Even if the song can drive me a little nuts, I've always loved It's a Small World. Disney artist Mary Blair created such iconic concept artwork for the attraction, it still makes my retro-modern heart go all a-flutter. And if I were havi…
This is a sponsored message from Monti Kids Kids learn through play. And this is the season so many parents, grandparents, and caregivers have play on our minds. Enter Monti Kids , the only at-home Montessori learning toy subscription pr…
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…
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…
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!…
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…
Now that it's officially December, I will soon unpack and set up my childhood nativity set, even if our holidays are largely secular nowadays. However after three kids who turned my nativity into a sort of dollhouse toy each year, it's t…
If you could use a little help picking out toys for the kids on your list this holiday, we're about to make things a lot easier for you with a mini holiday toy gift guide, starting with the best educational toys for kids. This is the fir…
Since their launch, we've been huge fans of Tegu , makers of the smart, high quality, sustainable wood and magnetic block sets that have just blown up over the years. While their collection of choices has gotten bigger, now Tegu has a wo…
The very first thing my son does when we sit down to eat at a restaurant (well, after ordering both ice water and milk) is ask for my iPhone. I'll admit that I’m often tempted to hand it over because it’s such an easy way to keep him ent…
It's not often I discover a new Etsy shop and automatically think okay, every single thing in there is adorable. But that's the case with Babee and Me , which I can forgive for being based in Byron Bay, Australia, considering what beauti…
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 …
I've always loved the Chinese Zodiac and not just because I'm a Chinese American. I am fascinated by the history of the signs and their meanings. So with the Chinese New Year just a couple of days away, we thought it would be fun to roun…
I've been cleaning up and paring down lately, and that includes some of the wooden blocks my kids got as gifts when they were young. So I started thinking about upcycled wooden blocks craft ideas that might breathe some new life into the…
With so many amazing modern building blocks out there, it's not hard to find a set that I'd love to give to my kids. But I've just discovered SumBlox , the most incredibly original set of durable beech wood blocks that mixes math learnin…
Ahoy mateys, it's Talk Like a Pirate Day , one of our favorite should-be-a-real-holiday days of the year. And though my "pirate speak" is a little rusty, my ability to find some of the cutest and coolest pirate-related treasures is right…
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…
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…
We have featured piles of cool wooden alphabet blocks for kids over the years, from modern design blocks to steampunk science blocks , to Storyblox 's "build-your-own" wooden blocks. And now there's a cool set of custom name blocks on th…
We have played with Tegu and drank the KoolAid. From their mind-bending explorer sets to mobile toy kits, they simply rock the block. Our favorite eco-friendly block-makers have just rolled out a super tricked out magnetic block building…
This week at Toy Fair, I must say a progressive mama like me had a much harder time than expected scoping out smart toys for girls that defy the pink aisle. In other words, the girl dolls and figures were wearing something beyond princes…
It's not hard to find signs of love all around us today, like these gorgeously designed wooden blocks that spell out love in 12 different languages. And when you take a closer look at how artful these blocks are, you'll understand why I …
We all know how much babies and toddlers love to look at photos of the people they love, and so a custom photo gift can be a wonderful baby gift . But if you are like me, those puffy, plastic photo albums aren't your idea of great nurser…