kids' toys Archives | Cool Mom Picks

10 of the coolest backyard water toys we’ve found, to help kids beat the heat this summer

Happy summer, friends! If you’re facing pool closures or limits in your neighborhoods this summer (gah!) then you’re likely looking for some fun backyard water toys to help your kids enjoy the summer months without melting while they’re outside....

So who’s ready for a cool new LEGO set? LEGO Super Mario to the rescue!

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings

With our kids tearing through our craft kits, puzzle boxes, activity books and more while they shelter indoors, the brand new, 231-piece, interactive LEGO Super Mario Starter course could not have come at a better time. I can’t think of anything more delightful...

18 fantastic Easter gift ideas for kids, from Etsy shops that could really use the support right now.

by Liz Gumbinner | Kids, Toys + Playthings

We know that this year’s Easter gifts are going to take on a lot more meaning for our kids this year. At the same time, Easter gifts sold by small businesses can really make the difference in another family’s life, too. Which makes it an extra wonderful...

Where to find the iconic Eric Carle + Magna-tiles sets that just launched today.

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

We love some Magna-tiles around our house. My kids like to build cool structures with them, and I love how easily we clean them up (thanks to those magnets). So when we heard about the new Eric Carle + Magna-tiles collab, we got excited. Yes, cool art on awesome toys...

Mattel’s Creatable World and other progress towards gender non-comformity and inclusivity: Editors Best of the Year

by Liz Gumbinner | Editors Best of the Year

it’s time for our annual Top 10 Editors Picks of the Year! To kick things off, I wanted to start with one of the biggest, most positive events that pops out to us as we reflect on 2019: the growing awareness of gender fluidity and gender identity, and the...

The best subscription gifts for kids this year: There’s one for every age, and every interest

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks, Toys + Playthings

It’s final countdown to the holidays, which means last-minute gift ideas, which means subscription gifts for kids, which are always some of our favorites to give — last minute or not! Wwe know from experience that our kids love to receive boxes in the...

A special needs mom shares 4 great toys for kids with cognitive disabilities.

by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings

With the holidays coming up, grandparents and friends are naturally asking for ideas for gifts for the kids, but when you are shopping for toys for kids with cognitive disabilities, it can make the gifting a little more challenging. For my daughter, play time is also...

A brilliantly easy way to donate your kids’ plastic toys to children who will really love them.

by Christina Refford | Doing Good, Toys + Playthings

If the picture up top makes you think, Ack! That’s every room of my house, then you’re going to be so happy to learn about Second Chance Toys, an organization that will help you get those no-longer-wanted toys into the hands of kids who really do want them...

Baby Yoda Funko POP! The stocking stuffer we desperately want will be here…not by Christmas.

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings

The good news: I finally found the one affordable little gift I know will please every one of my kids. Baby Yoda: The Child Funko POP! figurine, fresh off his Mandalorian boost into meme-of-the-year status, complete with a Lin Manuel approved viral Baby Yoda Hamilton...

5 incredible deals on hot toys at Zulily right now. The holidays are coming!

by Liz Gumbinner | Holiday Picks, Toys + Playthings

If you’re looking to get a head start on holiday shopping — especially toys for all those kids on your list — you can score some truly fantastic deals right now thanks to our partner Zulily. And I can help! This parent-fave online retailer launches...

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).