iOS apps

Sitting in the back seat of a car for hours on end--whether we're on a cross-country road trip or just running errands all day--has got to be so boring for my kids. I think that's why they're so crazy about the new app we downloaded this…

Our regular readers may notice that we don't tend to feature apps for babies and toddlers on Cool Mom Tech. Last night, our editor-in-chief Liz Gumbinner explained why, as she joined a smart panel on HuffPost Live to talk about apps for …

We're pretty diligent around here about making sure our kids understand math concepts, and math apps can be a helpful and even fun way to get them excited about it. Year after year, math just keeps building on itself, so it's super impor…

My first instinct (and job) as a mom is to keep my kids safe, so when I found out how many thousands of bits of information about us were being sent to online marketers every time they play or learn on my iPad, I got pretty protective. F…

While there are a ton of photo editing apps that we've recommended, there's a new one made just for families that we think you'll be particularly interested in. Not just because it was created by Soleil Moon Frye, who's reinvented hersel…

Turns out the brand new 2014 IKEA catalog isn't just any old catalog. Not that it ever was of course, But now, it's got an interactive tech component with a companion augmented reality app that's pretty darn awesome. And yes, Android own…

For the most part, I've got a good handle on my family's finances, but when it comes to the smaller details of where our money goes, I could use some help from this new iOS app. I'm finding it's really great for tracking your every day e…

Obsessed with Pinterest as we are? Follow us ! Then check out our five most popular pins from this week. 1. Keep these awesome educational channels for kids on YouTube bookmarked to help your kids get ready for back to school. 2. Here's …

What is the sound of one hand clapping? I don't know, and I probably never will. Not because I don't wish to reach enlightenment, but because I'm too busy using both hands to play this iOS app. It's pretty amazing that an app can simulte…

Last week in Chicago, we had the best time working with our partner Yappem , a new shopping rewards website and app, to throw one heckofa party for bloggers. Or really, an awesome party. In fact, it was called the Awesome Party. And you …

My five-year-old son heads to kindergarten in two weeks. (Cue sobbing.) While he talks a blue streak and wields a glue stick like a lightsaber, we're still working on his reading skills. So I was absolutely tickled by how quickly he beca…

Miss Piggy, Animal, Kermit, Beaker--your favorite Muppets are all together again in a free musical builder app for iOS and Android devices that's just out--and we think your older kids will have a hard time resisting. To top it off, it's…

There is definitely something to be said for retail therapy. In those few moments I have down time, I find myself perusing shopping sites on my iPad. Even if I'm not buying, it's fun to create a wishlist for myself of items I want to kee…

There's nothing more delicious for a parent than when we appreciate an app as much as our kids do--even if it's not quite for the same reasons. We really loved Mo Willems' first app and his new one has even more of the spirit of the quir…

If you're as obsessed with Pinterest as we are, make sure you're following us . Then check out our 5 favorite pins from this week. 1. A cool app for iOS and Android that's a dream for parents like us who take tons of smartphone photos. 2…

Indeed, one of our Cool Mom Tech subscribers will win a fully loaded iPad this month, courtesy of one of our very favorite parent lifesaver apps, Artkive . But our subscribers get so much more than that every month. Our monthly newslette…

We've been touting the benefits of Animoto video editing since the very first day we discovered how easy it was to make fabulous videos from your own snapshots, how professional they look, and how free they can be. (At least the short on…

With the advent of Vine and now Instagram video , I'm betting that your phones are getting filled to the brim with sheer data. While thinking about your phone cache probably isn't something you do regularly, having a phone nearing capaci…

Every time I look at my camera roll, I cringe a little bit thinking about the huge inventory of photos I have. (Don't judge me for being a year behind on updating our family album, all you organized parents!) Luckily, now that I've disco…

I kind of wish today was Friday the 13 and not Saturday the 13 because that would be even a more apt date to tell you about this awesomely clever, sometimes frustratingly difficult, gorgeously produced, extremely dark, and very addictive…

I can't believe it's been five years since Apple launched their app store. (And as you know, we love Apple apps !). But hey, I'm all for a celebration, especially when it means that some of their most popular and usually quite expensive …

If you're a Pixar fan, a Monsters Inc. fan, or one of the millions of new Monsters University fans, have we got the app for you. The Monsters U Storybook Deluxe app for iOS and a more limited version, the Monsters U app for Android , are…

Last year, our kids were thrilled to discover the super-fun Lazoo Squiggles! coloring app that lets them decorate pictures with their own squiggles, and then watch the entire thing come to "life" through adorable animation. And, now, jus…

You have heard a lot from us about how much the family music world has grown in recent years. One of my own favorite newcomers to the kindie scene is Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band . The group, whose popular Blue Bear song has topped…