history Archives | Cool Mom Picks

5 must-read children’s books about 9/11, featuring heroes and helpers

I’ve been looking for books about 9/11 for children because with the 20th anniversary of that horrific morning here this year (and it’s hard to believe that), I want to be sure my kids to really understand the importance of this day. You may want to read...

What is Labor Day? This book (and its read-aloud video) is a perfect way to explain.

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids

I’m not sure how many kids have ever really asked what is Labor Day? It’s become synonymous with the unofficial end of summer, a three-day weekend, barbecues, and yeah, mattress sales. So much so, we kind of blow past it without the typical tributes and...

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...

Elected leaders need to do more than just “recognize” Juneteenth. Tell them to act on these 5 issues.

by Liz Gumbinner | Thinking : Parent

Today marks the very first Juneteenth since the US Senate unanimously passed a resolution to make Juneteenth a national holiday this week and it was quickly signed into law by President Biden on Thursday. It’s amazing! So many of us grew up never having heard of...

What was the Tulsa Race Massacre? Resources to help teach kids (and adults) of all ages

by Kate Etue | Doing Good, Kids, Thinking : Parent

May 30, 1921, marks one of the darkest days in America’s history. And yet the Tulsa Race Massacre isn’t an event I ever learned in school — and unfortunately most kids today don’t either. The Burning of Black Wall Street can be a hard day to...

7 incredible aspects of The American Families Plan you may not have caught. It’s a big f*cking deal (to paraphrase a certain current president)

by Liz Gumbinner | Doing Good, Kids

Watching President Biden describe some of the details of his American Families Plan this week — well, it’s made me emotional. It’s so much of what we’ve hoped for. And frankly, so much of what our own parents and even grandparents have hoped...

5 free online courses that look fun to take with your mom for Mother’s Day

by Liz Gumbinner | Entertainment + Media, Mother's Day Gifts

So far, we’ve loved what’s happening with The We Time Project that we introduced last month: In order to help you connect more with far away friends and family around shared experiences, we’ve been offering our readers 30 days worth of unlimited...

Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris: Because girls need to own their dreams. And so do women!

by Liz Gumbinner | Books for Kids

I’m typing from behind swollen eyes today, the result of a day of crying tears of joy, tears of relief. Just a whole lot of tears. Lots of friends and readers have told me the same, and shared that one of the most profound moments of yesterday’s historic...

2021 inauguration activities and events for kids and families: Lots of ways to watch, learn, and celebrate with your kids

by Liz Gumbinner | Kids

As we move on from the worst president of all time, some wonderful organizations are coming together to help us collectively process, plan, and heal. You can find the full schedule of official Biden-Harris inaugural events here, but there’s more inaugural...

15+ inspired gift ideas for the most devoted The Crown fans

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks

I know I’m not alone when I say I’m obsessed with The Crown. And I would happily take any The Crown gift this Christmas, because escaping to 80s London, if only through my screen, has been a very nice retreat from our home these days. (Even if we all have...

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.