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Teaching your Children to Conserve Energy: Tips to Make it Fun
As a parent, teaching your kids is a part of your most basic responsibilities. This doesn’t mean, however, that it is always easy. In fact big, complicated concepts are elusive and can make it difficult for parents to explain to their kids. Electricity is one of these concepts that will obfuscate children. When you want to start saving energy in the home, it can be tough to get your little ones on board with turning off the lights and playing less video games. If you can explain the basics of the concept and show them why it is good to save energy, they will motivated to help you conserve. The following are a few ways to make the process of explaining and conserving energy both fun and engaging.
Quiz your Kids on the Basics
Start by explaining electricity in the most basic terms. Show them wall outlets and explain that that is where energy comes from. Tell them that energy costs money and show them that some things use energy and some don’t. You can do this by quizzing them about the differences between these objects. One thing you can do is show them a razor and an electric shaver. Plug the electric shaver into the wall and explain that it needs to charge to work. Then you can show them the razor. Ask them which uses electricity. Slowly but surely they will see that some things require power and others do not.
Make Challenges
A lot of kids liked to be challenged. One great way to do this is to challenge them by spending the entire day outside or telling them that you bet they can’t spend a week without playing video games. Use picnics, hikes, and beach trips as ways to illustrate that since you are not home, you are using less energy. Use a board game and candles to make a point that fun can be had without electricity.
Hold a Competition
If you have more than one child, hold a competition between them to see who can save the most energy. You can have concise 
competitions such as seeing who can turn the lights off, but you can also have a competition to see who can use the least energy in general and reward the winning. Kids love to beat their siblings, and making it about saving power is just one way to get them motivated.
Turn it into a Game
There are even specific games you can play with your kids to inspire them to use less energy and illustrate points. One is to conduct experiments that show what produces energy. The classic game I Spy can help them keep in mind what activities use energy and what does not. Another is the ribbon game, where you ask the kids to find air leaks in the house with a piece of ribbon. Holding the ribbon around doors and window frames will show them where the gaps are. Explain to them that when you use the heater, warm air is escaping. You can also this game to get them involved in energy-saving projects.
Involve them in Energy-Saving Projects
A great way to see to it that your kids are conscious about saving energy is to involve them in projects that will help you do so. For example, you can take them to the store when you are looking at solar panels or energy-efficient appliances. An energy comparison website called MoneyPug suggests having your kids sit with you when you are looking the utility bills and they will see how their efforts have paid off. You can even work with them to build a small wind turbine that helps produce energy for the household. Keeping them in the loop will make your kids feel important and show that you are serious about saving energy.
