If our most popular post of 2015, which introduced the brilliant and much coveted Blankie Tails , is any indication, there are now swarms of kids across America, flipping (ha) for their super-soft, well-made mermaid and shark tail blanke…
As much as my older kids love their electronics, good old-fashioned crafts still hold some appeal for them, especially if the finished product is something really worth making. And with summer vacation fast-approaching, I really want to …
You may remember Cuddle and Kind's beautiful hand-knit dolls , which we featured last fall. We gushed over how cute the line is, and even more impressive, their amazing mission to feed hungry kids with ten meals donated to major hunger-f…
The internet's been all atwitter about the re-release of the Misty Copeland Barbie doll . Can we blame the buzz? It's Misty Copeland -- brilliant prima ballerina, African-American trailblazer, and all-around girl crush . Apparently we're…
You don't need to live in a galaxy far, far away to grab one of these cool inner-space worthy Star Wars kites from Think Geek on May the Fourth or any other day. And you won't even need the force to get one of these babies into the air -…
I am so happy to discover Melanites , a new line of dolls created in a "celebration of brown boyhood," thanks to the wonderful mind of Boston entrepreneur and minority youth mentor, Jennifer Pierre. While we're always on the lookout for …
When both of my big kids became older siblings for the first time, they wanted to take over most of my mothering duties for me. Feeding the baby, changing diapers, and of course, babywearing. I eventually passed an unused baby sling down…
With a hint of spring in the air, it's time to take stock of the cool ride-on toys out there so that our kids can stop hibernating with their handhelds and enjoy the great outdoors instead by pedaling, gliding and zooming around our side…
This post has been updated with corrections. Fisher-Price is of course the brand behind many of our favorite childhood toys like that now iconic telephone and the little gumball machine looking push-toy. So their big announcement this we…
Now that they've been revealed, I'm looking at the new Disney LEGO minifigures with great interest. I mean, I doubt there's a kid on this planet who doesn't imagine an array of 18 Disney characters transformed into LEGO minifigures and k…
Anyone who has seen my garage knows that we do not lack for bicycles. But, I always wished for a bike small enough to just toss into the trunk of my car alongside the kids' scooters for weekend rides in the park or on the boardwalk. Whic…
To commemorate what would have been Mister Rogers' 88th birthday today, we're going to get him all dressed up for the special occasion. How about a purple cardigan and a pair of roller skates? Or maybe a fireman's hat, sunglasses, and a …
Ready for Easter? We weren't either until we started searching the web for ideas, and got excited when we found so many totally adorable bunny gifts for Easter out there! And there's no chocolate, Peeps, or jelly beans in this bunch -- n…
We're big fans of toys that inspire creativity in our kids . And if they're small enough to fit in a backpack, even better. The Dollhouse Book by Rock and Pebble is perfection. This house-shaped cardboard-cover book is a 30-page blank ca…
Walking the toy aisles of most big discount stores can make any parent feel dizzy, to use a polite word. Where are all the cool wooden toys? Where are the toys that inspire imagination? Why does it seem like every toy made for kids these…
My daughter loves her screen time, that's for sure, but lately I have been keenly aware of the other creative toys that she, as an 8 year old, really gravitates to, without any prompting from me. Or really, the toys that I realize I'm al…
Flipping through some of the new projects on Kickstarter, the one that grabbed me right away was this hysterical concept for a unicorn pooping rainbows plush doll and scarf . Because unicorns poop rainbows, of course. I mean, duh. What's…
I still remember how special it would feel to get a brand new box of 64 Crayola crayons just for myself -- and that was before Crayola My Way , a super cool new way to create a box of totally custom Crayola crayons . Not only can you per…
There's something special about getting a doll that looks "just like you." It's one of the many reasons Cool Mom Picks loves companies like Corolle who make baby dolls of color as well as boy dolls for our sons to love. Of course it's pa…
Since Cool Mom Picks started a decade ago, we've made it our mission to find small, independent stores that sell unique, eco-friendly, hard-to-find toys for your kids so that all you have to do is scroll and shop. My newest favorite, Oh!…
If you're the type willing to seek out creative, responsibly made , well-designed gifts for your kids -- or for one of the endless stream of birthday parties they get invited to -- then you have to check out Treehouse Kid & Craft . We ju…
You always need a few toys to keep kids entertained in the bath, of course. Cups and boats have always always been a hit with mine, but I just had to share the adorable new Marco light-up bath toy from Boon from Boon for something a litt…
As someone living in Massachusetts, I've always gotten the appeal of having a great playhouse for kids. For many of us, our kids' primary playtime through the winter will take place indoors where it isn't 20 degrees and icy. So if you're…
When you think back to the best toys of the year (and other playful gifts for kids) you probably think about tech, tablets, and things that require cords and batteries. And yet there's so much more, from wonderful board games, to handmad…