app Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Over 10 terrific reading apps for upper elementary and middle school kids

by Christina Refford | Back to School Tech, Educational Apps For Kids

Back to School certainly feels different this year, with so much uncertainty and change to our normal school schedule. But one thing that will be certain is that our older kids will need to shake their brains out of summer mode and hit the books, be it with masked...

11 awesome reading apps for preschoolers and little kids. We’ve got this, parents!

by Caroline Siegrist | Educational Apps For Kids

With back to school right around the corner, or as we’re calling it “back to schooling,” we’re trying to help you feel as empowered as you can when it comes to figuring out your child’s educational plans this year during this difficult...

7 meditation apps to help you calm quarantine anxiety. Deep breaths, everyone.

by Caroline Siegrist | Lifestyle Apps

These days anxiety feels like a constant a companion as my house, and some of my usual coping mechanisms aren’t accessible. I miss you, YMCA treadmill! So right now I’m making do with these helpful meditation apps. And I’m happy to say that when I...

3 great sleep tracking apps for parents. Because we need it.

by Kate Etue | Lifestyle Apps

We know it can be really hard for parents to get a good night’s sleep, but tech is here to help. We’ve found 3 great sleep tracking apps that can track your sleep, and help you build better habits to improve it. From waking up at your body’s natural...

5 fun, not-too-scary Halloween apps for kids

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps for Kids

Halloween is right around the corner, so we decided to round-up fun Halloween apps for kids that aren’t too scary, all of which happen to be free (yay!). What a fun way to get them excited about Halloween, though if your kids are anything like ours,...

Why the notOK app is crucial for teens (and adults) struggling with depression

by Kate Etue | Family Safety Apps

Have you ever typed up a message to a friend, asking them to send some good vibes your way because you’re really struggling at the moment, only to delete it before sending? (Hand raised!) I don’t know if it’s the fear of vulnerability that holds me...

Web coolness: Summer science fun, Alexa is spying on you, and freaking awesome cardboard TETRIS

by Cool Mom Staff | Link Roundups

Here are a few cool tech links from around the web. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Father’s Day is coming up! Check out our Father’s Day Gift Guide, with fun ideas like the personalized iPhone case shown above. (And don’t miss these cool...

Add some positivity into your news feed with the Womaze app

by Kate Etue | Lifestyle Apps

If your social media feeds are like mine, they’re no longer places for me to find out what’s going on with my friends and distant family. Instead, they’re oftentimes the source of stress and anxiety for me, given the constant influx of sad news and...

Carmen Sandiego meets Cooking Mama, in this cool cooking game for kids

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps for Kids

News flash: our kids love video games. But they also love to help cook in the kitchen. So when we saw that the new Issa’s Edible Adventures app teaches them to cook virtually and IRL, we knew we had to try it out. It’s part Carmen Sandiego, traveling the...

Web coolness: Stranger Things Season 3, Mother’s Day tech gifts, why you’re getting privacy policy updates, and more.

by Cool Mom Staff | Link Roundups

We’re excited that one of our favorite Netflix shows, Stranger Things, is gearing up for its third season. Stricter policy regulations means you’ll be reviewing a lot of privacy policy updates from your favorite apps. And yes, you should talk to your kids...

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

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.