back to school Archives | Cool Mom Picks

7 cute rain jackets for little kids…all under $30

This school year, I’m not spending a lot of money on rain jackets for kids. Who’s with me? I don’t know what it is about rain jackets specifically, but my kids misplace them with abandon. Soccer practice, play dates, the Y…you name it, one of...

Mask mandates, the Delta variant, and back to school: Who will protect our children?

by Kristen Chase | Thinking : Parent

I thought this back to school year was going to be different than last year. I think everyone did. Last year, I took all of my kids out of school and placed them in a cyber school. A couple did well. A couple did not. But we all had the hope that with vaccines,...

A very clever back to school gift for young women and menstruators

by Kristen Chase | School Gear

My daughter came home this morning with a sweet little gift from her friend’s mom: an adorable locker kit full of essentials for young women and menstruators. So brilliant, right? I had actually thought about putting together a little bin with some snacks,...

8 cool fidget toys that aren’t spinners, to help kids of all ages get the wiggles out.

by Caroline Siegrist | Toys + Playthings

Move over, fidget spinners! Thanks to all the new fidget toys that our kids are loving, you spinners have just been relegated to the junk drawer. (Say hi to those dead batteries for me.) In fact,I think these are even more fun than their predecessors. By now most of...

Should we send our kids back to school? AKA The deja vu episode | Spawned Episode 246

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

Just when we thought back to school 2021 would be less stressful than 2020, the Delta variant decided to throw a huge, dangerous wrench into our decision. As so many parents struggle once again with sending their kids back to school, especially as many school...

For every parent who’s yelled about stepping on a LEGO, this new Adidas collection is for you.

by Liz Gumbinner | Fashion, Kid Fashion, Toys + Playthings

What parent among us has not joked, complained, or (possibly) cried about stepping on a LEGO brick at some point since having kids? Exactly. That’s why I’m not sure which I love more — the Adidas x LEGO sneaker collection, featuring sneakers that...

20+ cool backpacks for teens this year | Back to School Guide 2021

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

When we look for cool backpacks for teens, it’s not enough for them to just be, you know, cool. As kids head to middle school or high school— especially after a whole year at home more or less (sigh) — they need bigger, sturdier backpacks, better shoulder...

15 of the coolest backpacks for preschool and kindergarten this year | Back to School Guide 2021

by Kate Etue | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

For some of our kids, the wait for this school year has been two-years long. They are seriously geeking out over school supplies, starting with the quest for the perfect backpack. For those kids who are headed to preschool or kindergarten for the first time this year,...

12 smart personalized label ideas for back to school, from a completely label-obsessed mom

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, Tips + Tricks

With back to school coming up, I’m sharing some of my favorite personalized label ideas to help keep you organized, keep you sane, save you money (whoo!) and even keep the peace. Hey, parents of more than one kid! You know what I’m talking about. We have...

The coolest lunch box accessories, water bottles, and other goodies to make school lunch more fun | Back to School Shopping Guide

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Shopping, School Gear

Each year, in our annual back to school shopping guide, we always love tracking down those cool lunch box accessories, water bottles, bentos, and other fun goodies that help make opening that same old lunch box every day a little more special. Only last year… we...

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, 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).

We still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.