video games 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...

7 of the best video games to play together as a family

by Caroline Siegrist | Entertainment, Games + Gaming

Who else is looking for the best video games to play as a family this holiday? To me, these family-friendly games make the best gifts for the holidays, since they provide some safe indoor fun at a time we all really need it. Plus, they pack a lot more play longevity...

A parent’s guide to Among Us: What you need to know before you let your kids play the “it” game of quarantine

by Christina Refford | Games + Gaming

While there has been a lot of gaming going on in our house since the start of the pandemic, no game has quite gripped my family like Among Us. This easy and free-to-download game, which launched in 2018, has became HUGE during this pandemic as more and more people...

10 father’s day gifts for gamer dads that will impress the heck out of him

by Cool Mom Staff | Father's Day Gifts

It’s not just kids who are gaming more courtesy of the quarantine. We know lots of grown-ups are doing it a lot more too, which is why we decided to put together a Father’s Day gift guide just for the gamer dads. We scoured the web for the coolest gifts...

Are my kids spending too much time on video games during quarantine? We asked a video gaming expert.

by Kristen Chase | Games + Gaming

With lots of extra time on their hands, my kids are spending a lot of that playing video games. And based on some of the discussions in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group, I’m not the only parent who’s experiencing the same thing. But how do you know if...

How to practice safe socializing using tech during the Coronavirus outbreak

by Christina Refford | Tips and Tricks

It’s ironic that I chose the word “connect” as my 2020 word, just to find myself practicing “social distancing” three months into the year. Suddenly, instead of looking forward to coffee shop meetups, long chummy walks, and dinners with...

10 of the coolest tech toys and gifts for tweens and big kids | Holiday Tech Guide 2019

by Cool Mom Staff | Holiday Picks, Holiday Tech Gifts, Tech Toys and Random Fun

Next up in our Holiday Tech Guide 2019, we’re sharing the coolest tech toys and gifts for tweens and big kids. We know that they can be tricky to shop for, so we’ve done the research for you (not to mention asked our own tweens and big kids their honest...

Why are kids watching other people play video games? A tech expert weighs in.

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

So your kids are obsessed with watching other people play video games and you can’t quite wrap your mind around it. We decided to ask video gaming expert Dr. Rachel Kowert to weigh in on this phenomenon and tell us what we need to know. We’ve spoken about...

Our review of the new Nintendo Switch Lite

by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Over the weekend, my family and I played with the Nintendo Switch Lite, which is Nintendo’s newest handheld gaming device. Considering how much we love the Nintendo Switch, we figured this would going to be a pretty popular holiday gift for lots of people. Plus,...

Here’s how to get a free year of Nintendo Switch Online

by Kristen Chase | Games + Gaming

If you’re an Amazon Prime member like me who also happens to have a Nintendo Switch, you’ll definitely want to check out this awesome offer from Twitch Prime (which, if you didn’t know, is owned by Amazon). All you need to do is connect your...

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.