It breaks our heart when our favorite shops go out of business, for whatever reason, as with Quiet Hours Toys which is shutting its doors this spring. We've featured them so often over the years, always a fan of this mom-run shop's exqui…
We love wooden toys, but let's face it, there's often more room in our kids' hearts (and hands) for those that are cuddly, plush and less likely to leave a mark when you fall asleep on top of one. Evidently the eco-minded designers of No…
I've had a thing for sock monkeys ever since my mother-in-law gave me the one she'd made for my husband when he was a baby . They're some kind of magical combination of goofy, cheerful cuddliness and retro-chic all in one. I always figur…
I know you totally made little woven potholders when you were a kid. Or maybe you didn't. But I did. And loved it. so I loved discovering that Blueberry Forest Toys sells inexpensive potholder looms that look remarkably similar to the on…
I confessed my serious addiction to Japanese cute when I told you about Momiji dolls, so please cut me some slack if I seem a little gushy when talking about Loloko Shop . This little Northern California shop does cute right with little …
My sons are 7 and 9, but every night, the snuggle up in bed with their favorite stuffed friends. Those "stufties," as my little son calls them, are just one more layer of familiarity and comfort in their lives. Not every child has that t…
My parents can't help it - they see something cute for the kids and they buy it. I suppose that's The Prerogative Of The Grandparent. My only hope is that their version of cute is my version of cute (and that it doesn't happen to be load…
Just a few days ago, we told you about an Associated Press investigation of children's jewelry and metal toys manufactured in China that revealed high levels of the toxic metal cadmium in several mass produced kids' products. In response…
In 2007, a rash of recalls of mass-produced children's toys , clothes, and jewelry, many containing lead, most of which had been cheaply manufactured in China, inspired us to create our first-ever Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide . Since t…
We're all singing Yellow Submarine in our sleep around here, thanks to Santa slipping Beatles Rock Band under the tree a few weeks ago. And really, there's nothing much cuter than a three year-old belting "Paperback wriiiiiiiter" at the …
You don't need us to tell you about the latest Elmo toy or Hannah Montana guitar, so we work hard to point you towards toys and other playthings from small companies or independent artists that you might not know about yet. After a year …
Unless a plush animal is on a kid's holiday or birthday wish list, I tend to steer clear from giving them because as a mom, I know how maddening it can be adding another stuffed bear to the already full toy bin. But when I saw the Kindre…
I've long been a fan of the wooden, pedal-less early rider bikes which get kids more confident and more able to ride a real bicycle than anything I ever had back in the Stone Age. But the prices? Holy heck. And by heck, you know - I don'…
The ordinary rubber duck received a needed makeover a few years back, when BUD luxury rubber ducks started invading bathtubs. Funky and fun, they didn't just look cool, these Australian born duckies ditched the phthalates long before any…
When the makers of the popular Wave skateboard asked me to send their much buzzed-about new Whiplash Scooter for a test drive, I was like uh...not on your life. But I have a 12 year-old nephew named Brodie who I knew could give me the sc…
I'd like to make this holiday the Year Of Fewer Batteries, which could be a bitter pill to swallow for my little robot-aholic who hopes to add a few droids, bots or even a ridiculous robotic hamster to his collection. He's in luck, thoug…
When we made the move to suburbia, one of the first purchases we made was a wagon. But like most people, we were limited to what we could find at our local chain store, which was definitely about functionality and not at all about sleek …
Automoblox have taken over more than a few toy chests in the last few years, and it's not surprising - these modular, creativity-inspiring toys cars and trucks inspire imaginations, while still delivering the joy of vrooming a car around…
I'm a little unbalanced when it comes to "Japanese cute" (kawaii!) like Momiji Friendship Dolls , the uber-trendy little resin dolls from London's Artforum, which are a modern and more affordable spin on the traditional Japanese wooden K…
I've become a strong advocate of paper dolls since realizing that my girls can spend hours entertaining themselves with them. The only issue? That whole paper thing. Let's just say freak decapitations are are not an uncommon occurrence. …
It's no secret that mail is cool. I'll bet I'm not the only person who still gets a little flutter of excitement when I come home to see envelopes poking out the top of my mailbox. In fact, I know I'm not the only person because my daugh…
My daughter loves puppets. I mean, she really loves puppets. She carries them around and tells them stories and engages them in fisticuffs. (Put Bert on one hand and Ernie on the other and smash them together and you get the picture.) So…
We all know that babies usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to Christmas presents, mostly because they'd just as soon spend hours chewing on a big red bow than playing with a bunch of expensive toys. So this holiday, let…
Honestly, I think of felt and often I think "meh." But I've just seen the light, because the light, apparently, comes in the form of felt cushion wall hangings featuring bunnies and Matryoshka dolls that would brighten up any nursery in …