I'd got…
With so many amazing modern building blocks out there, it's not hard to find a set that I'd love to give to my kids. But I've just discovered SumBlox , the most incredibly original set of durable beech wood blocks that mixes math learnin…
Playing a board game with the kids can be fun, but it's bound to feel a lot more special when your kids get to put their own finishing touches on the games themselves, like they can with DIY Board Games . And, don't worry: The "DIY" does…
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…
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 thin…