Best beginner bike? – Reader Q&A

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

I am totally overwhelmed by bike options for my 3.5-year-old son. He outgrew his tricycle in minutes and now I’m wondering what to get next … balance bike or a regular bike with training wheels? Just want something he can enjoy this summer and that will...

Hey kids – Go play outside!

by Cool Mom Team | Books for Kids

Here in Atlanta where I live, the weather has been nice since the beginning of March, which means my kids have already exhausted Hide n’ Seek, Freeze Tag, and two entire boxes of sidewalk chalk. So when I saw this book when I was at the Mom 2.0 Summit in New...

More incentive to get the kids to play outside – How does 75 bucks sound?

by Elizabeth | Kid Style

I love this time of year. Now that it’s not grossly hot, I feel inspired to do fun activities with my kids outdoors. But in a few months when the temperature dips? Yup, it’s a long winter and there are only so many times you can walk around Target to get...

Another hour of daylight? Tell them to MOOV it.

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

I really hate losing an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings Time, but I’m also thrilled beyond belief that the season of Throwing the Children Outside to Play is nigh. And I’m pretty sure they will stay out even longer if they have something as cool as MOOV...

The Whiplash Scooter according to Brodie – 4.5 stars out of 5

by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings

When the makers of the popular Wave skateboard asked me to send their much buzzed-about new Whiplash Scooter for a test drive, I was like uh…not on your life. But I have a 12 year-old nephew named Brodie who I knew could give me the scoop since that’s who...

An all-natural sunscreen – bug repellent mashup

by Christina Refford | Beauty + Cosmetics

Our New England summer started off as one big, wet petri dish for mosquitoes, meaning the buggers are now swarming even in the middle of the day. And there’s no sign of it letting up until fall. I have no intention of mixing DEET into my kids sunscreen, so...

Go play outside!

by Mir | Doing Good

While I wholeheartedly support the idea of grandparents getting outside to play with the grandkids, don’t let the fact that this downloadable Go Play Outside guide is being offered through Grandparents.com dissuade you from checking it out yourself, mamas....

Scooter Smackdown! Spring 2009 edition

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

Last spring, I recommended my family’s two favorite children’s scooters, the Mini Micro Kickboard and the Skoooch, based on extensive testing by three scooter-fanatic kids. During this past year, these children continued to grow as they are wont to do, so...

Scooter Smackdown!

by Cool Mom Team | Toys + Playthings

At last count, we had twelve ride-on toys in our garage so I am definitely an expert in that department. Of all these toys, I want to sing the praises of two that stand out from the crowd: The Mini Micro scooter and the oddly named Skoooch. (Yes, there are three...