programming Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Web coolness: The new kids FitBit, a Darth Vader tea kettle (what?), and more!

Here are some of our favorite tech links from around the web. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. We’ve got to get our hands on this Darth Vader tea kettle! Here are some shows about Stephen Hawking that can help kids understand how Hawking’s...

Cubetto: A robot that teaches kids to code, even before they can read. No screens required.

by Kate Etue | Tech Toys and Random Fun

You know how much we love to find a cool, innovative STEM toys for kids at Cool Mom Tech. Well, we think the brand new Cubetto robot by Primo Toys definitely belongs on wish lists this holiday season, especially if you’re shopping for preschoolers. Get this:...

5 online coding summer camps for kids that turn screen time educational

by Jeana | Helpful Services

Even with school out for summer, that doesn’t mean learning has to go on vacation too. If you’ve got a computer-crazy kid who’s interested in the creativity that comes from learning to code, there are so many great resources online. You can always...

Code Master teaches online coding skills through a fun offline board game

by Christina Refford | Tech Toys and Random Fun

There seems to be no shortage of websites or online games that will help teach our kids coding so they can be ready to head out into this increasingly technical world. And as much as I love that there are so many online options, sometimes I just don’t want to...

Kano’s free online coding camp: Squeeze some fun learning into the last days of summer

by Christina Refford | Educational Apps For Kids

Every summer I vow that we’re going to do enriching activities to keep everyone’s brain sharp, but then my resolve melts faster than ice cream on a hot day once we start enjoying the lazy, unscheduled days of summer. But, I’ve found a great new...

Dot and Dash robots: The best of what coding toys for kids can be

by Liz Gumbinner | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Walking through the crowded, cacophonic aisles of International CES 2015 earlier this year, we were instantly drawn to one booth featuring adorable little robots gliding around the rug, and beeping and booping at our feet. It turned out to be the Dash Robot from...

Get started at the very beginning with the Kano computer kit

by Christina Refford | Tech Toys and Random Fun

I’m not alone in wanting my kids to learn the basics of coding and am thankful there are so many ways to get them interested in the subject. We’ve covered cool clubs and camps, lots of fun games, as well as apps and websites like ScratchJr and Hopscotch....

Ozobot: A smart robot that gets your kids more intelligent too

by Jeana | Tech Toys and Random Fun

The concept of intelligent robots taking over the planet used to be something you’d only see in sci-fi movies but I’m starting to wonder whether a robotic takeover may not be so far-off. Okay, maybe not in our immediate future, but highly-programmable...

Robot Turtles, the most backed board game in Kickstarter history, is ready for play

by Christina Refford | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Back in September, I discovered a cool board game on Kickstarter with a lofty goal: To teach kids as young as four the basics of programming. And now that I have a final copy of Robot Turtles, I can say that you parents of preschoolers are about to have a lot of fun...

Hopscotch app for iPad is a wonderfully fun way to teach kids coding.

by Jeana | Educational Apps For Kids

I really appreciate the initiatives in recent years to get young kids involved in STEM and tech-centric activities like coding at younger ages. We’ve covered awesome resources like Tynker and Hello Ruby and now I’ve come across another cool coding tool for...

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.