5 Creative Ways to Teach Children to Conserve Energy

Teaching kids about saving energy is an important lesson for them to learn early on so that they grow into knowledgeable, responsible adults. Often parents and teachers don’t know how to make this topic fun and interesting so that is can make a true impact. Here are 5 creative ways that you can teach children about energy conservation.

1. Utilize online games and resources to get kids excited about energy conservation. Energy Kids is a great online resource sponsored by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This is a way to make learning fun, interactive and accessible. Kids won’t think they are learning, they’ll simply think their having a good time playing a computer game!

2. Take a field trip so kids can see energy in action! A great idea is to go to a local power plant so that kids can actually see where the energy and electricity at home comes from. here they can ask questions and learn about how electricity is generated throughout your city. This will be a memorable, hands on experience that they will enjoy.

3. Put conservation tips into practice at home to include your kids. Explain changes that will be made at home as well as why you are doing them. Encourage kids to turn off lights when they leave a room, take shorter showers, turn off water when brushing their teeth and more. Before you know it, they’ll be reminding you to do these things!

4. Try going electricity free for a day! This is a fun and challenging way to show kids how much we really do rely on energy. It will also help them to develop critical thinking skills to figure out how to get by if electricity and energy are not available, teaching them to cut back on use when possible in their everyday lives. Choose electricity free games to play like board games instead of video games. Instead of watching TV, have them create a skit! In addition, you can use candles and other forms of light to keep your home illuminated without power.

5. Go on an adventure using alternate modes of transportation. Instead of taking the car, have your kids help you plan a trip somewhere by way of a bus or train. They can check the bus route and find out which bus will be needed to get to the destination. You could also run errands by getting the family to ride bikes to the store instead of driving as you normally would. This can be really fun plus ti shows kids how to use and take advantage of alternate, energy efficiency transportation options.

All of these options are fun, creative ways to teach your kids about the importance of conserving energy at home and even at school. Making energy conservation a hands on experience will show kids that they truly do have a significant impact on the environment and on the reduction of energy waste.