school Archives | Cool Mom Tech

10 things you need to know before using a school-issued laptop

For lots of middle school kids, back to school means back to tech. Specifically: school-issued laptops. Of course, when we’re thinking about our kids and tech that they don’t own themselves, but they’re responsible for day-in and day-out, that comes...

3 best laptop bags for teens that will last longer than a single semester | Back to School Tech 2017

by Kate Etue | Back to School Tech, Laptop + Tablet Cases

Since more and more upper and middle schools are requiring laptops or iPads in the classroom, we wanted to take a look at the best laptop bags for kids. Our requirements: They have to offer good support for our kids backs with all that heavy tech in there, and enough...

Web Coolness: Instagram albums, women in STEM art prints, and why you should skip email in the morning

by Cool Mom Staff | Link Roundups

Here are some of our favorite links from around the web this week. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. We are loving these awesome women in STEM art prints. Room service robots! Why you should skip reading email in the morning. (But oof, tough habit to break...

8 of the best reading apps for older kids: Back to School Tech Guide 2015

by Nicole Blades | Back to School Tech, Best Apps

It may sound a tad hokey, but reading really is fundamental to school and life in general, which is why we’ve worked hard to put together 8 of the very best reading apps for older kids as part of our Back to School Tech Guide 2015. Whether you have an older...

A new educational YouTube channel for kids gives them a crash course in tough subjects

by Christina Refford | Websites Worth a Bookmark

As a homeschooling parent of three, my older kids and I are big fans of the Crash Course educational video series on YouTube which has helped my teens learn more about complex subjects like molecules and the French Revolution. But I’ve found that these...

Metamorphabet spells a good time for kids

by Nicole Blades | Educational Apps For Kids

I’ve always been partial to kids’ apps that play around with words and letters. They just feel like good, clean fun. And after trying out the new Metamorphabet app, I have just three words, ten letters: So. Much. Fun. The idea is simple, but super cute and...

Web coolness: Hot tech for parents from CES, scary new Instagram trend, and inbox zero trick that really works

by Cool Mom Staff | Link Roundups

We rounded up some of our favorite tech links from around the web this week. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. One of our first CES 2015 picks is an awesome new family phone that lets you ditch your landline. Stay tuned for more! Speaking of CES: So many...

Sprigeo Online Reporting System: Report bullying anonymously thanks to tech

by Julie | Helpful Services

Bullying is an issue that’s getting so much attention these days–and yet, it’s still a big problem. While we’re glad to see schools, parents, and kids tackling bullying head on, it can still be pretty scary for kids to report incidents, whether...

How to save your lunch with science!

by Delilah S. Dawson | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Whether it’s the mean kid on the school bus who’s constantly trying to snag your kid’s cookies (I’m watching you, Logan!) or the office lunch thief who’s never been caught, the average lunch box isn’t up to the job of keeping out...

Communicating with your child’s teacher and class without mass email chains? Thank you, Remind app.

by Kate Etue | Productivity Apps

With back to school officially here, I cannot tell you how much I love the benefits of organization and communication apps for parents and teachers. They really do make life so much easier. Well, I’ve just discovered another tech tool that’s going to make...

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.