educational apps Archives

5 of the best audiobook apps to listen to while you scrub the counters. Again.

Anyone else need the escape of audiobooks while we hunker down and wait out the Coronavirus quarantines, school closures, and social distancing? These audiobook apps have proved to be the perfect literary lifeline for me while I’m stuck at home with my young...

Dear Reader is the addictive wordplay game for fans of Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe. Yes, really.

by Liz Gumbinner | Fun, Fun Apps

When you think “voracious reader of the classics” you don’t generally think at the same time “..and big game, toor!” And yet, that’s how I feel every time I open up Dear Reader. Free with Apple Arcade, this fun, quippy, clever, and...

5 of our favorite, fun educational apps to get elementary students excited about learning this year.

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Tech, Best Apps, Educational Apps For Kids

Last week, my daughter Sage and I had a great time talking with the crew from News12 (NYC, Long Island, Westchester) about our favorite fun, educational apps for grade schoolers that help your kids make the most out of screen time. I’m glad I had the opportunity...

3 free audiobook apps you need for back to school

by Kate Etue | Educational Apps For Kids

School will be starting up soon, and that means my kids’ tech will be focused more on education than Fortnite in a few weeks. Sorry, kids. I’m going to start by downloading these free audiobook apps that let you borrow them (along with books, movies, and...

We found an animated storybook app that’s a great YouTube alternative

by Caroline Siegrist | Educational Apps For Kids

I’m always on the hunt for YouTube alternatives for my son, and I’ve just discovered a good one in Vooks, the app that streams animated children’s books. If you’re wanting your kids to be entertained by something other than toy cars being...

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...

The new Secret Code book and app teach girls to solve problems with coding

by Caroline Siegrist | Fun Apps for Kids

I loved the Secret Code book when it came out two years ago, and so I was especially pumped to see the new Secret Code app bringing the book to life with its recent launch. Where the story of Rox’s Secret Code introduced kids to the possibilities of coding...

Find your own town on this amazing, interactive Native Land map

by Liz Gumbinner | Educational Apps For Kids, Websites Worth a Bookmark

I just stumbled on this incredible Native Land Map shared in honor of Indigenous People’s Day and — wow. What a worthwhile educational site to explore today, especially if you sit down and do it with your kids. The map covers North America, as well as...

This fun supermarket app gives kids tons of delicious, imaginative play | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Fun Apps for Kids

This is a sponsored message from Kinsane Entertainment Inc. If you’ve ever told your kids not to play with their food, well, now there’s one way they totally can: Fruits vs Veggies Supermarket App for iOS and Android. This fun, safe, and simple interactive...

Back to School Tech: The best apps and YouTube channels to help kids with science

by Kristen Chase | Best Apps

Every year, we put together a helpful round-up of the best science apps for kids of all ages. Whether they’re science lovers, or you’re hoping to give them a little STEM boost, we’re sharing all of our science app reviews in one handy guide. Bookmark...

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.