How to raise media-savvy kids and help them BS-proof their brains: Dr. Seema Yasmin | Spawned Ep 282
According to Dr. Seema Yasmin, we’re living through a misinformationdemic. I’ve always thought that media literacy should be a mandatory subject for kids, but it’s never been more evident than today — so I’m incredibly grateful for...
This wonderful activity kit for kids welcomes refugees to their new home.
As the daughter of an immigrant and a long-time resident of Massachusetts, I watched in disgust as Florida’s governor tried to humiliate and punish vulnerable migrants by flying them, unannounced, to the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Without any support...
15 magnificent children’s and YA books for Hispanic Heritage Month
September means new backpacks and football kickoff and pumpkin spice latte month (*insert eyeroll), but mid-month, September becomes Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15). So we put together some of our very favorite children’s and YA books...
How to get into college: Invaluable tips and fascinating insights from Ned Johnson | Spawned Ep 278
Was the college search always this overwhelming or does it just feel that way? Do my kids really need to take the SATs? Does test-optional really mean optional? How did covid impact admissions? When should I be signing up my kid for college tours? Or wait…should...
What is Juneteenth? 6 great children’s books (and other resources) that explain this important holiday.
If you want to learn more about Juneteenth as we approach its anniversary, or just want to be sure its history and relevance has a place on your bookshelves, we have found some terrific children’s books about Juneteenth to help. After all, I know a lot of us...
Another free download we wish we didn’t need: A Kids Book About School Shootings
The fact that a book called A Kids Book About School Shootings even exists should tell you exactly how big a problem this has become in the years since the horrific Columbine school shooting over 20 years ago. As we shared in today’s post How to talk to your...
A Kids Book About War: A free download that we wish didn’t have to be written
We’ve been posting a lot of resources about how to talk to our kids about the war in Ukraine as well as a list of wonderful children’s books about anxiety and worry. We wish we didn’t have to, but that’s the world we are living in right now, and we...
This absolutely wonderful preschool program lets kids learn right from home
This is a sponsored message from New Sphere Not every preschool-aged child is currently enrolled in preschool, for all kinds of reasons — maybe the ones near you are expensive, there are no seats available, or maybe your kids are just learning at home with...
Affordable music lessons from Grammy winners and Juilliard musicians, all from the comfort of your home
This is a sponsored message on behalf of Virtu.Academy Instilling a love of music and supporting your child’s passion for the arts just got a whole lot easier and more affordable, thanks to Virtu.Academy, a convenient online platform that offers private music...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
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.
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