Fun Ways for Kids to Save Energy
Let's face it: Lecturing kids about the importance of saving energy is typically not enough to change their behavior. Kids learn better when they are having fun, so why not incorporate some playful activities into your lessons about saving energy? With a little creativity and imagination, you can show them that it is possible to have fun and save energy at the same time.
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I Spy: Energy Wasters
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Adapting the children's game "I Spy" into a game about saving energy educates your child about the importance of saving energy while having fun. Instead of spying things that are a certain shape or color like you do in the traditional "I Spy" game, the players seek out things in the room that are wasting energy. This includes any electrical items that are turned on but not being used or anything that is unnecessarily plugged in. Once everything is spotted in that room, move to another room and repeat the process. For older children, it may be even more fun to add some sort of scoring or point system to turn the game into a competition of who can spot the most energy-wasters.
Planned Power Outage
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Although many adults complain when the power goes out, it can actually seem like quite an adventure to a child. In addition, not having the use of electricity allows kids to see that it is possible to have fun without all the TVs, video games and computers they think they can't live without. Playing board games by candlelight or having the opportunity to just sit and talk in the quiet of the house is not only fun, but it is a delightful learning experience as well.
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The Jar Game
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Instead of using a "swear jar" to try to prevent accidental cursing, why not use the same concept to prevent accidentally wasting energy? Every time someone in the family forgets to turn something off when he is done using it, the other family members try to catch him and make him put a certain amount of money into the jar. Kids of all ages will love catching their parents making a mistake like this, and if this activity is done in a playful way (and not as a punishment) it can be a fun learning experience for both kids and parents alike. An added bonus of this activity is you can take all of the money collected in the jar and use it for a family reward.
Online Games
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Although playing online games obviously does not save energy itself, it is a fun way for kids to increase their knowledge and awareness about the subject. Many educational websites were created for this sole purpose and do an excellent job at conveying this very important concept appropriately to kids. Some examples of these websites include energyhog.org, eere.energy.gov/kids or eia.doe.gov/kids.
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