We've got a strong competitive gene in my family, which means when we all get together, we like to hang around the dinner table playing board games. The kids get in on the action too, but that doesn't mean we're relegated to playing kidd…
Though there are sure to be many awesome high-tech toys out there this holiday season , our latest obsession is the adorably low-tech wooden peg dolls by Wooly Llama on Etsy. I mean, what could be better than hearing your kids playing th…
With holidays coming up, we're seeing a lot more interest in building toys and maker toys, a trend we've loved since, well, before it was a trend. And earlier this year at Toy Fair, when I saw the new 5-in-1 pegasus kit from YOXO I thoug…
The team at Cool Mom Picks always makes fun of me because of my strange aversion to nail art. (Seriously, do you see any nail art on our Pinterest boards ? Exactly.) The way some people hate feet, I'm a little weird about close-up photos…
Since Star Wars is back this year in full force (ha, get it?) we bet a whole lot of you will be thrilled to see your families done up as your favorite characters in these custom Star Wars family portraits. ( Update : The shop is sadly no…
I know a lot of parents have a fondness for those little green army men toys of their youth (and the Toy Story franchise) but not everyone wants their kids playing around with guns. So I have to give props to Toyboarders which transforme…
Robeez has been a favorite of mine since before my kids were even born; I was literally buying them when I was still pregnant. With awesome styles like the little peanut elephant shoes , football frenzy shoes , and monogrammed options - …
If you want to know how to throw a cool, space-themed party for kids, well we've just done it and we're sharing our most successful ideas here. Having just thrown a NYC launch party for the newest, space-themed title in the highly person…
You know what's scary? When LEGO comes out with a new series of 16 LEGO Monster Minifigures that would be perfect for Halloween, but when you go to their website to snag a few to surprise the kids, you see that they are all sold out. { c…
We imagine a whole lot of parents out there are starting to plan some amazing Star Wars birthday parties and are going to be looking for some creative, cool ideas. After all, in just a few months, Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens will be…
Star Wars fans everywhere (and pretty much the rest of us) know that today is #ForceFriday --the day a whole bunch of new Star Wars gifts and toys goes on sale to help build excitement for the December release of Episode VII The Force Aw…
Summer may be ending but that doesn't mean that mermaid season is over, at least if you have some mermaid-fanatic kids in your life like I do. So when I discovered Blankie Tails , handmade sleep-sack style blankets that look like shark o…
We've already shared our picks for this year's coolest preschool backpacks in our Back to School Guide, but now we've got you covered for backpacks for big kids too. Older kids, tweens and teens , as you probably know, have slightly more…
I heard rumors about the CoverGirl Star Wars MakeUp line a couple of months ago, and now, it's a reality. Yep, coming this Fall, you'll be able to snatch up the CoverGirl Star Wars: The Force Awaken s inspired line at your local drugstor…
We all know, of course, that the amount of money you spend on a Father's Day gift has no correlation with love whatsoever. Not that there's anything wrong with splurges. But if you're on a tight budget, if you're not a spendy gift kind o…
Just when I think it's time to put the baby blocks away, my kids will surprise me by building some huge creative structure on the living room floor, enhanced by LEGO men and dollhouse furniture. Still, I can tell the basic square blocks …
Since we're always saying that moms are superheroes, it makes perfect sense to actually turn her into one this Mother's Day. That's why we're doing backflips, and possibly leaping tall buildings in a single bound, over a new company that…
When you've got a precocious reader in the house, it can be hard to find books they haven't yet discovered and devoured. I know this because I am that reader and I spawned that reader. Luckily, we found a subscription service -- you know…
We've been fans of jewelry designer JacQueline Sanchez 's Forever Young collection of LEGO jewelry since, well, forever ago. The artist makes rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more with LEGO bricks that are more like designer pi…
It's the time of year to build gingerbread houses covered with candies, but I've been mesmerized by the new Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman (a favorite around here) and Lorenzo Mattotti, and their interpretation of the classic Grimm sto…
Working in the independent music world, I have a high esteem for non-commercial radio and of course the mother of it all, NPR. Supporting public radio is so important to me, as they rely heavily on listener funding to stay afloat. So if …
Yes, Hanukkah is here and Christmas is coming (fast) but no need to panic if you still have VIPs to shop for on your list and are scrambling for last-minute gift ideas. By now, you've surely heard of the magic of subscription gift boxes …
A few years back we discovered the brilliance of Smallfly on Etsy, which made cool lightning bolts and wings to lace onto the sides of your sneakers. And our readers went crazy for them--because you are all highly discerning shoppers wit…
I am so losing myself in this awesome collection of t-shirts on Fab.com from Stereotype Design . Each one describes a popular movie in a single sentence--like if you were a screenwriter, only you had to pitch the screenplay it just took …