8 thoughtful tips if you’re hosting kids with special needs for the holidays

by Kate Etue | Tips + Tricks

Nothing gets me emotional quite like the Folger’s coffee holiday commercial, with the sentimental mother-son reunion at 5:30 AM over a cup of coffee. (I’m not joking, I cry every time.) But that’s not quite most people’s reality when we travel...

5 fun Frozen 2 crafts for kids, because we get it. They’re obsessed. Again.

by Kate Etue | DIY

Who’s got Frozen fever? We’ve only been hearing about Frozen 2, oh, since last year sometime. And I know that’s not just my own kids.  With a November 22 launch date — and who knows whether you can even get tickets for opening weekend at this...

Last-minute Halloween crafts, printables, pumpkin decorating, and party activities to keep the whole week fun.

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

If it’s not clear by now, we loooove Halloween around here! And if you need some ideas for party activities on Halloween night, or fun printables and craft ideas to keep the kids out of the candy stash for a few more days, take a look at these terrific ideas...

8 cute pumpkin decorating ideas for kids that are not scary at all

by Kate Etue | DIY

It’s time to decorate those pumpkins, parents! And it’s always fun to look around for some of the cute, creative pumpkin decorating ideas. Especially for those of us with little kids who aren’t quite into the super creepy pumpkin vomiting...

2 great books about raising activist kids: Cool Mom Picks Book Club selection 10

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Adults, Books for Kids

This go round, we’re going to change things up a bit in the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club, because I’m going to be talking about two selections that I know are relevant to so many parents these days. In light of the recent Climate Strike marches around...

Should we be banning kids from restaurants? Spawned Episode 171

by Cool Mom Team | Spawned Podcast

Just last week we read an article that said Japan Airlines would soon to be letting their customers know where children would be sitting on the plane. So what’s next? Kid sections in restaurants? With Kristen’s husband and Liz’s ex in the restaurant...

How to play Crokinole: The best game you’ve never played

by Kristen Chase | Toys + Playthings

After someone I follow on Instagram mentioned that her family had a blast playing the game Crokinole, I decided to Google it, having never heard of it myself. What kind of board game buff am I? Not a good one, apparently. Well, as I’ve learned over the last...

What to do in San Diego with Teens: Tips for a cool getaway

by Holly Rosen Fink | Family Travel, Tips + Tricks

Teens can be picky, and I don’t have the easiest teenagers myself. So on a recent long weekend getaway in San Diego, I planned out our days carefully with them in mind and hooray, it worked! Planning is the key to a good family vacation with teens. Especially when you...

5 smart and easy tips for your first backyard campout with the kids.

by Kate Etue | Tips + Tricks

We’ve still got a lot of summer left for camping out with the kids! If you love the idea, but you’re not sure you’re ready to head out into the wilderness with the family just yet, a backyard campout is a great place to start. If it goes wrong...

Set up a lemonade stand this weekend, help support kids in crisis at the border

by Liz Gumbinner | Doing Good

Kids are born with big hearts. They are full of kindness and compassion. They want to do something when they see awful things in the world, especially impacting other children. I know my own kids have been distraught following what’s happening to children...