Fun Apps Archives | Cool Mom Tech

15 fun Amazon Echo skills for the holidays, from fun and festive to really helpful

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve found 15 fun Amazon Echo skills that can help you stay organized, add a little more fun to your family time, and even put some magic into the holidays for your kids. If you and Alexa are in a rut, just remember: she can do a...

Postagram makes sending camp letters a snap. Or, a click.

by Liz Gumbinner | Fun Apps, Photo Apps, Travel Apps

If you’ve got kids in summer camp, you may know that each day they don’t get a letter from home is another reason they grow up to resent you. Kidding. But they do like to get lots of letters — and I admit, I am not the best daily letter writer. At...

What you need to know about Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

by Kristen Chase | Fun Apps

If you’ve got a Harry Potter fan in your house, or you are one yourself, then you’ve probably already downloaded the new Harry Potter: Wizards Unite app on your phone and are ready to play. The game, which was announced back in 2017, is rolling out today,...

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

by Kristen Chase | Fun Apps

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...

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.