by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings
Even though Halloween is long over, my kids are still running around in costumes most days, as they’ll continue to do. It’s fun to see the stories they come up with when they dig through our dress-up box — like when Cruella deVille and an astronaut...
by Christina Refford | Tips + Tricks, Toys + Playthings
It’s hard to feel like King of the Road when really, you’re King of Don’t Go Beyond the End of the Driveway! With three kids and one long paved driveway, I’ve been there! So, whether you live on a house on a high-traffic street, or you just...
by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings
I keep being told that donuts are the new macarons, which used to be the new cupcakes, so I shouldn’t be surprised that I’m seeing them everywhere. And my kids are clamoring for them. They are emblazoned on stationery, tote bags, t-shirts, even toys and...
by Cool Mom Team | Party Ideas
If your aim is to get the kids to spend as much time in the pool as possible before summer ends, we’ve got you covered with 10 of the coolest, most creative pool games for toddlers to teens. Not only are these ideas a whole lot of fun, but they also help kids...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
Before you pack up the kids and head to the beach (yay summer!), take my advice and do a quick inventory of last year’s beach toys. Between missing shovels, broken pails, and maybe some toys that are no longer in the best shape, it may be time to add a few new...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
When I first saw a picture of The Swurfer in my local toy store’s summer catalog, I thought that it looked like a nice wide swing for those of us who can’t quite, ahem, cram ourselves into our kids’ smaller swings. And while it can definitely be used...
by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings
When my kids try climbing onto the huge woven rope hammock in their grandparents’ back yard, it inevitably flips over and leaves them dangling inches above the ground, hanging on underneath for dear life. It’s so hilarious. I mean…awful. Right,...
by Esther Chen | Toys + Playthings
Vroom vroom! That’s the sound of one very happy 21-month-old zooming around in my living room on the Piki Piki from Gallo and Spence Toys, a great new bike-trike hybrid for toddlers and preschoolers. And with my own toddler (and soon-to-be toddler, eek!) am so...
by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings
We’ve seen lots of awesome cardboard playhouses over the years, from European village squares to castles to pirate ships. We even featured OTO’s gorgeously designed ice cream truck playhouse when it was a mere Indiegogo fundraising campaign, and now...
by Cool Mom Team | Editors Best of the Year
From amazing dolls to cool new games and imaginative toys, there have been so many fantastic options out for kids at play this year that encourage things we love, like creativity, imagination, building, interest in STEM pursuits, defiance of gender stereotypes and...
