Monthly Archives: June 2017

Tuesday, June 27: Getting Up to Speed
GETTING UP TO SPEED
#FiosPhilly
When: TODAY, Tuesday, June 27, 2017
8:00 – 9:00 pm ET
5:00 – 6:00 pm PT
Join Lindsay Frank (@SeeMomClick) and the #FiosPhilly team at 8 pm ET on Tuesday, June 27 as we chat about Getting Up to Speed!
Does your home Internet connection have what it takes to keep up with our constantly streaming, always connected world? Join us we take a look at the available options and help you decide whether it’s time to up your digital game!
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win a pair of Samsung Level U Pro Bluetooth headphones or a Google Home assistant!
(Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
-
Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: FiosPhilly) indicating your Twitter ID.
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Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://bit.ly/2ub01EQ
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Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#FiosPhilly) on Tuesday, June 27 between 8:00 – 9:00 pm ET.
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Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!
(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon.)

Friday, June 23: Here Comes Summer!
MOBILE LIVING TWITTER CHAT

When: Friday, June 23, 2017
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT
‘Here Comes Summer’
Join @RobynsWorld and the MobileLiving team at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) on Friday, June 23 as we celebrate the arrival of summer!
Summer is finally here and that means BBQs, the beach, road trips and more. Join us we share our plans and explore how mixing in a little tech can make it the best summer ever!
RSVP and attend the party for a chance to win one a JBL Flip 4 waterproof Bluetooth speaker!
(Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
-
Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject: MobileLiving) and include your Twitter ID.
-
Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://bit.ly/2rHQqnW
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Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#MobileLiving) this Friday, June 23 between 3 – 4 pm ET
-
Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

Summer Nature Apps for Kids
By Tracey Dowdy
School may be out for summer vacation, but that doesn’t mean learning needs to stop. These apps combine the best of technology with real-world adventures and are guaranteed to get your kids excited about the great outdoors!
The Little Bug
The Little Bug is an interactive storybook that takes kids on an adventure in their own backyard. Its user-friendly interface is designed with kids in mind so they can jump ahead to favorite scenes, read to themselves or listen to narration. The story includes 100 interactive touch-points, a Discussion Guide in the parent’s section and downloadable activities at thelittlebugapp.com. ($2.99 – iOS/Android – Ages 3+)
Star Walk for Kids: Learning Astronomy and Space
Star Walk for Kids is the perfect way to introduce kids to astronomy. Its design is simple and very user-friendly, with no time limits or structure so kids can explore at their own pace. Using videos and cartoon animation, Star Walk teaches kids to recognize constellations, planets and even introduces them to basic astrophysics. Perhaps best of all, by using your phone’s GPS, kids can point their device at the sky to learn what constellations are directly above them. ($2.99 – iOS/Android – Ages 3+)
Ocean Forests
Ocean Forests combines a book, an unstructured exploration video, and an interactive game to enable kids to explore an underwater ecosystem. The book offers three options: read it yourself, read by a narrator, or record yourself reading. Words can be tapped for definitions. In the exploration section, users “swim” through a kelp forest and watch as sea creatures swim by. Swiping left or right allows kids to look around and pinching zooms in or out and tapping the flashlight icon highlights plants and animals that can be tapped for more information. There are two games – one multiple choice and the other a card matching game. (Free – iOS/Android – Ages 5+)
Audubon Bird Guide: North America
The Audubon Bird Guide is a comprehensive guide with information on size, appearance, habitat, and the behavior of 808 species of North American birds. The app includes migration maps, 8 hours of bird calls and sounds, and 3200 images so users can search and identify birds by shape, region and color. Create lists, log your sightings, and share information and photos with a community of amateur and professional ornithologists. (Free – iOS/Android/Google Play – Ages 5+)
Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Online Summer Camps for Kids
By Tracey Dowdy
According to research by Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, students lose 2.6 months of Math and reading skills over the summer months. Compounding the problem and expanding the achievement gap is the fact that low-income students have less access to academic and life enriching opportunities like visiting museums, national parks, art galleries or traveling. Finding creative ways to close the gap and prevent that slide is one of the reasons Virtual Summer Camps are becoming so popular.
Instead of the solitary-staring-at-the-screen experience you may be picturing, these camps offer interactive projects, activities and learning, and some include an actual camp counselor who will work with your child throughout the program. There are free and fee-based options available that cover reading, math, and science, art, languages and much more so no matter the interest, there’s a camp for that.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets summer reading program is “Start with a Book.” Choose from 24 different topics such as: Weather; Stars, Planets and the Night Sky; Nature; Time and Travel. Each book has been carefully chosen to be engaging and educational with supplemental writing, vocabulary, and word play activities.
Free – Ages 6+
DIY
DIY is designed to encourage hands-on learning through a series of “challenges.” Kids can use Lego to create new projects, learn to cook, create Minecraft content, or produce and star in their own concert as well as develop more traditional skill sets like math, business and engineering skills. Some of the courses have a counselor who will coach kids through their challenges and kids can earn embroidered patches (think Boy/Girl Scouts) for each completed challenge.
Free and fee based – Ages 7+.
Brain Chase
Brain Chase brands itself as “America’s #1 Summer Learning Event,” engaging kids from around the world in a massive academic treasure hunt. Kids choose three electives from eleven categories like Math, Writing, Engineering, or even Yoga and have six weeks to complete their objectives. All of the material is top notch – for example the language elective uses Rosetta Stones and offers 30 different language modules. The first student to discover the location of the real-world buried treasure wins a flight to its location and a $10,000 scholarship.
$79 – Ages 7-14.
Camp Wonderopolis
Camp Wonderopolis encourages kids to “Explore. Imagine. Laugh. Share. Create. Learn. Smile. Grow.” Created by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), focuses on interactive STEM and literacy-building topics by increasing vocabulary, scientific knowledge, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills. The summer 2017 program focuses on engineering and construction and incorporates indoor and outdoor activities. (Free for campers – parents can choose to purchase a $25 instruction guide. Ages 7+).
Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Friday, June 16: Entertainment Apps
MOBILE LIVING TWITTER CHAT

