fun apps

It's been a while since we put together our list of the best Photo Booth apps, and wow, have they come a long way! We all know that photo booths are as essential to a good party as the food and drinks, whether you're celebrating a birthd…

You may have seen this hilarious sketch on SNL that has a bunch of adults using the app BeReal during a rather tense situation. (if you haven't seen it yet, go watch now! I'll wait.) This sketch does a great job explaining what BeReal is…

Recently, as you may have heard (ahem) a bunch of influential musical artists have been leaving Spotify , podcasters are rethinking the platform , and plenty of listeners are canceling their Spotify Premium subscriptions. (Which is evide…

If you're getting ready for the Super Bow (whoa) this Sunday, and plan on having company to make it more fun, we've got 7 apps for your Super Bowl party that you'll want to download stat, from party planning help to food and drink delive…

Lately, a lot of readers have been asking us about apps that let you check out free library books. Or, free e-books to be technical. So here's the info on a favorite of ours, the hoopla digital app . While I love the feeling of being sur…

Before the holidays kick into full gear, I recommend you download one super-fun, get-off-the-couch app that also happens to be 100% free: Active Arcade. It's entirely designed to get you moving (and maybe burning off all that pie eating)…

This holiday season, I've been researching apps for holiday planning as one of many ways to make big holiday meals easier. Whether you enjoyed last year's COVID-mandated reprieve from big get-togethers , or you're just raring to baste an…

My son is all about LEGO these days, which is why I was intrigued when I heard about Brikit , a new iPhone app that takes stock of the LEGOs you have and makes suggestions -- complete with instructions -- on what to build. Turns out, it'…

Each time there's a live streaming Apple Event to announce the new products and updates, we watch diligently to see what's new for parents and families, or which advances and improvements will actually make our lives a little easier, mor…

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 be "b…

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 …

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 …

If you haven't heard by now, the customization features on the new iOS home screen are alllll kinds of extra (i.e. you can turn your home screen into a Harry Potter tribute , Microsoft Paint throw-back , or neon color study). It's pretty…

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,…

This is a sponsored message for Together app As so many families and friends are struggling to stay connected during this Coronavirus quarantine, they've turned to technology to help them stay in touch. But with the Together app , your k…

Anyone else the escape of audiobooks while we find moments to ourselves? These audiobook apps proved to be the perfect literary lifeline for me while I was stuck at home with my young children during the quarantine, and are keeping me go…

When you think "voracious reader of the classics" you don't generally think at the same time "..and big game, toor!" And yet, that's how I feel every time I open up Dear Reader. Free with Apple Arcade , this fun, quippy, clever, and fair…

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 beautifully h…

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, jus…

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 g…

If you've got kids in summer camp, you may know that each day they don't get a letter from home is another reason they grow up to resent you. Kidding. But they do like to get lots of letters -- and I admit, I am not the best daily letter…

If you've got a Harry Potter fan in your house, or you are one yourself, then you've probably already downloaded the new Harry Potter: Wizards Unite app on your phone and are ready to play. The game, which was announced back in 2017, is …

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 bei…

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 …