fun apps Archives | Cool Mom Tech

13 creative ways for teens to connect with friends virtually right now

Let’s take a minute to applaud our teens who’ve been willing to quarantine this year. It’s been brutal to lose so many activities they love, and they’ve handled it with flexibility and (mostly) good attitudes! While we’d hoped we’d...

The top 10 most popular Cool Mom Tech posts of 2020

by Cool Mom Staff | Link Roundups, Tips and Tricks

Every year, we share our top 10 most popular posts on Cool Mom Tech. From the best podcasts for kids to customizing your iPhone 14 home screen, here are the posts we wrote this year that resonated the most with our readers in 2020. Also check out: The top 10 Cool Mom...

Disney+ adds a watch party feature, just in time for The Mandalorian season 2

by Caroline Siegrist | Entertainment

Since 2020 has precluded in-person watch parties, I was glad to see Disney step up their game with GroupWatch. Just like Netflix’s watch party, GroupWatch lets you watch content from Disney+ with others who are far away — and who also subscribe to Disney+,...

Is the new Spotify Kids app worth the extra money?

by Caroline Siegrist | Lifestyle Apps

When I first heard about the new Spotify Kids app, I was pretty excited. Would this be the app that would wean my son from the Moana soundtrack and expand his musical horizons? Is this the app for kids who are ready for their own music, but not everything that the...

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

by Caroline Siegrist | Fun Apps

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...

Instagram trick: How to find all those cool Instagram Story filters everyone else seems to have.

by Liz Gumbinner | Photo Apps, Social Media

We used to say “photos or it didn’t happen,” but it feels like 2020 is all about “filters or it isn’t Instagram.” You may have noticed folks you follow using wacky filters — or oddly flattering filters that bathe them in a...

15 fun Amazon Echo skills for the holidays, from fun and festive to really helpful

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve found 15 fun Amazon Echo skills that can help you stay organized, add a little more fun to your family time, and even put some magic into the holidays for your kids. If you and Alexa are in a rut, just remember: she can do a...

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...

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...

The outrageous, high-tech marriage proposal that required Google Earth, GPS, and 4500 miles of travel over 6 months

by Liz Gumbinner | Entertainment, Travel Apps

We have shared a ton of clever pregnancy announcement ideas and sex reveal (FKA gender reveal, inaccurately) ideas over the years, and surely you’ve seen Pinterest boards packed full of creative marriage proposal ideas. But having just watched this video about...

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.