by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
Here’s what I suggest for the weekend: Entice your teens out from their bedrooms for a hilarious family game night using your set of What Do You Meme? game cards. Only surprise them when they open the box, to find that you’ve booby trapped the deck with...
by Kate Etue | Books for Kids
Readers, get excited! The 2021 ALA youth media awards have been announced, and it’s time to update our reading lists! In case you’re not fully in the book-nerd world like me, that means our 2021 Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King awards and more have...
by Kate Etue | Thinking : Parent
My kids and I were glued to the TV last Wednesday, watching history take place on Inauguration Day. We were sobered by the national guard presence, excited about the achievements of our new VP Kamala Harris, and just so totally and completely relieved to see President...
by Kate Etue | Books for Kids
I don’t think our annual roundup of the best children’s books of 2020 could come at a better time. As we’re heading into a winter of quarantining in 2021, my goal is to turn off the TV more and open up more books. This is my sixth year compiling all...
by Cool Mom Staff | Editors Best of the Year, Podcast
Every year, we love to share our most popular Spawned podcast episodes. It’s always fun to see which topics and guests resonated the most with you, our awesome listeners. And if you’re new to our podcast, well, here’s the perfect opportunity to get...
by Kate Etue | Toys + Playthings
The truth is, I don’t need an excuse to play scary board games for Halloween with my. kids. We’re full-fledged board game geeks at my house, and all games are an option for us, any time at all. But with so many families looking for safe trick-or-treat...
by Christina Refford | Doing Good, Tips + Tricks
I know that this year, a lot of teens, including my own 17 year old, are even more motivated to get out and do something to impact November’s election. But for socially conscious teens under 18, it can be frustrating that they can’t make a difference at...
by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast
After reading author and psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour’s NY Times article, The 2020 Back to School List for Teens’ Emotional Well-Being we just knew we had to talk to her about it. Her premise: kids need some emotional “supplies” that have...
by Christina Refford | Doing Good, Fashion
If the continued interest over Michelle Obama’s lovely “Vote” necklace from last month’s speech at the Democratic National Convention was any indication, many of us are also eager to promote our voting rights loud and proud, this critically...
by Kate Etue | Books for Kids, Entertainment + Media
This year, even though we haven’t been able to go to actual movie theaters, we’re still seeing plenty of great movies from home. Yay for film companies adapting! And yay for me spending less than $50 to get everyone popcorn! If you’re big on reading...