We expect to hear plenty of ooh's and ahh's to accompany all the bright and sparkly things we'll see on the Fourth of July, but I hope to eliminate any ow's with these safera alternatives to sparklers that they can enjoy on Independence …
Before you go to the Fourth of July parade, fire up the grill, or lay out the blanket to watch the fireworks fall from the sky, I like the idea of getting inked up with some beautifully designed DIY Fourth of July tattoos. Just like fire…
I've been fighting boredom this summer with a bunch of magic markers and one really huge (like, seriously huge) and cleverly illustrated coloring poster for kids from a new company called Pirasta. And the beauty of these posters is that …
We are so excited for summer, if you haven't been able to tell from our posts lately. Swimming all day. Staying up late to play outside way past bedtime. Kids sleeping in late. (Ha, we wish.) It's a laid-back schedule that's so perfect f…
We're always looking for ways to keep kids reading, especially once the school year ends and those 20 or 30 or 45 minutes a day aren't exactly "required" any more. (Well, depending on your house rules.) Plus, that lure of all that extra …
We just keep finding more and more fun, free Father's Day printables for you all. Which is good news whether you're looking for a token that's sweet but not spendy, or even if you already have some big splurgy gift, but really want somet…
If you missed the boat on photo gifts...no, wait! You didn't! We all live in the land of the Smartphone Camera , after all, and if you've got a camera and a place to print a photo, you've got the makings of a wonderful surprise Father's …
As big-time book lovers here, we've learned that a love of reading is acquired and not something kids are necessarily born with, like the color of their eyes or their uncanny inability to sleep past 6 AM on a Saturday. So we love putting…
Wow, is our email box and social media feed getting packed with parents stressing out about what to do with kids during downtime this summer. Seeing as how we can't let kids play in the park by themselves without 8 "concerned" neighbors …
If you have a kid (or kid at heart) who's wild for LEGO, you have to check out EverBlock . As in, right now. Because if you've ever thought about what it would be like to be a Minifig in one of those cool creations, this is pretty much y…
We just finished putting together a ton of great educational activities for kids to keep them sharp over the summer, and now of course I find one more I'd love to add to the list. This free printable paper chain reading log from Eighteen…
H i Cool Mom Picks! A ny suggestions for workbooks or activities to help prepare my child--and keep them out of my hair (ha)--for the summer between kindergarten and first grade? -Chaitali Ahhhh, summer! No school lunches to pack, no bus…
Next up in our 2015 Father's Day gift guide, are some of the coolest gifts for grandpas. Or grandfathers. Or papas, pop-pops...you know, that awesome patriarch in your family. We've got a fun range for you from thoughtful gifts from the …
For those of us with young kids, we know that one of the best parts about Father's Day is letting the kids participate in making DIY Father's Day gifts for their dads and grandpas. And because we don't expect them to be hand-stitching an…
We've got a lot of summer birthdays for the kids in my family, so party planning is definitely top of mind for me these days. But I realized, as I've looked around the web, that while there are lots of gorgeous handmade birthday crowns o…
If your kids like building blocks as much as mine, you'll want to check out Paper Punk's new Urban Fold paper blocks which allow kids 6 and up to build a sprawling metropolis without the bulk and weight of traditional blocks. This is suc…
Every once in a while I come across a kids' book I love as much (or more) than my kids do. It's even more rare with board books, but the brilliantly creative BabyLit board books by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver are definitely on that …
We've been smitten by Claudine Hellmuth's clever gift boxes that look like ovens and popsicles for a while now. So we just visited her Etsy shop again, and wow, she has so many fun printable gift boxes at her site now that I'm tempted to…
Oh, the joys of the summer birthday party when the nice weather means celebrating with friends out-of-doors. And whether this means gathering everyone into your backyard, meeting at the local park, or even taking over a quiet piece of sa…
Oh, summer. The kids wait and wait and wait for it, and then, how many minutes in are they complaining about how hot it is? Or how you won't take them to the pool (for the second time that day)? Or that they're simply bored? So we've tra…
I am so digging these adorable free summer printables that I just spotted at Oh Happy Day, courtesy of talented designer Amy Moss. I love the idea of printing a whole bunch on card stock and stockpiling gift tags for summer birthday part…
I always feel so grateful to those amazingly talented illustrators and graphic designers who create free printables that we get to share with you. We've found so many cool ones over the years. But the one I'm really excited to have disco…
With three vehicle-loving children, there was a time when I feared my living room would be overrun with sections of train tracks and makeshift "roads" built out of blocks. I wish I had known about InRoad Toys; clever play tape road rolls…
From Eat, Pray, Love to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , we’ve been enamored with the colors and textures of India for a while now. And now Tea Collection (we just can't quit you, Tea!) has us obsessing once again with their spring/summe…