Since a shiny new box of crayons is de rigeur for back to school season, I am loving this awesome set of crayons that might make a perfect "You'll do great, honey!" gift for a new preschooler or kindergartener. And of course, her mom can…
If you caught our Editor-in-Chief Liz Gumbinner on NBC's TODAY this morning talking about the coolest back to school gear for kids, you've come to the right place. You'll find all the items featured on the show, plus over 100 more awesom…
We're so thrilled to tell you that we're celebrating the launch of our Back to School Shopping Guide on NBC's Today Show tomorrow morning. Whoo! Our Editor-in-Chief Liz will be highlighting some of the coolest picks from our guide, like …
The summer is almost officially over and that means one thing: The launch of our sixth annual Back to School Shopping Guide , featuring close to 150 goodies that will help make your little and big kids' school year the coolest one yet. Y…
I learned the hard way, as have many parents, that if you buy a cheap backpack for your kid, even your toddler, you will be buying a second (and possibly third) backpack before the school year is through. So now I look for good quality, …
Between summer camp and school, tossing an ice pack in with a sandwich, apple and yogurt is pretty much a no-brainer at this point. But when you consider that not all lunch boxes and ice packs are made for each other, there are plenty of…
I take backpack shopping very seriously. My kids are hard on their stuff, so by the time spring rolls around, we may need to upgrade what seemed so new and fresh in the fall. I need something durable but slightly more kid friendly than a…
If you haven't yet settled on a new backpack for your older kid yet, I think she'll probably love this one-- at least if she's a fan of Twilight, or vampires, or True Blood. Which she is. As required by law. The Vampire Orthodontics back…
We've always had a heart for green school supplies for our kids, ever since we knew such a thing even existed.While they'll never be as cheap as what you find at the big mall stores, grab a couple you love and teach the kids a lesson in …
We're pretty sure that back to school is synonymous with a brand new backpack and not one that's ragged and torn from last year's heavy load of school books and homework . Here are a bunch of our favorite book bags that are not only cool…
I realize that school is now in full swing, but if you have yet to find the perfect lunch box, or if your house is the mysterious Bermuda Triangle of lunch bags like mine, you can't have too many reusable lunch bags . Particularly if the…
I've learned that as my kids get older, they will have plenty of time to use their decked out backpacks with the 400 pockets and zippers. And I'll have lots of chances to clean them out. But for my little preschooler, I'm digging the new…
It's hard not to want to incorporate EcoJot products into your back to school shopping, which is why they nearly always end up in our back to school shopping guides . Their notebooks are 100% recycled , the designs are adorable, and they…
With my kids rapidly becoming tired of our regular summer activities, I can't be more excited for the start of school. Or at least, that's the story I'm going with. So to celebrate your kiddo's first day back (you know, other than the so…
If you missed Cool Mom Picks editor Liz Gumbinner on the Today Show this morning, fear not: We've got the clip right here . Catch Liz chatting with Meredith Viera (who was wearing seriously killer shoes!) and sharing some of our favorite…
We're so excited that Cool Mom Picks editor Liz Gumbinner will be joining The Today Show tomorrow to talk about some of the cool back to school picks in our Back to School Shopping Guide. The best part might be that Liz gets to share the…
It's 104 degrees outside, and you know what that means: back to school and our annual Back to School Shopping Guide ! We know-- it doesn't make much sense. But we also know that the next few ultra-sunny weeks will require new clothes, sh…
We've long adored the cute, unique little kid backpacks from Little Packrats (now PVC-free, by the way!), but now that some of our little kids are turning into big kids, we're glad that they've added some new bags just for them. The new …
You probably already know Crumpler for their sturdy, stylish bags for adults. Or at least you should. But now they've gone and shrunk two of their favorites down to kid-size and it's definitely worth a look. The Baby Pea preschool backpa…
When I was in Japan a few years ago, I tried desperately to pack my suitcase full with as much adorableness as possible. But lucky for me (and you), I don't have to endure the super long plane ride to stock up on imported Japanese goodie…
I still remember being about seven and getting my first set of "serious colored pencils" from my mom. I recall the pride of knowing I'd outgrown the kid stuff, and that I had been deemed worthy enough to own art supplies that came in a f…
Want an awesome holiday gift for a two-year old? Something he'll love and cherish and want to play with every free second? And it's also got to be totally affordable? Here's the idea of the century - and don't laugh. Children's scissors …
Now's the time in the school year that moms are figuring out whether that cool lunchbox you bought for your kid actually does the trick, or whether it was more cute than functional. Luckily, I fared pretty well (thanks Cool Mom Picks - h…
It's music to any educator's ears: The chance for big bucks for the school, just because it's great. GreatSchools.net and Care2.com have partnered up to create the America's Favorite School Contest , and they're giving away everyone's fa…