How Kids can have Fun Conserving Energy
How to get kids interested in conserving energy.
Teaching young folks about conserving energy can lead to a lifetime of conservative values that will benefit their environment.
by Don Ames
I left for work this morning cutting through the thick layer of fog settled over the valley. Bit of a late start this morning because of business to take care of at the Department of Motor Vehicles. I’m afraid there is another driver in the family - there goes the insurance rates again. If driving a horse is any indication, she should do just fine driving a car.
I don’t mind the fog so much, I know the sun is up there doing it’s very best to come shinning through even if the fog does put the old stand still on the solar power production for a while. Remember the old saying,”Sunshine in the morning, sailors warning – sunshine at night, sailors delight.” Well, it sounds kind of corny, but it’s true. Farmers rely on things like satellite pictures and old sailor sayings to know when to harvest and when to plant. It just kind of gets in the blood and becomes standard practice as a way to get things done.
Energy conservation awareness is kind of the same thing. Teach the young the old sayings and the right way to do things and when they grow up it will just be in their blood, it will become the standard practice. Saving energy and conserving power comes easier to those that grow up with the idea.
The best way to get young people to follow an energy conscious lifestyle is the monkey-see-monkey-do process. In other words, kids learn by watching their parents. Kids can get excited about saving energy and the environment by turning energy-saving tasks into friendly family competition with rewards and prizes.
Bring home real energy-saving results by encouraging games and activities such as:
1. Keep count of how many times your kids turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms, and reward them after they reach a certain number each week.
2. A chart by the recycle bin can keep a record of the person that contributes the most items.
3. Clean clothes can still be worn for play days, keep track of the number of items in the laundry and reward the family member that stays appropriately clean and dressed with the least amount of laundry.
4. Turn the water off. Rewards given for brushing teeth using the water in a cup. Limit showers to three minutes – an inexpensive timer can signal when the goal is met and a reward is in order.
5. Hanging a wet towel up to dry so it’s ready to be used more than once can add a check mark to a chart, when the chart is full of check marks, rewards are in order.
6. Catching a person that fails to turn off an electronic appliance when they are finished using it could possible cause an eraser to remove a previously earned check mark.
7. Recommending ways to save energy - like replacing an outdoor light with a solar light could earn the advanced thinker a reward or two.
8. Ask your children to track down all the incandescent lights in the house, and replace them with efficient CFL bulbs.
9. Use a power monitor to determine electrical use with your kids to identify which appliance or electronic in the house is the biggest energy hog. If you decide it’s time to replace it, shop for a new one with an Energy Star label together.
Conservation is a lifelong process, the more we practice it, the more we live it, the more we can accomplish. Put a little money into your kids future by saving for their College education – put a little time into teaching them about conservation and the environment they will influence with their college education will be a much better place.
Thanks for stopping by today, come back soon, but hurry, I won’t leave the light on for you…Don Ames