tweens + teens Archives | Cool Mom Picks

When can your teen register to vote? Here are the rules, state by state.

by Kate Etue | Doing Good, Tips + Tricks

Some of us have older teens who are really excited to vote this year. But because each state manages their own voting policies, it can be confusing as to how, when, and where to register to vote. We all know that if you’re 18 on or before election day — November...

6 tuition-free classes that help your teens learn online this summer — without you standing over their shoulders.

by Cool Mom Staff | Kids

Over the last few months, we’ve shared some informative posts to help the newbies among us succeed more with homeschooling — or more accurately, helping us to guide our kids through the at-home learning they’re getting from their schools. So much has...

10 books to help kids and teens cope with anxiety during Covid 19. Because it may be getting harder, not easier.

by Kate Etue | Books for Kids, Health, Fitness + Wellbeing

Anxiety had already been a concern for many of our kids before the Covid pandemic hit, and as we all know, the current situation isn’t helping. All of us are having to navigate an entirely new way of life right now, and it can be particularly hard on kids. Their...

5 creative ways we’ve been using Houseparty to stay connected to our own friends and family during quarantine

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech CMP-Style

With about six weeks into this COVID-19 quarantine, we’re all desperately longing for the connection of faraway friends and family. And while texting, phone calls, even writing letters (yes, remember those?) are a great salve to what we’re all feeling,...

Virgie Tovar talks about body positivity and self love, and why it’s so important right now | Spawned Ep 199

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

If you’re like us, then you’ve probably seen a whole lot of weight-related pandemic memes and posts on social media. Whether it’s the kind of worn out “Gaining the COVID-19” joke to talking about “letting ourselves go,” ours...

10 ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with kids, safely at home.

by Christina Refford | DIY, Doing Good

Readers have asked us for ways to celebrate Earth Day with the kids while we’re all sheltering in place right now and I have to be honest — with all of the days starting to run together while we’re in quarantine, the holiday kind of snuck up on me...

7 special graduation ideas during Covid-19 for your 2020 grad. They deserve it!

by Christina Refford | Party Ideas, Tips + Tricks

Our Facebook groups have been asking for graduation ideas during Covid-19 and quarantine, and as a mom to a rising senior, and a high school grad last year, my heart goes out to all the 2020 grads. While school kids everywhere have had their lives and routines upended...

Here’s how your budding young scientist could win $25,000!

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech CMP-Style

If your kids are like ours, they’ve always got some pretty creative solutions to everything from getting out of eating vegetables to extending their bedtime just a little bit longer. (Why do they need so much water at 8pm?). Well, thanks to our sponsor Discovery...

5 simple laundry tips for families. Because if they can work a smartphone, they can work a washing machine.

by Cool Mom Staff | Tips + Tricks

We know that it can be a lot easier to just do the laundry yourself. No whining, no complaining. Everyone’s happy! Except, tough love, parents: everyone in your family (especially if you’ve got young adults heading off to college) needs to be able to do their...

What to see and do (and eat!) with teens in Boston…in the winter. Yes, the winter.

by Holly Rosen Fink | Family Travel

Winter in Boston with the family may sound…well, cold. It ‘s true that the sun sets earlier, and you have to bundle up when you go out, because, New England! Even so, Boston an excellent city for a getaway with teens any time, and that includes winter....

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).