Beating boredom with cool wooden toys inspiring art, design, engineering and imagination.
Walking the toy aisles of most big discount stores can make any parent feel dizzy, to use a polite word. Where are all the cool wooden toys? Where are the toys that inspire imagination? Why does it seem like every toy made for kids these days is some beeping,...
Creative toys for an 8 year old — no beeps, boops or batteries
My daughter loves her screen time, that’s for sure, but lately I have been keenly aware of the other creative toys that she, as an 8 year old, really gravitates to, without any prompting from me. Or really, the toys that I realize I’m always telling her to...
Oh boy, Oh! Toys: The cool kids’ gifts you just can’t find anywhere else
Since Cool Mom Picks started a decade ago, we’ve made it our mission to find small, independent stores that sell unique, eco-friendly, hard-to-find toys for your kids so that all you have to do is scroll and shop. My newest favorite, Oh! Toys, goes to great...
6 ways to entertain kids in restaurants without (gasp) pulling out a screen.
The very first thing my son does when we sit down to eat at a restaurant (well, after ordering both ice water and milk) is ask for my iPhone. I’ll admit that I’m often tempted to hand it over because it’s such an easy way to keep him entertained while we’re...
Handmade baby gifts with an Australian accent. (But no, they don’t talk.)
It’s not often I discover a new Etsy shop and automatically think okay, every single thing in there is adorable. But that’s the case with Babee and Me, which I can forgive for being based in Byron Bay, Australia, considering what beautiful work is coming...
6 sets of cool wooden blocks for older kids that are anything but square
Just when I think it’s time to put the baby blocks away, my kids will surprise me by building some huge creative structure on the living room floor, enhanced by LEGO men and dollhouse furniture. Still, I can tell the basic square blocks we’ve had for ten...
A paper block city that’s ready to travel with your kids
If your kids like building blocks as much as mine, you’ll want to check out Paper Punk’s new Urban Fold paper blocks which allow kids 6 and up to build a sprawling metropolis without the bulk and weight of traditional blocks. This is such a great toy to...
5 creative photo gifts for baby showers. All guaranteed to last longer than a bottle warmer.
Photo gifts for baby showers can be a win even before the little one arrives. It’s just so personal and thoughtful, and hey, if you’re going to go off the registry, might as well really go off the registry. So we’ve looked around to find some of the...
8 of the coolest Year of the Sheep baby gifts for your little lamb
I’ve always loved the Chinese Zodiac and not just because I’m a Chinese American. I am fascinated by the history of the signs and their meanings. So with the Chinese New Year just a couple of days away, we thought it would be fun to round-up cool Year of...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.
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