Vroom vroom! That's the sound of one very happy 21-month-old zooming around in my living room on the Piki Piki from Gallo and Spence Toys , a great new bike-trike hybrid for toddlers and preschoolers. And with my own toddler (and soon-to…
We've seen lots of awesome cardboard playhouses over the years, from European village squares to castles to pirate ships. We even featured OTO's gorgeously designed ice cream truck playhouse when it was a mere Indiegogo fundraising campa…
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…
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…
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…
Buying a special gift for a four-year-old is so much fun since this is the age that kids really start to show their preferences and interests. Plus, they aren't sticking every little piece into their mouths (phew) and can play independen…
Those iconic handmade wooden crate and roller-skate-bottom scooters from the Great Depression have been retooled and re-imagined to form the fierce-looking Skate Crate , hopefully coming soon to a sidewalk near you. At least if you ask o…
Summer may be winding down, but that doesn't mean kids will be hanging up their scooters anytime soon. In some neighborhoods, we're even scooting to school and hopefully safely. Our partner Micro Kickboard (we love them so much!) is a br…
Choosing the best gift for a two year old from among ride-on vehicles, construction toys, dolls and more can seem overwhelming, so we've narrowed it down to some favorites that our own boys and girls have loved. Because that first birthd…
It can be a struggle to get kids to remember to wear their helmets, but when their bike safety gear looks as good as these cool bike helmets for kids--they're much more likely to use one. So since it's July, and in our house the Tour de …
With ride-on toys like the Skoooch , the CycoCycle , and the Explorer Go-Kar t in our garage, our own driveway is often the most fun place to be in the summer. And if you're looking for something totally different to get your kids out an…
Tis the season for playing in the sand (yay for summer!) so we've rounded up some of the most fun and coolest-looking new beach toys for kids. If you've got a seaside trip planned,we hope these help you amp up the standard buckets and sh…
We missed the boat on a big fancy modern swing set for my kids--maybe because we live in the city and don't have a yard? Yeah, that could have a little to do with it. But their Grandma and Papa put up a handmade swing for them which made…
We love balance bikes here at Cool Mom Picks because they do such a great job of teaching young kids how to get around safely on two wheels. I was sold on them after learning the hard way how challenging it is to wean a fearful child off…
It's officially the season for travel (whoo!) and whether you're planing it, driving, or taking the subway uptown for a picnic in the park, we're all for getting out with the kids. A top question from our readers is always "but what do I…
I often talk to the kids about why it's so important to keep our neighborhood and parks clean by recycling or picking up trash we find on the sidewalk. And this Earth Day , I love that Cool Mom Picks favorite Green Toys is reminding us h…
Though it's clear that the Olympic athletes we've been watching at the Sochi Winter Games all want gold, all three of Micro Kickboard's new medal-hued scooters would be winners with my kids, regardless of what color they choose. All dres…
What are the best gifts for an 8-year-old boy? I'm looking for a big gift, in the $50-$100 range. — CMP reader, via Twitter Oh, you mean the kind of gift that makes a child pause while unwrapping, shout out with glee, and rush over to gi…
Whether your toddler is ready for their first balance bike or you have a mini speedster on your holiday list, a ride-on toy makes an awesome "big gift" for either Hanukkah or Christmas. As the inadvertent ride-on-toy expert at Cool Mom P…
Every so often, it's fun to see how the rich and famous live, especially those with kids. Should you have a spare 10, 20, or 50k lying around , check out these unbelievable kids playhouses. Or hey, if you buy one yourself? Invite us over…
When the weather turns warm, I am on the hunt for fun new ways to get the kids outside--and off their various electronic devices. My latest find may be low-tech, but it's so high on fun, we're all waiting in line for our turn to play. Sl…
We love nothing more than finding toys for kids that are handmade, or at least, don't require an on and off switch and 300 batteries. Instead, our favorite toys of 2012 are all powered by the imaginations and little hands of kids. Liz LE…
The siren song of electronics has a huge pull on my tweens this holiday, so if I'm going to ask Santa to bring them something that doesn't begin with an "i" it'd better be something pretty cool. I found something pretty cool. No... reall…
There is no question in my three-kid household that one of the favorites in our fleet of ride-on toys is the Mini Kick scooter . From the moment they could balance on the stable footrest, my kids were cruising the driveway and declaring …