If your kids remain obsessed with their fidget spinners , like mine are, here's a new way to put them to use that won't drive you crazy: play with them together. And not at the dinner table, either. Thanks to artist mom Amanda Farnum and…
A few years ago my kids tried out the cool service Budsies , which turns kids' drawings into stuffed animals . They were so excited when their creations arrived, and they still have them in their beds today. So, when we heard that Budsie…
Of our entire 2016 holiday gift guide , by far one of the most popular gift ideas were the genius handmade Hamilton dolls by Christina of Etsy's Bobeena Shop . What can we say, you all have good taste in artists -- and game-changing Broa…
THE DANGER OF FIDGET SPINNERS is appearing all over our newsfeeds and splashing across subject lines flooding our inboxes. Hm, why are we not shocked? It was inevitable that the number of articles about the fidget spinner craze (hey, our…
Cool fidget spinners and fidget cubes are absolutely taking over the world these days. In fact we've compared notes here on team Cool Mom Picks and yep, kids across the country are collectively losing their ever-loving minds over these f…
This is a sponsored message from Dynacraft In celebration of #PrincessWeek, Dynacraft will be giving one lucky little princess her own Disney Princess Carriage . This way she can hit the road in royal style, whether she's racing around t…
While you're getting those Easter basket toy ideas together for the kids, we've shared a ton of fabulous ideas, including plenty of non-candy Easter basket gifts if you're trying to go easy on the jellybeans. And now we've got one more: …
When I look back at some of my biggest parenting fails, most of them have occurred when I haven't taken the time to consider my kids' emotions or help them process their worry, anger, fear, or whatever else it is they are experiencing ri…
If the new spring season also means a new baby in your family, don't miss these 10 sweet first Easter gifts we've found at some of our favorite indie shops and makers this year. From keepsake ornaments to baby wraps so cute you won't be …
Are you ready for Easter yet? It's coming soon. And we're here for you! I've spent hours browsing my favorite indie shops for the coolest bunny gifts for Easter and I've found 15 of the most adorable ideas for kids' Easter baskets. Pick …
Without question, kids expect the Easter Bunny to deliver marshmallows, jelly beans, Cadbury creme eggs, bunny gummies, and what seems like a gazillion other sugary treats. Which is why we love the idea of non-candy gifts so sweet our ki…
My kids are all about their LEGOs, but I've also been keeping my eye on some cool non-LEGO building sets to keep things interesting around the playroom. These three allow kids to build things they can't with their LEGOs, and I have to sa…
My kids are obsessed with their dry erase boards (it's the little things, you know?). In fact, my daughter has figured out she can use the dry erase markers on her glossy coloring book covers and wipe those down too. Now, they're playing…
If LEGO and tape loved each other very very much (as we might say to the kids), this is what you'd get: Nimuno Loops . It's a genius, colorful, flexible roll of LEGO tape that's compatible with LEGO bricks and all the other building bloc…
I dreaded air travel when my girls were little. Between the two of them, I had a seat kicker, a non-napper, and an impatient whiner. Yeah, I was that parent. So I learned what works, and what doesn't, to keep my little ones happy and occ…
We all know that art and design museums are magical. Where else can kids feast their eyes on important paintings, goof around with hands-on exhibits, and giggle at naked statues (come on, you know that's true), all before dinnertime? And…
We are big Hamilton Musical fans around here, with my son rapping Guns and Ships in his sleep and weaving lines into his school papers, so when I saw this Hamilton Musical LEGO set up for voting on the LEGO Ideas site, I just had to shar…
I'm not so sure my kids could ever get bored of the LEGO sets that are currently blanketing the floor of our playroom, but just in case, I found three cool LEGO add-on sets that will make their builds even more exciting. These sets are f…
This fierce, courageous action figure does something pretty amazing: She helps kids fight the toughest battle of their lives. For each Courage Core Power action figure purchased, one is donated to a child affected by cancer who could use…
If you're excited about the new American Girl boy doll that was just announced, we've found a mom-run company at this year's Toy Fair that's already making boy dolls that are diverse, too. Created by two sisters who wanted their sons to …
The Wonder Woman movie isn't out until June, but the new Wonder Woman doll from Mattel will give little girls plenty of fierce dreams until then. Ahead of this weekend's New York Toy Fair (which we'll be covering, of course!), Mattel unv…
Finally, after begging for years, we're pleased to learn there's going to be a boy doll from American Girl Doll this Thursday! His name is Logan Everett, and he plays drums alongside his friend, Tenney Grant, a female singer-songwriter f…
We live in New Mexico, which means our kids look forward to playing in winter's cold air and occasional snowflakes so much, they'll dart outside without jackets, socks, or shoes, and -- on one memorable occasion -- pants. Still, their co…
To my nieces, screen time is like water. Without it, I think they'd go all limp and cockeyed. So I love discovering apps for them that encourage both tech literacy and imaginative play. The two come together together beautifully thanks t…