20 free things to do with your kids this summer when you’re all out of ideas
Anyone else searching for free things to do with your kids this summer? As the mom of a toddler who hasn’t stopped moving since 2017, I know I am. And since I want to keep the whine at bay and still budget for our vacation, I’ve set out to find the best...
Wonderfully positive backpacks + lunch boxes made just for kids of color.
Just in time for summer camp — or those of you who are already thinking about back-to-school shopping, yikes — you have to check out these empowering backpacks specifically designed to represent kids of color. Casey Kelley started Blended Designs when her...
9 cool black swimsuits for girls who just can’t with the pink.
I love black swimsuits — for me. But it never crossed my mind that one day my own daughter would refuse to wear much else (sigh). So, black swimsuits for my teen it is! Despite how many adorable bright stripes, fun florals, and poppy tie-dye patterns are out...
Sleepaway camp: The pros, the cons, and the tears (mostly ours)| Spawned Episode 114
With summer pretty much here, that means Liz and I are about to say good-bye to a few of our kids as they head off to summer camp, some close by, and one well, to Japan! We get asked all the time about sleepaway camp, from wanting to know how to decide when a kid is...
Looking for kids’ Crocs alternatives? We’ve found 6 sturdy sandals that are ready for adventure.
Wanna talk Crocs alternatives for kids? I am here for you! As someone who wore Crocs once upon a time, I know that despite some of the benefits, they’re not the most durable or supportive kids’ shoes, let alone safe — plenty of camps and schools have...
7 wonderful benefits of STEM for kids. It’s not just about coding!
Brought to you by our amazing sponsor, Play-Well TEKnologies, which has offered LEGO-inspired STEM camps for kids for the past twenty years. Wow. More than 100,000 kids each year have benefited from their terrific summer program — maybe yours will be one of them...
The coolest lanyard pattern instructions that every camper needs.
Lanyards are a summer camp mainstay — remember making them back in the day? But like so many things from our own childhoods, these knotted summer crafts have only gotten way cooler. Lanyards (also called scoubidous, scoobies, boondoggles, scooby doggles, gimps,...
5 sleepaway camp postcard sets that are cool enough for cynical kids.
Since old fashioned pen to paper is usually the required form of communication at camps, cool sleepaway camp postcards make it easy! They keep writing short and sweet, don’t require envelopes, and if you give your kid a set all stamped and ready to go, the odds...
14 cool, creative summer camp care package ideas for your happy campers
If your kids are headed to sleepaway camp — or already there — you’re probably already planning out a great summer care package, filled with items your kids will love, to help ease the anxiety, keep them busy during quiet hours, help them make...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, easier, more organized, 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).
But we did.
And we still love what we do every single day.
We're so glad you're here.
Keeping Families Together: What You Can Do
Summer Science Activities Guide for Kids!
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