Tech Toys and Random Fun Archives | Page 2 of 19

2 awesome new Cubetto accessories we’re geeking out about.

Of all the STEM coding toys that have come through our door, our favorite has been Cubetto. Maybe it’s the heirloom quality of the robot’s square wooden housing, with a personable little smile on the front. Or the fact that they don’t have to steal...

Meet Robotics Engineer Barbie, and how she’s helping get girls excited about STEM

by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Barbie has come a long way over the last couple of years, with everything from Curvy Barbie to Game Developer Barbie, and now, Robotics Engineer Barbie. But this goes beyond a STEM-loving girl with a stylish pair of lab glasses. Barbie has teamed up with Tynker and...

How kids can get artful with coding: The fun new sketch pack from Wonder Workshop.

by Liz Gumbinner | Tech Toys and Random Fun

I’m always happy when companies find a way to take their kids’ toys, games and activities and add components or extensions that keep them fresh for kids to play with. One of the best tech companies at this: Wonder Workshop, whose robots we’ve called...

Free Apple Camp registration opens June 18. Mark your calendar!

by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Turn that summer screen time into learning time at your local Apple Store thanks to their annual free summer camps. We’ve been lucky enough to snag a spot for our own kids in previous years and they’ve loved it. The catch: the spots go quickly so you need...

The NES Classic is back. Back again.

by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun

So this is how the story goes. Nintendo brought back the NES Classic in November, 2016 and it sold out almost immediately. Then lots of people were sad and gnashing their teeth (okay, slight exaggeration. Maybe). Well, it’s back. Again. Related: Got a Nintendo...

Holy Asteroids! A new Atari is coming!

by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun

With all the throwback gaming consoles making their way back to the market (cough Nintendo cough), we probably shouldn’t be surprised that Atari is making a comeback. But that doesn’t mean we’re a wee bit excited about it. Okay, try very excited....

Amazon’s Echo Dot for Kids is here. But there will be no “Alexa, buy me a pony.”

by Liz Gumbinner | Smart Appliances, Tech Toys and Random Fun

The Echo Dot has been one of Amazon’s most popular speakers, so it’s no surprise that they saw an opportunity to bring all the joy and magic and Orwellian fun of Alexa to kids in the form of the new Echo Dot Kids Edition available exclusively at Amazon....

Live long and relax, with this Star Trek pool float.

by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Captain’s log: We are still digging out of the most recent Nor’Easter but to divert our attention to warmer climes, we’ve got our eye on this Star Trek captain’s chair pool float. Related: 10 of the coolest pool floats the whole family will...

7 cool ways Crayola is going STEM in 2018.

by Ellyn Exley Dvorkin | Tech Toys and Random Fun

We’re always excited to see what new and exciting goodies Crayola is launching, which is why they’re one of our first stops at Toy Fair every year. And lucky us, we got a sneak peek their brand new and upcoming releases to share with you, lots of which...

Backyard Brains brings neuroscience to everyone with their cool STEM kits

by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun

We hear a lot about STEM concepts, but not so much about neuroscience, which is where Backyard Brains is hoping to fill a gap. Their super cool neuroscience experiment kits that give kids first hand experience on how the brain really works. What a fantastic New York...

Jooki: Why we adore this 21st century jukebox for kids | CES 2018

by Liz Gumbinner | Kids Music, Tech Toys and Random Fun

Wow was I excited to discover Jooki at CES 2018. I mean, I saw a whole lot of new tech for kids, but not a whole lot beyond STEM and coding toys that really made me go wow. So I’ll be sharing a few top favorites for kids over the coming days, but I have to start...

6 of the best new coding toys for kids | Best of CES 2018

by Liz Gumbinner | Tech Toys and Random Fun

I’ve been back several days from CES 2018, the Consumer Electronic Show, and I’m so happy to discover so many innovative new coding toys for kids this year that are giving new meaning to “best coding toys for kids.” Wow, how far we’ve...

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.