gifts for teens + tweens Archives

Cool non-candy Halloween gift for a cynical tween or teen? Reader Q & A

When Lisa asked us for cool non-candy Halloween gift ideas for her tween/teen nieces and nephews, I was on the case! I checked with my own Halloween-loving but decidedly…particular tween and teen to see what kinds of things they would think are cool. I mean, of...

Chance Basketballs give every move on the court more style. But that’s not all they do.

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

Looking for a fabulous gift for an athletic kid this year? I’ve got you! Whether your teen can hit a three-point shot from half court, or your grade schooler is still trying to fling the ball high enough to touch the net, the next Lebron James or Sue Bird will...

The Schitt’s Creek Monopoly game is simply the best… at least as far as Monopoly games go.

by Kristen Chase | Entertainment + Media, Toys + Playthings

If you’ve been missing your “Ew, David!” fix, or Moira’s capacious vocabulary (see what I did there?), I give you the ultimate family game night board game: The brand new Schitt’s Creek Monopoly game. Let’s just say that if you are...

Is the Color WOW Dream Coat anti-frizz treatment the miracle product that influencers claim? We tried it.

by Kate Etue | Beauty + Cosmetics

I bought into the hype and tried the Color WOW Dream Coat anti-frizz hair treatment to see if it really works. I have frizzy hair. Like, really frizzy. 90% humidity doesn’t help, and it’s still insanely humid in Nashville right now. Plus, rainy season is...

The inspiring women of Fisher Price’s Little People. Yes, you read that correctly.

by Caroline Siegrist | Toys + Playthings

I’m already looking for ways to introduce my kids to inspiring women of history, and while we have tons of books on the subject of remarkable, inpspiring women, I love that Fisher Price’s iconic Little People is out today with two new sets of all-star,...

The Hamilton Funko Pop figures are here, shipping, and we’re helpless to resist them.

by Caroline Siegrist | Toys + Playthings

Hamilton fans! Drop everything because I’ve just discovered that the Hamilton Funko Pop figures and keychains — you know, the ones that super fans have been eagerly awaiting — are now available and starting to ship earlier than expected. How lucky we...

The new Queer Eye LEGO set is not just about building, but building people up.

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings

I could not be more excited that LEGO just announced a new LEGO Queer Eye set featuring The Fab 5 Loft that’s coming out October 1. (No pun intended. Seriously I just caught that on the re-read.) haven’t been this excited since they came out with the Women...

Here’s the one brilliant tip that got my reluctant teen reading more. And, the books that helped.

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids, Tips + Tricks

My kids devoured books when they were little. Now that they’re teens, the stars of YouTube and Discord seem to be a bigger draw than the classic characters of literature I wish they would spend their time with. (Of course, calling them “classic characters...

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...

Mighty Kind: A fun, compassionate, anti-racism, pro-kindness magazine for today’s kids

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids

While a great number of people seem to be flipping out about kids learning “critical race theory” in elementary school [ed note: it’s taught in law schools, not elementary schools], we’re grateful that our readers have always been interested...

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.