I've been cleaning up and paring down lately, and that includes some of the wooden blocks my kids got as gifts when they were young. So I started thinking about upcycled wooden blocks craft ideas that might breathe some new life into the…
I'm always happy to introduce you to beautifully-curated independent web boutiques and here's one more new one that's caught my attention since its launch just a few weeks ago. Mini Life is an exquisite children's lifestyle boutique pack…
Like many parents I know, I have never been a fan of the pouty-lipped, heavy-lidded, overly-made-up Bratz line of dolls. But after I saw what this mother-daughter team has been doing to "rescue" the discarded toys, I was totally charmed …
My three-year-old son brings artwork home from nursery school by the armful -- if you consider a couple of paint drops on construction paper to be art, that is. Every so often, however, he creates something that actually resembles a pers…
It's going to be a while before I can look out my window and see anything bright and colorful fluttering around my yard, so I'm especially pleased that LEGO has chosen to release LEGO Birds , a brand new set of feathered friends that is …
It's that time of year, so I was looking back at our post on colorful toy storage options , and came across the toy chests from Drift Studio. (Thanks, Christina!) So I clicked over to see what was new, and wow. As much as this Brooklyn m…
As we say goodbye to 2014 and remember to start typing 2015 on all our correspondence, we wanted to take one last look back at our posts. Specifically, the top posts written in 2014 that caught the attention and imagination of our reader…
Shopping for baby gifts might just be among our favorite kind of shopping to do, and we've featured no shortage of amazing baby gift ideas on our site this year. (If we do say so ourselves). After much consideration, deliberation, and de…
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, defianc…
My husband comes from a family of players. Game players, that is. The next time we host a family dinner, I'd love to pull out this gorgeous four in a row wood game to engage in a bit of healthy competition. (Spoiler alert: I've always be…
You've heard us singing the praises of Kiwi Crate's monthly subscription crates full of projects for kids ages 3-8 for years, but if your kids fall outside of those age ranges, tough luck, right? Not anymore. Their three new crates will …
If you're still puzzled (yes, I went there) over what to get some of the kids on your list , keep reading. Whether it is a small wooden puzzle for little hands to manipulate, or something larger and more complex that gets the entire fami…
I may not allow Elf on a Shelf in my house, and Peter Pan is definitely not welcome to fly through my kids' bedroom window, but having some magical fairy visitors would be just fine. Especially if it means my kids go eagerly to bed in th…
Some of the best toys don't need a lot of bells and whistles, or even horns, to make them a plaything that kids will love for years. Our newest find is Candylab's stunning, yet durable, wooden toy cars . After Candylab wooden toy cars re…
Each year, I love rounding up the best printable holiday crafts that so many amazing designers, artists, and all-around crafty people develop so that people like me can create beautiful things with our kids. In fact, they make it so easy…
Compared to last year (holy Thanksgivukkah !), it may seem like we have tons of time to prep for Hanukkah, but I have a feeling that the time will fly. Quickly. Before we know it, we’ll be on the hook for eight crazy nights of festivitie…
On a recent trip to Venice Beach, I wandered through skate shops and hung out at the skatepark. What can I say -- I'm still a skatebetty at heart, even at my age. But unlike the old days when bumper stickers proclaimed Skateboarding is n…
We're big fans of the Lottie doll line here at Cool Mom Picks. She looks like a real kid, has cool adventures, and encourages girls to be themselves, whether they dream of being pirates, soccer pros, or lighthouse keepers. So you can ima…
Like many of you parents, I wanted to purchase the best first scooter for my little kids when they were old enough, but was overwhelmed by all the choices in the stores. But after reading a review of the Micro Kickboard Mini Micro scoote…
There aren't many wooden toys for toddlers that I can imagine an older kid would love too, but these super nerdy ABC blocks from Uncommon Goods are a major exception. They're made from locally sourced wood and printed with non-toxic inks…
If it's not yet clear from the pages of Cool Mom Picks, the holiday season is upon us. And for a lot of us, that means time to come up with a standout holiday gift for the little guys and gals on our shopping list will be a hit without b…
I'm a veteran babywearer, so it's no surprise that the first thing my daughter thinks about when she wants to take her dolls for a walk is putting them into a carrier. We've always had cute little doll pouches for her babies, but with wh…
My kids came home this week excitedly telling me they could hand out something in school to their classmates for Halloween, provided it was gluten-free. So I started perusing the candy aisle before I thought...wait a minute! I'm supposed…
Okay, so maybe my eight-year-old daughter already knows how to use a coffee maker. And maybe she has her own hand-painted Goblet of Fire mug, in which she begs for a sip of the steaming hot ambrosia of morning. But still, what if I'd got…