Fred’s XYZ Blocks FTW!

by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings

CMP loves to turn ABC into ROFL, and we are totally digging on these XYZ Blocks by Fred & Friends. They stack, tumble, and teach letters just as well as more traditional blocks, but they’re beautiful, unusual, and entertaining, too. E is for Earthworm, Q is...

Group gift for kids ages 2-11? Reader Q&A

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

My nieces and nephews from Israel are on their way visit grandparents. My 2 year old son will probably not have a chance to visit but would like to send something to them while they are here. Any ideas for a gift to help entertain the 2 to 11 year-olds?  Thanks...

Trading Cradles – It’s like Twitter and Craigslist had a really well-behaved baby

by Mir | Baby, Kid Style

Honestly, the number of hoops you have to jump through to sell on eBay these days is crazy (who has the patience?), and I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels like Craigslist is overrun with scammers, cheapskates and crazy people.So what’s a mama...

Doughnuts just for babies. Homer Simpson approves.

by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, now six, rattles that were actually cute, functional, and not made completely of plastic were just starting to make it onto the scene. Well it seems that now cuteness and a bit of hilarity abounds at...

Starting babies on organics early

by Cool Mom Team | Baby

I still remember my daughter’s first “friend” – a garish stroller toy that we dubbed Guy the Giraffe pronounced the French way, Gee, because it was the one sound my three month-old made. Oh how she loved that thing. And sucked its antlers....

Spotting bargains across the pond

by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings

Most of the online shopping I do at UK shops is of the window variety. As in, browsing only, do not pass go, do not add to my cart, do not pay international shipping. But sometimes I stumble on a sale so good, it makes it worth it to do more than drool. At the...

The night light gets a soft, cuddly makeover

by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings

The night light is an essential component of the bedtime routine around my place, but no matter what method we employ, which lately has been our hallway light, it never seems to satisfy the kids’ need for light right next to them. That’s why I’m...

Babies deserve a little Green Toy action too

by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings

We first fell in love with Green Toys way back in the day of the lead paint recalls (aw, remember those fun days?) and knew they were onto something fabulous. Well sure enough, their line has expanded beautifully since then and today they’re doing some super...

Baby books for busy beavers

by Delilah S. Dawson | Baby, Toys + Playthings

Those board books start out so cute and shiny, don’t they? And then Baby Bookivore gets very interested in gnawing the corners, splitting the pages, and seeing what a slice of banana will look like sandwiched between B is for Broccoli and C is for Carrot. But...

Three cheers for the Handmade Toy Alliance!

by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings

We’ve been fans of the Handmade Toy Alliance since this organization formed in 2008 in response to Congress’s [expletive deleted] Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act. This ill-conceived (and ironically named) law is the impetus for launching our Save...