Tech Toys

We have always been big proponents of the idea that all toys are for all kids, sharing finds like dolls made for boys and tech toys that appeal to all kids, which is something our own kids have naturally shown us through their play. And …

With four kids in the house ranging in age from five up to 11, it's no small feat to find a tech toy that they can all play with, especially when it's something educational. Darn those age limits. But as I recently learned, that's not th…

It's hard to believe this was my first ever year attending the Maker Faire in NYC, but yep. It's true. And now consider me an annual attendee. Thanks to our sponsor Sprout by HP who hooked me up with tickets (thank you thank you thank yo…

Last year we fell in love with the Anki Drive app-controlled racers, calling it one of our top tech toys of 2014 . Earlier this year at Toy Fair, we got a look (and a very fun if brief test drive) of the brand new Anki OVERDRIVE and as o…

We're as geeked out about Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens as anyone else, but let's all step back for a minute and take a moment of reflection for today's #ForceFriday national day that's really a giant unboxing and marketing event desi…

There seems to be no shortage of websites or online games that will help teach our kids coding so they can be ready to head out into this increasingly technical world. And as much as I love that there are so many online options, sometime…

Recently, I wrote about how totally in love I am with the Dot and Dash Robots from Wonder Workshop . So it makes me extra happy that they have joined us as as our newest Cool Mom Tech sponsor because, well, we all adore them! (Also, so d…

Ever since my husband showed the kids the GoPro videos he took while mountain biking, they've wanted to take the same kind of cool action videos, even if all they're doing is riding a scooter down the driveway. And since we're not so kee…

Getting our kids on board with STEM early in the game seems like a great way to go. And just because it's summer doesn't mean that gentle parent-ly nudge in the right direction has to take a break. An easy way to get kids hyped about thi…

With school out for the summer, I know that many of us will be letting our kids have a bit more screen time during these long, less-scheduled days. And if you'd like that time to be educational, at least some of the time, definitely chec…

At first glance, the gorgeous handmade Avakai dolls look like heirloom dolls my kids would love to play with all on their own But hidden inside these matryoshka-inspired Waldorf dolls is some very cool tech that will spark creative play …

When it comes to build-it-yourself toys for our kids, Playmobil is a classic. There's just something thrilling about opening up a toy kit with 117 pieces, right? But now that there are new Playmobil toys with electricity just launched th…

If you've ever looked, then you know how hard it is to find examples of female role models in STEM, which is why these parents decided to create this new card game Women in Science for their daughter, and now, for all our kids. Yeah! Not…

My kids got a huge kick out the original Makey Makey invention kit that we featured here on Cool Mom Tech a couple of years ago. And now they've launched a Kickstarter campaign for their new Makey Makey GO , which has killed its goal in …

We've seen a lot of cameras around here, and we've tested them out under some pretty extreme conditions. (Ask Kristen and me about our kayaking adventure at the GoPro Mountain Games sometime.) But we were all blown away when we learned a…

I'm usually hesitant about buying a big, expensive LEGO kit because, after my kids put it together once, then what? Sometimes kids keep playing with it, sometimes it ends up dissembled with random bricks I discover all over the house mon…

Walking through the crowded, cacophonic aisles of International CES 2015 earlier this year, we were instantly drawn to one booth featuring adorable little robots gliding around the rug, and beeping and booping at our feet. It turned out …

What do you get for the kid who has everything? Cool STEM toys that might help them learn something new, we say. Because even kids who have everything, don't yet know everything. And now it's easier than ever to shop for awesome educatio…

After spending a fun afternoon at Makerbot 's NYC store last fall, my kids are now completely fascinated with 3D printing. It's a pretty phenomenal way to get kids creating, designing, coding and building. But the big challenges remain t…

So rad. Honestly, those were the first words that popped out of my mouth when I saw this crazy-cool new drawing experience called Masterpiece . It is the latest offering from Osmo , the groundbreaking, iPad-powered gaming device built by…

With all these new LEGO sets coming out, like Scooby Doo LEGO and Doctor Who LEGO , I've got total LEGO envy. Why should the kids get all the cool stuff? Well, this new My Old Basement LEGO kit is all mine. Designed by artist Chris McVei…

When people ask me about any tech "wows" I might have caught at the NY International Toy Fair this week, honestly there were a few but not tons. However the first thing I'm excited about is the upcoming Anki OVERDRIVE , and it's killing …

At Toy Fair this week, I was totally entranced by the Light Stax Electric Light Blocks , sort of a Lite Brite-LEGO mashup that you just can't stop playing with. They stack on a USB or DC-powered base (or use batteries if you like needles…

I'm not alone in wanting my kids to learn the basics of coding and am thankful there are so many ways to get them interested in the subject. We've covered cool clubs and camps, lots of fun games , as well as apps and websites like Scratc…