My daughter is a normal three-year-old: obsessed with being big, doing grown-up things, and wearing leotards for 90% of her life. Okay, so maybe the leotard thing isn't normal, but it's no wonder she gets bored with the same old princess…
One of the stand-outs to me at this year's overwhelming Toy Fair show weren't actually toys at all, but the lovely handmade wall art from CMP fave Cate and Levi. Like their original, one-of-a-kind stuffed animals, the critters are pieced…
I love little prints of little girls (as anyone familiar with our art archives probably can garner). So when I saw an entire of gallery them from Kirsten at Tollipop I immediately started bookmarking. Kristen is a real artist, writer, an…
I've had a thing for sock monkeys ever since my mother-in-law gave me the one she'd made for my husband when he was a baby . They're some kind of magical combination of goofy, cheerful cuddliness and retro-chic all in one. I always figur…
With three kids who keep having birthdays, I feel like I'm forever on the lookout for cool, affordable party favors that won't end up immediately in the trash which is why when I saw the assortment of Lil Scribblers' chunky crayons by Ph…
Every December, I take stock of the state of our coloring, drawing and painting supplies and weed out the lost-caps, tiny crayon bits and crusty paints so they can be replaced. It's a great tradition that both keeps us organized, and pre…
I learned long ago that the best way for my son to learn about "boring" things was to find creative ways to teach him . Although I personally am fascinated by Modern Art, he could probably not be able to withstand an extended visit to th…
Every year it becomes a challenge as to how to make my daughter's artistic talent into an awesome holiday gift. This holiday season's winner is the design your own chocolates from Rogue Confections which I had the chance to taste test at…
I love how my little artists fearlessly choose their colors to create a purple tree under a green cloud, or how a bunch of stick figures can end up looking just like our family; they blow me away every time. RedStamp has one of my favori…
If you've got a kid older than about a year, you probably know that bandages are pretty much the best little gift or stocking stuffer ever in the whole wide world. I have no idea if it's the process of sticking and unsticking them, or th…
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…
We've all got play dough connoisseurs for children at Cool Mom Picks, so I know that a few of the organic versions I've had a chance to try out recently have some tough standards to live up to. Past pick Eco-Dough so far is the benchmark…
We've been keeping our eyes open for those extra special holiday gifts, like for a baby's first Christmas. I'm very intrigued by Picture Book Originals which offers which offers original illustrations and signed giclee prints from childr…
I find The Nutcracker a bit hard to explain to fidgety kids, so before I fork over $50 a seat to take them to see it in person, I'm going to let them watch Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker to their heart's content. What makes this…
Honestly, I think of felt and often I think "meh." But I've just seen the light, because the light, apparently, comes in the form of felt cushion wall hangings featuring bunnies and Matryoshka dolls that would brighten up any nursery in …
This year we're teaching the kids more about the joy of giving , so I wanted them to think of something they could make for their (mostly girl) cousins. Then along came the jewelry making kits from Bijoux in a Box and bam, problem solved…
Browsing the Picasso Museum gift shop in Barcelona last week (I know, totally rubbing it in) I came across the most wonderful little book called Oh ! by Josse Goffin . I had an idea that my two year-old wouldn't be able to put it down an…
What happens when you cross an artist and a doctor? Radiology Art , it seems. Artist Satre Stuelke took his fascination with everyday objects, and his fascination with radiology, and created one of the most avant-garde, unique, and downr…
Give us a few cold rainy days and my kids will be climbing the walls and snarling at all my attempts to cheer them up. So I'm stashing away the downloadable Monster Mania ebook from Make and Takes to help me out with a few easy craft ide…
Telling your child to grab a marker and go scribble on the walls is right up there with asking them to run with scissors. Unless you're talking about Idea Paint , which basically turns any surface into a dry erase board. It's easy to app…
I'd argue there's little more useful than a chalkboard, especially the two beautiful new chalkboard stickers at Zoe b Organic in the shape of either the endangered Isabelle butterfly or a koala bear. They're made from potato starch, whic…
Even though I realize that the amazing Charley Harper Coloring Book is intended for younger audiences, it's so sophisticated that I can't help but want to save a couple of pages for me. American illustrator Charley Harper's "minimal real…
My daughter recently drew a picture of herself and one of her school friends. She made herself pink and her friend brown. Neither color was exactly ... right. And as a budding artist, she was bothered by the limitations of her crayons . …
My days of drawing rock band logos on my knees are long gone, but life would have been a lot easier if the non-toxic Tee Juice fabric markers were around back then. My son and his friends tried them out during the world's best playdate ,…