50 screen-free activities for kids to do over summer break, indoors and out
So many parents are looking for fresh ideas for screen-free activities for kids, particularly now that it’s summer. And I get it! I mean, it’s not even the end of June, and I’ve heard it 100 times already: Can I play screens for a little while? As...
A modern, small-space art solution for crafty kids
My kids’ grandparents regularly ask what cool, creative gifts they can give them at the holidays (because we have awesome grandparents), and this year I’m putting Playpa play paper on our list without a doubt. I just discovered this huge roll of coloring...
Beyond Waldo: 6 gorgeously artful look-and-find books for kids
I’m lucky to have a job that allows me to the opportunity to preview countless kids’ books each year. But admittedly, it often feels like a neverending stream of the same-old. However recently, I’ve noticed a trend of well-designed, beautifully...
Free printable posters to empower our children with favorite quotes from strong women.
We’re all such fans of the wonderful work of maker, designer and crafter Ursula Rosien of KRAFT&MINT design. So when we connected to discuss creating a series of free printable inspirational posters just for our kids, a whole lot of lightbulbs went off....
#DrawingWhileBlack: Prints from 5 amazing Black children’s book illustrators and artists you will fall in love with.
Thanks to a 19-year-old artist who originated the hashtag, the #DrawingWhileBlack campaign on social media caught on and became a veritable treasure trove of art on Twitter. I watched in real time thrilled to discover the talents of hundreds of Black artists and...
TONS of free printable coloring pages from top libraries + museums…but hurry!
My printer is no stranger to the many free printable coloring pages it churns out for my kids, and if you know what I’m talking about, then joy of joys! You can currently get access to dozens and dozens of free printable coloring pages from top libraries,...
8 awesome inspirational prints for little boys who could use some empowerment too.
As a mom-to-be, I’ve been looking for some inspirational prints for boys that I can hang on the nursery walls. After all, I’ve already started my campaign to create a compassionate son, starting with the essential feminist onesie, which was the first item...
This cool Keith Haring wooden stencil set will inspire your kid to draw like…well, Keith Haring.
If your kids are anything like mine, there’s a good chance they may not recognize the name Keith Haring in the same way they might, say, Stan Lee or Matt Groening. After all, Haring was making his most major marks in the art world way back in the ’80s. You...
These 6 new books for kids about the arts are sure to inspire young painters, musicians, and writers.
I’ve noticed a trend lately among the hundreds of children’s books I receive for review: stellar new books for kids about the arts. We tend to promote a lot of STEM toys, books, and opportunities for kids because we’re passionate about science and...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.
Trivia: It was called Cool Mom Sh*t for the first two days. (Yeah, we rethought that.)
We had no idea our site would grow to become a major lifestyle network, that we'd end up sharing our finds with the TODAY Show and Martha Stewart, that we'd be able to make a real difference for so many small businesses and women-run companies, or that we'd end up with an incredible community of the coolest readers on the planet. (If we do say so ourselves).
But we did.
And we still love what we do every single day.
We're so glad you're here.
School Lunch Help!
Keeping Families Together: What You Can Do
OUT TECH YOUR KIDS: Join our new private Facebook community
RECIPE RESCUE: The best crowdsourced cooking + food advice for parents
