Tips From the Twitter Party: 10 Summer Learning Activities

#gno information! • #gno featured • parenting • education

by Mom It Forward on August 7th, 2013 | No Comments »

Every week, Mom It Forward hosts a #gno Twitter party to bring brands and parents together for one hour. Don't know what a #gno Twitter Party is? It’s an hour-long girls night out where the conversation occurs over Twitter. Parents, panelists, and influencers share their best tips and tricks related to a particular theme. You can check out our upcoming #gno Twitter parties on our calendar.

During last week's party we chatted about summer learning activities for kids in order to empower them for success when school resumes. Mom It Forward’s 4 moderators, 13 community panelists, PBS Kids, Education.com and hundreds of community members shared their stories and their summer learning activities.

Fun Ideas for Summer Learning Activities

Here are 10 highlights from Wednesday's PBS Kids Summer Learning #gno Twitter party:

Create Fun and Exciting Learning Activities Everyday

Bernadette Callahan of @AimlessMoments uses cleanup time to teach her kids numbers, shapes, and colors. For example, she asks them to pick up seven pink things, or four circle things.
Kristan Price, @KristenPrice keeps her kids learning by focusing on their interests. She supplements their interests through reading books and doing crafts that complement the activity.

Learn in the Outdoors

Thomas Hobson, @TheTeacherTom, encourages his kids to learn in the outdoors by collecting bugs, gardening, and painting with power tools. What is painting by power tools? Simply switch out the drill bit for a paint brush, dip the brush in paint, and paint away on a canvas or old bed sheet.

Edwin C (@Techtembo888), Dawn Nieves (@AnewDawnnBlog), and Wendy Kate (@ABCGP) enjoy trips with their kids to the local farms to learn about fruits and vegetables.

Incorporate Learning During Travel

Edna Myers, @emmyers68, plays car bingo with her kids during road trips. She also picks up brochures at rest stops encouraging her kids to learn about the area they are traveling through.
Hilary Weston, @HilaryWeston, keeps her kids learning during road trips by playing “I Spy”, reading books about their destination, having her kids track their progress on a map, and by having them read signs as they drive by.
@Purplepassion12 visits cultural institutions when traveling such as museums, zoos, nature centers, and botanical gardens.

Use Technologies to Support Kids' Learning

Amber Passey, @ajpassey, highly recommends the following apps for younger kids: Tozzle, Matching Zoo, and Quizzing. Her family also enjoys websites Starfall and IXL for reading and math practice.
Monica Olivera, @LatinMami, created Pinterest boards for her kids; whenever they are bored, they look at the board and choose one activity. She also uses Wild Kratts Creature Math app from PBS Kids to hone their math skills.
Maria Lando, @TheMathMom, combines learning math with the daily activities of her family or by their interests.

What's the Buzz About Mom It Forward's #gno Twitter Parties?

“@MomItForward- Thank You!! This was by far the best Twitter party I’ve attended! #gno #SummerLearning” - @JaylynsMommy
“@MomItForward- Feeling like a kid in the candy store with all these ideas flying! #gno #SummerLearning” - @Emmyers68

Thank you to all the Mom It Forward community members that joined us for our PBS Kids #gno Twitter party. Can't wait to "see" your tips and tricks at our next #gno Twitter party.