How to Teach Your Children to Practice Energy Conservation
Teaching your kids how to conserve energy and resources shows them that anyone, no matter how small, can make a difference.
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You Will Need
- Timer
- Canvas bags
- Patches, iron-on letters, or permanent markers
- Bicycles or public transportation
- CFL bulbs
- Cardboard paper towel rolls (optional)
- Recycle bin (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Turn off the water
Teach your kids to turn off the water while they brush, and to conserve water by taking shorter showers or to use less water in the bathtub. Set a timer to make it a fun challenge.
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Set a good example for your family by practicing energy-saving techniques yourself.
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Step 2
Turn off the lights
Teach your children to turn on lights only when they need them, and to turn them off when they leave a room.
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Step 3
Buy less packaging
Help your kids choose products with less packaging material and to use or repair what's on hand rather than always buying and consuming more.
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Demonstrate conservation by using creative methods to reduce, reuse and recycle, like making pretend swords out of cardboard paper towel rolls.
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Step 4
Take your own bags
Let your children take their own canvas shopping bags to the market. Let them personalize their bag with patches, iron-on letters, or permanent markers.
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Step 5
Get out of the car
Walk, bike, or use public transportation with your kids whenever possible instead of driving the car.
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Step 6
Let them help
If they are old enough, let your children share in responsibilities, such as getting recycling to the curb and changing light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescents, or CFLs.
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Designate a receptacle or bin in your house for used paper so that recyclable paper won't get mixed in with your trash.
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Step 7
Talk about it
Show your kids the beauty of nature and talk to them frequently about how to preserve the Earth's natural resources.
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Earth is thought to be somewhere between 3 and 5 billion years old.
