Best Apps

The joke around our house is that by the time we actually get around to sending paper baby announcements, we might as well just make them first birthday party invitations and kill two birds with one stone. Or card. Too bad I didn't have …

My gadgets overflow with cool apps for my older kids, but when it comes to my toddler, it's tough to find ones that are engaging and educational, but not overstimulating. So leave it to the talented folks at Night & Day Studios (makers o…

We're so thrilled to welcome Lucky Diaz , one of our fave kindie rock artists, as our guest Dads Dig This blogger. He's the father of a beautiful 7 year old daughter and lives in Los Angeles. Like most dads, I usually spend post-bedtime …

Today there are tons of toddler apps that not only keep kids entertained, but also teach basic concepts like, colors, shapes and counting in ways that are a lot more engaging than my method of repeating over and over: Green ball. Three C…

It's St. Patrick's Day and we couldn't resist passing along the special holiday-themed edition of our favorite time waster--er, app--Angry Birds. Here, our way too familiar friends go green and get lucky with this special St. Patty's Day…

Since I finally (finally!) got my beloved iPhone , I've been reluctant to share with my kiddos. It's not like they don't have umpteen other opportunities to get their allotted screen time. But when I got a peek at the new ebook app for S…

There are a lot of smartphone apps out there that let you edit your photos, add cool borders and special effects, but if you don't have a snazzy phone that works with apps, well, you may feel a little left out. And we hate when our reade…

The more developers realize that moms are devouring phone apps, the more they're creating awesome apps just for us. Last week alone, we learned about a whole ton of new FourSquare-style apps just for parents, that help you connect with y…

Sure, in a perfect world my son would make his bed and clean up the minefield of LEGOS without being asked. That would be the same perfect world in which I could eat chocolate cupcakes and lose weight. But in the world in which I actuall…

Although I am enjoying my iPad I miss some of the things my laptop offered, like excel for budgeting. Do you have any budgeting app suggestions? - Steff What? You mean iPads aren't just for games? I seem to forget that since my kids can'…

Unless you've been living under a rock you've probably seen a picture or two shot with one of the retro-inspired apps, like Hipstamatic , which create images reminiscent of a 1970's Polaroid picture. My favorite thing about those apps is…

We're gearing up for our annual family vacation, and instead of loading down our bag with bunch of books for the plane ride and bedtime, I've been loading them up electronically on my iPad. But with so many different options out there, I…

For so many of us, it's a tradition to pick up the phone at midnight on New Year's--okay, maybe 12:03 after we've done our kissing a those with us in person and made fun of Snooki--and wish our loved ones a happy New Year. Obviously Skyp…

If you woke up to snowmageddon this morning like we did (or more like a typical winter snowfall with a new 24 hour news cycle-friendly, alarmist name), your kids are probably begging you to get out there with them as soon as humanly poss…

This weekend on Cool Mom Picks , we uncovered an awesome custom video from Santa , and our readers are going nuts for it. As are our own children. So much so, it would be gross holiday negligence for me not to share it here so even more …

Art projects are one of our family favorites, but cleaning up, not so much. So I was excited to try Artrage for iPad , an application for virtual painting and drawing. And wow, it is simply wonderful. Related: The mini Monet art app for …

I had a boyfriend in college who had boxes upon boxes of his "favorite" comic books. (Which ones were his favorites? All of them!) I found it a little weird, but hey, collectors are kind of different, right? Well, now I have a son who wa…

After hours of coaxing without success, I gave up begging my 7 year-old sons to practice math drills on a worksheet and I headed to my iPad. I knew there must be a math app that played like a video game to keep him engaged. And wouldn't …

For the past few months, my kids have been obsessed with the Talking Tom Cat app that has them yelling, singing and -- yes -- screaming at a cat who then repeats everything back to them in his own weird voice. Harmless fun but no redeemi…

We've only had our iPad for a week now, and already my homeschooled daughter and I are reaping the benefits thanks to so many of the cool, educational games we've discovered. Some of which, like Math Bingo, can be a fantastic addition to…

To say my girls are obsessed with the range of cake, cupcake, Jell-O mold, and cookie making/decorating iPhone apps out there is an understatement. It's like the EZ-Bake Ovens of the smartphone era: So fun for kids, it doesn't even matte…

No techie parent needs convincing that the right app can do a lot more than keep your kid entertained while you wait in a long check out line or try to finish your food at a restaurant. The best ones actually teach your kids. Splish Spla…

Previously posted on Cool Mom Picks Ever been the person in charge of a group gift, and discovered that special circle of purgatory that involves trying to contact large numbers of people and keep track of who's done what and who still n…

Previously posted on Cool Mom Picks So it's become pretty clear that iPhone apps can be God's technological gift to parents wanting to avoid toddler meltdowns in restaurants and pediatrician offices. Some of my favorite apps for the youn…