Fun Apps Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Here’s what I learned after letting my tween daughter use TikTok (formerly Musical.ly)

Feeling inspired by Jordan Shapiro’s interview on NPR with our former Spawned guest Anya Kamanetz, and reading his book for our upcoming interview with him on Spawned, I decided to let my tween daughter give TikTok (formerly Musical.ly) a try. I’ve decided...

7 fantastic iPad apps for 6 year olds that our readers swear by

by Caroline Siegrist | Fun Apps

Anyone on the hunt for fantastic iPad apps for 6 year olds? This topic came up recently in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group, and yay, our members shared their tried and true favorites, both educational and just for fun. So whether you’re just looking to...

5 things I learned about Musical.ly now TikTok, from parents who’ve been there (and said no to that)

by Kristen Chase | Fun Apps

My daughter came home from a sleepover this past weekend asking if she could download Musical.ly (now known as TikTok). I’ve been hesitant about this app after hearing friends’ kids with various issues, not to mention the stories we’ve shared here on...

Enjoy the fun of an escape room, right on your phone or tablet

by Kristen Chase | Fun Apps

Over the weekend, my husband and son became completely engrossed in these escape room apps (or puzzle room, to some people), and after taking a look myself, I can totally see why. Warning: they are pretty freaking awesome, so much so that you might have a hard time...

Is that poison ivy? The new Seek app can tell you that, and a whole lot more.

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps, Travel Apps

With the warmer weather finally here, I’m looking forward to getting outdoors with my family. We’re avid campers and hikers, and I have to admit, I enjoy the time we spend away from screens. Turns out, it’s also Screen-Free Week, so how perfect that...

Is MoviePass good for families? We tried it! | Damn you, Facebook Ads series

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps

Editor’s note: Please scroll to the very bottom for some important updates on our Movie Pass experience. When I first heard about MoviePass on Facebook, I thought it sounded a little too good to be true. All the movies you could possibly see, for just $9 each...

What work of art do you most look like? The silly app everyone is playing with

by Liz Gumbinner | Fun Apps

My timeline started blowing up with bizarre side-by-side photos of selfies and museum portraits. I tracked it down as a feature of the new Google Arts & Culture app (iOS and Android) which is free, fun, and possibly has some educational value in it too. Scroll...

Portable North Pole app is back with new, better-than-ever features. It’s magical.

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps, Holiday Picks

The Portable North Pole app and website is hands-down our favorite way for kids to get a chance to talk with Santa. And this year, it’s back with new features that make it better than ever. For kids who are clever, curious (and maybe a little doubtful) the...

How to make cool social media stickers from your own selfies

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps

If you’re on Instagram Stories, Snapchat, and now Facebook Story, you know that stickers are THE hottest thing right now. All caps required. Well, we found a fun new free app for you to try that let’s you turn your selfies into stickers. Yaaaaasss! Sticky...

5 emoji collections we’re dying to see for International Emoji Day

by Liz Gumbinner | Fun Apps

Yes, International Emoji Day is a thing. 21st century, y’all! And while we’ve described that the upcoming addition of custom emojis to your keyboard will lead to some creative options, there are some awesome sets of emojis we’d really like to see as...

Stack app: The mesmerizing, beautiful free app game we can’t put down

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps

I like to keep at least one totally mindless, just-for-fun app on my iPad for some winding-down entertainment at the end of the day. Of course, Candy Crush and 1010 have dominated recently, but I’ve just discovered the Stack app (iOS and Android). And now...

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.

We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.

We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.

(Answer: It's complicated.)

We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.