Teaching Kids to Save Energy…and Money!
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
The US Department of Energy and Disney have joined forces to produce two websites for kids about energy conservation. With the tough financial times we are facing, these sites are incredibly timely as we can help our kids learn how to save our resources while helping our bank accounts avoid shrinking too quickly.
Lose Your Excuse is helps kids learn about conserving energy while having fun. The site has areas where kids can participate in activities about conservation as well as create their own “go green” message signs. The site also has links for more resources and a down-loadable action plan. The plan contains tips we know already - like turning of lights and TV sets when leaving rooms - and also contains a few tips that you may not have considered. Two of the best tips is for kids to remind us parents to use programmable thermostats and to work on home improvements in areas that result in lost energy (leaky windows, lost insulation). You can find the action plan here.
Kids Saving Energy is geared for 8-9 year olds and features the Disney character, Tinkerbell. It is very similar to Lose Your Excuse in features but those features are designed for this very impressionable age group.
The two sites compliment each other well and are worth spending a few minutes on with and without your kids.
