Energy efficient games for children

If you want your kids to grow up knowing the importance of energy conservation, they have to see that it really matters to you. Let them hang out with you while you seal up windows, and even give them a turn with the caulk gun. Give them a chance to change out light bulbs. Involve them in keeping your house energy efficient and it will rub off on them. We should unplug it. Photo Credit: VisualHunt. Cypress Creek Rd.

Show them the electric bill so they can see the costs, energy use and how their actions impact the bill. Rewards Offer rewards for agreed-upon milestones. Rewards provide positive reinforcement on energy-saving actions.

The idea is to create a habit of being energy efficient. And for parents, this could mean less nagging about turning off the lights! Asking them to pick one or two songs, so showers are no more than four minutes long, will contribute to keeping your water heating costs under control. And ask your kids to use it to identify draughts under doors, around window frames, near fireplaces and over floorboards.

Write down a list of energy-heavy appliances on one set of cards and on another set, write a smart swap for each. Holding off on using appliances like your oven as well as things like blenders, mixers and microwaves is an easy way to save energy a couple of times a week and will encourage your kids to appreciate all the ways kitchens use energy.

Award points for every 30 or 60 minutes they spend doing something that requires zero household energy, tally it up and see who wins. Up to 87 percent of its heat is gained that way during summer. You can download a range of fun games at Energy Kids , including riddles, puzzles, plus a power saving activity book.

By making energy saving fun, you will encourage your kids to think about ways to save energy and you can reward them for their efforts with things like a walk down to the shops for a scoop of icecream.

Win, win! Of course it will be hard to keep your kids away from their laptops forever. But thankfully, there are a range of fun and interactive free online energy dedicated computer games, that are great tools for teaching your children about the importance of saving power, including Energy Hogs , Energy Star Kids and Wonderville Save the World. Planting a tree in your front or back garden is a great Saturday afternoon activity and the fact is tree coverage will shade and cool your home.

So on hot summer days you will probably be able to survive without turning up the aircon to fullbore and save yourself from a high summer power bill.