When: TODAY, Friday, June 16, 2017
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT
‘Entertainment Apps’
Join @TheTechDad and the MobileLiving team at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) on Friday, June 16 as we look at the best Entertainment Apps!
There are dozens of apps for listening to music or streaming your favorite TV shows and movies but which ones stand out from the crowd? Join us as we take a fresh look at the industry stalwarts, explore some newcomers, and decide which ones deserve a spot on your phone or tablet!
RSVP and attend the party for a chance to win one of TWO JBL Charge 3 waterproof Bluetooth speakers!
(Click here to more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
-
Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: MobileLiving) and include your Twitter ID.
-
Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://bit.ly/2sj3iSR
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Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#MobileLiving) this Friday, June 16 between 3 – 4 pm ET
-
Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

Wednesday, June 14: Summer Entertainment
SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT
#BostonFios
When: Wednesday, June 14, 2017
12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Join Christy Matte (@quirkyfusion) and the #BostonFios team at 12:00 pm ET on Wednesday, June 14 as we chat about Summer Entertainment!
Whether you’re playing games, watching your favorite shows or streaming while you go, we’ll show you why Fios TV and Internet will keep you entertained all summer long!
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win a Google Home assistant!
(Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
-
Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: BostonFios) indicating your Twitter ID.
-
Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://bit.ly/2sppfm1
-
Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#BostonFios) on Wednesday, June 14 between 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET.
-
Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!
(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon.)

Monday, June 12: Celebrating Father’s Day
CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY
When: TODAY, Monday, June 12, 2017
9:00 – 10:00 pm ET
6:00 – 7:00 pm PT
Join hosts Adam Cohen (@dadarocks), Ted Hicks (@RealTedHicks) and the #FiosNY team on Twitter at 9 pm ET on Monday, June 12 as we look forward to Celebrating Father’s Day!
This Sunday we celebrate our dads, and whether you’re planning to take Dad out for the day, fire up the grill or catch his favorite movie, we’ve got the tips and suggestions that will make it a day to remember !
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win a Google Home assistant!
(Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)
To RSVP:
-
Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com subject line: FiOSNY) indicating your Twitter ID.
-
Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://bit.ly/2rJnezq
-
Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#FiOSNY) on Monday, June 12 between 9:00 – 10:00 pm ET.
-
Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!
(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon.)
Friday, June 9: Mobile Living Chat
There will be no #MobileLiving chat this Friday, June 9. We’ll see you again next Friday (June 16) at 3 pm ET. Have a great week!