educational websites Archives

Beyond Mavis Beacon: 5 typing games for kids who need some practice.

by Kate Etue | Educational Apps For Kids

With our kids spending significantly more time on their computers now that for many kids, school is online from home, we’ve realized something: they can’t type. I mean, 16 wpm isn’t something to brag about, champ. So we thought we’d look for...

The new 2020 Election Google Trends page will have you geeking out. (Or freaking out. Depends.)

by Liz Gumbinner | Helpful Services, Websites Worth a Bookmark

Just yesterday, Google launched their 2020 Election Google Trends page, which allows you to see exactly what the rest of the country is searching for these days. And as a parent, I bet civically-minded kids would love to learn more about what’s happening in...

Helpful online resources to supplement school this year | Out-Tech Your Kids Ep 10

by Cool Mom Staff | Out-Tech Your Kids podcast

Whatever your child is doing for school this year, we know that parents are involved in the process. This year, you might be even more involved that ever. So, we thought it might be helpful to share some helpful online resources (7, to be exact), that will help...

7 online resources to supplement your kids’ homeschool learning

by Kate Etue | Educational Apps For Kids

Parents are scrambling right now, trying to figure out how to give their kids the best school year possible, which is why we’ve been working on a series of “back to schooling” posts to help make it a little easier for you. For many parents, this year...

10 awesome online STEM camps for kids

by Caroline Siegrist | Kids

Let’s talk about online STEM camps for kids! The closure of so many summer camps has been — let’s face it — a huge bummer. But the good news is that the virtualization of camp means families aren’t limited by geography; you have your...

Zoom alternatives for schools: 7 video conferencing options until Zoom fixes…some stuff

by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Internet Safety, Kids

With the news last week that Zoom had some big security concerns to patch up, educators of all kinds started seeking out Zoom alternatives for schools and other kinds of remote learning. Especially after the NYC DOE took the big step of forbidding NYC public schools...

8 fantastic educational resources for online learning, just in case you need them, parents.

by Kristen Chase | Video

Last week, our school district cancelled school on Friday due to possible COVID-19 exposure. And this week on Tuesday, my youngest daughter had off school. Whether or not we will see more cancellations in the future is unknown at this time (sorry, no crystal ball,...

Outschool: Real-time, teacher-led courses for kids…from home.

by Kate Etue | Educational Apps For Kids, Websites Worth a Bookmark

As a homeschool mom, there’s something I’ve realized about myself over the past couple years: I’m not great at everything. There are some subjects I definitely teach better than others (hello, writing!), and some that I have no business attempting to...

The new Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood website is magic for kids and adults alike

by Kate Etue | Websites Worth a Bookmark

One of my very favorite movies this year was the Fred Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, which simultaneously shed new light on the TV personality I loved as a child and sparked a passion for me to show my kids every favorite Mister Rogers’ ...

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...

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.