A socially-conscious, updated Oregon Trail game for 2021. Yes, please.
I'm part of the micro-generation Xennials, for whom there was no better reward in middle school computer class for finishing your typing drills and DOS coding worksheets early than getting to play a game of Oregon Trail. It's one of the classic 80s video games I also...
7 of the best news podcasts and programs for kids, from preschool to high school
In our Out Tech Your Kids group on Facebook, a parent recently asked for recommendations for great news podcasts for kids. Our readers replied with some really good suggestions, so we wanted to round them up for you...and add a few more we discovered too. These are...
Screen time saved us during the pandemic, so why are we bashing it?
If you do a quick Google of “kids and screen time,” you’ll find a myriad articles telling you how much they’ve had this past year and all the things it is doing to them, as if we haven’t been with our children almost 24 hours a day and know exactly what is going on?...
9 incredible high-tech beauty gifts for Mother’s Day
My favorite Mother's Day gifts usually involve a day to go recharge with some spa treatments, but I'm thinking this is the year to bring the spa home, right? I've been scouring reviews and reading up on the very best high-tech beauty gifts for Mother's Day, because...
How to report spam texts and phishing. Because sorry, Amazon is not giving you $130 in “freebies” out of blue.
Have you noticed lately there's been a huge uptick in text spam? So of course, I want to report it to...someone. Anyone! Turns out it's so much easier than I had expected. Now when I say text spam, I don't mean political candidates you've contributed to (or those who...
The vocabulary app my kids think is a game. Shhhhhh!
Do you have a struggling speller? As a homeschool mom, I know first-hand how hard it can be to try to explain spelling rules to a kid who doesn't quite get it, which is why I had to share the Wordcraft app that my kids have been playing lately. A vocabulary app my...
Here’s where to watch all the 2021 Oscars best picture nominees
In a typical Oscars year, I'm pretty much an expert on the (ahem) animated film category, but when it comes to the best picture or documentary feature film categories, I've maybe seen one or two movies. But 2020 was anything but typical, and one silver lining of the...
3 helpful gardening apps to turn your thumb green, finally.
Who else is thinking about gardening this spring? Along with our own Liz and Kristen who recently hosted the We Time Project and took a food gardening course (yay!), it seems like everyone is ready to put down the sourdough starter and get their hands really dirty....
Google and Headspace team up to help families practice mindfulness and find screen life balance | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message on behalf of Google For most parents, balancing screen time has always been a challenge. But over this last year, the struggle became even more real, with three in five parents allowing an increase in time spent on gadgets. And as Google...
Reader Q and A: What is the best stylus for kids who are budding artists?
In our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook group, a parent asked for recommendations on the best stylus for kids who are getting into digital art, and the recommendations from our readers were so helpful that we wanted to share them here. From the top-of-the-line tools to the...
5 important digital parenting questions parents should ask themselves (and know the answers to)
We've always said that raising digital natives, especially since we're not digital natives ourselves, means understanding the role of technology in our family. But when it comes to knowing what questions to ask (and answer), well, that can be the challenging part....
7 must-do tips for spring cleaning your email inbox
We talked last week about tips for spring-cleaning your phone, and this week I'm taking a stab at my email. I'd never let my actual snail mail pile up in a massive overflow of unanswered bills and letters, but for some reason I let my email inbox become an unruly...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
The best Black Friday tips to save you money online: Read this before you buy a thing!
For over a decade now (whoa) we've been sharing the best Black Friday tips to help you find the best deals with the least hassle. Now that Black Friday has turned into "Black Friday through Cyber Monday," which turned into an entire month of Black Friday deals, which...
Is my kid ready for a cell phone? 7 essential questions to ask yourself first
We love when parents ask us "how do I know if my kid is ready for a cell phone?" It means you're conscientious, caring, and involved -- and of course, want to make sure that you're raising a kid to make good choices, and not who isn't thrown into something they can't...
A very smart AirPods trick I learned from a very smart tween.
We've said this many times here that some of our best iPhone tricks come from the digital natives in our lives, which is exactly where I got this simple, but very smart AirPods trick. You may be thinking "Are there really AirPods tricks?" and well, I didn't really...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
9 smart tips for spring cleaning your phone, inside and out.
With spring nearly here, I'm getting antsy to clean up my yard and go through all my closets to get rid of all the junk we've accumulated over the winter. But I'm going to start small, literally, and follow these tips for spring cleaning my phone first. Because, let's...
3 cool ways to try new board games online or play old favorites with friends
We're huge board game geeks in my family. Our stack of strategy games is up to the ceiling. And while we're always up for a new game, they're expensive. So my new solution has been playing board games online before I buy! I get the full experience of gaming (and a...
What parents need to know about YouTube’s new parental controls for tweens and teens
Parents of tweens and teens, we've got good news! YouTube is launching new parental controls specifically for kids in this age group. What a relief to those of us who see the value in letting them watch some of the content on YouTube...but who are exhausted from...
Parents, what if you just stopped managing screen time?
Over the last month, we've been getting bombarded with all sorts of posts about kids and screen time, from articles telling us that we've got a big problem on our hands to ways to feel okay about all the screen time. If you're like me, it feels like you're watching a...
How to “untab” your Gmail so you never miss an important email again
Chances are good that you're clicking through to this article because you don't know what "tabbed gmails" even are. Right? Well, here's the deal: Gmail has a "handy" organization tool that categorizes all your emails automatically. To see your emails, you have to...
The most helpful new iOS 14 feature you might have missed.
If you're like us, you were so busy rearranging your home screen that you missed one of the most helpful new iOS14 features. Of course, "helpful" is relative, especially these days when even the smallest little thing that gives us a taste of normalcy is helpful....
I lost 10 lbs in a month playing Supernatural. Here’s why I stuck with it.
Last month I shared my newest obsession: the Supernatural VR fitness app for Oculus. Now, after one month of counting calories and playing Supernatural 4-5 times per week, I stepped on the scale and found out I'd lost 10 pounds. I'm so excited (and, yeah, a little...
12 escapist podcasts to help you get away — even if you don’t leave your living room
Anyone else need a little break from the grindiest grind that is pandemic existence with small children? Or pandemic existence generally? I, for one, definitely do, and I've found some solace -- and a few giggles -- in these fun escapist podcasts that make me at least...
The 6 apps we use all the time | Out-Tech Your Kids episode 25
We've been having some lively discussions over in the Out Tech Your Kids Facebook group about lots of topics this past week, from screen time to video gaming, but the one we decided to chat about this week was our favorite apps, inspired by this post from Liz about...
6 + ways kids can celebrate a virtual Valentine’s Day safely using tech
Valentine's Day is the next holiday, after Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, that will be affected by our new socially distant lifestyle. No sprinkle-laden, heart-shaped cookies in class. No gaudily decorated shoeboxes sent to school. No handing out of...
6 great Apple TV+ original shows to try, if you’re still on the fence about subscribing
Have you been wondering if there are enough Apple TV+ original shows to make it worth adding another streaming service to your menu? I get it, we have a lot—and I mean a lot—to choose from these days, and my family is on a budget. Since each service charges their own...
6 smart ways to use tech to help your teen get better sleep at night. They need it!
Has anyone else's teens struggled with interrupted sleep since the pandemic? My kids' slower social lives and reduction in extracurricular activities certainly plays a part, but turning to tech to connect with friends is making an impact too. The American Association...