It's so easy to find yourself on-the-go all the time as a parent, but having downtime is important. In fact, I think it's vital to being a good mom or dad. Of course, a few hours alone to get a manicure or go for a walk is so nice, but I…
Hey, wait a minute. Is that you, August? How did you get here so fast? I know I'm not the only one who feels like this. Wasn't it April just yesterday? Instead of trying to wrap our collective heads around the theory of relativity, let's…
I love camping with my kids. Okay, scratch that. I love the idea of camping with my kids. But sleeping on the ground -- not so much. So when I stumbled onto Tentsile tents on the web, I kind of geeked out. I cannot wait to try out one of…
You know that museum in town you've been meaning to take your kids to but you just haven't gotten to it? Yep, I have one too. Well turns out you have a chance to do it free. Because on September 26 this year, tons of museums, zoos, aquar…
So, you want to go to a resort with the fam on vacation? Lucky you. I just did it and I can help! But first know, that as with most anything that involves tiny humans, tweens, teens -- or any combination of them -- you'll need a clear pl…
We are having so much fun with our kids home for summer break, the occasional sibling squabble aside, but we're already thinking about back-to-school . Especially on behalf of those of you in the south who start in what, like four minute…
If your aim is to get the kids to spend as much time in the pool as possible before summer ends, we've got you covered with 10 of the coolest, most creative pool games for toddlers to teens. Not only are these ideas a whole lot of fun, b…
Even before she had made her first trip out of the country, my daughter loved the subscription her aunt bought her to Little Passports when she was in grade school. Each month, she'd receive a packet of information and little trinkets ab…
This post is brought to you by Hulu. So by now, you all may know that we are pop culture junkies to varying degrees around here. We are also unabashedly nostalgic. Which is why our newest sponsor Hulu (yay, Hulu!) is pretty much making o…
H i Cool Mom Picks! A ny suggestions for workbooks or activities to help prepare my child--and keep them out of my hair (ha)--for the summer between kindergarten and first grade? -Chaitali Ahhhh, summer! No school lunches to pack, no bus…
Music is such an important part of children's lives from both an educational and entertainment standpoint. As a former music therapist and college professor I might be a little biased, but there are plenty of personal stories and scienti…
Put a little spring in your step with some great new tunes for the kids that will get your toes tapping too. With new albums from some of our long-time favorites, as well as some artists that our kids will recognize from TV, there's a gr…
Before slipping on my pair of 3-D glasses at a recent press screening of the new Home movie , I realized it had been a while since I'd seen an animated feature in a theater. I'm sure that will change drastically as my three-year-old son …
Every year, my family looks for cool ways to decorate Easter eggs that doesn't require crafting skills far beyond what I have myself -- which is not much. That said, my kids adore the tradition and love experimenting with new ways to pla…
Imagine if you didn't have electricity at home and your kids had to go out and sit under a street lamp on a deserted street, alone each night, in order to finish their homework. That's exactly what a lot of kids face in other parts of th…
For a little Chinese New Year celebration this evening, I'll be tracking down some delicious take-out dumplings at my local Chinese food joint (in lieu of my Chinese mom's amazing cooking, sniffle), and printing out a few copies of this …
If like me, you fell in love with the art of animation all over again after losing yourself in the artistry of releases like The Book of Life , The Boxtrolls , and the totally-robbed-by-the-award-show-establishment LEGO Movie , then list…
Sometimes I see the same crafts in crafting books for kids over and over again, but the ideas in the new e-book Happy Handmade , are fresh and fun, with diverse perspectives from 17 creative contributors. We're talking respected craft an…
The Rainbow Loom band bracelets (and necklaces, charms, rings, headbands, oh my) we've shared here are just as popular as ever, as kids find new ways to put them to use. Now, the trend is to ditch the looms entirely and learn how to make…
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…
When the holidays--and the cold weather--hit, it's the time I make sure our games are in good shape. As in, half the cards from UNO aren't missing and there is actually Monopoly money in the Monopoly game. As opposed to the play kitchen.…
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…
If you would love to decorate cookies with the kids but have a to-do list as long as mine, my new favorite, and delicious, shortcut to easy Christmas cookies may work for you. It's those amazing, pure butter shortbread cookies from Walke…
If you're looking for a family gift this holiday that blows a lot of ideas out of the water, I've got one to float by you: a cruise. We did it a couple of years ago, and the kids were thrilled when they realized that the box full of suns…