People use energy each day for lighting, cooking, cooling rooms, heating, transportation, manufacturing, entertainment, and many other uses. We consume a lot of energy and every year, we use more energy than we did the year before. In fact, the amount of energy Americans use has doubled about every 20 years.
Energy is something that kids and grownups need and use every day at work and at school. People get energy from food. Once food converts to energy in the body it gives them the strength and energy to go to work or school and to use their bodies and brains to get things done. Some scientists explain that everything in the universe is made up of energy. Since energy is very important, energy conservation is an evergreen topic that adults worry, and have concerns about.
Energy conservation is any behavior that results in the use of less energy. Energy conservation should not be confused with “energy efficiency”, which is using technology that requires less energy to perform the same function. A classic example of energy conservation is turning the lights off when leaving the room. In the same vein, energy efficiency is using a compact fluorescent bulb that requires less energy instead of using an incandescent light bulb to produce the same amount of light.
Why do we need to save energy?
We use natural resources to make energy and natural resources are things found in nature such as natural gas, oil, and water. Many of natural resources are called nonrenewable, cannot be renewed once they are consumed. Unfortunately, we have only a limited amount of nonrenewable resources in the world, so it is important to conserve it.
Another important reason for conserving energy is the health and well-being of every life form on the entire planet. Using fossil fuels or some other energy forms pollute the environment in many ways. Any kind of pollution can make people and animals sick and cause problems with plants. Especially, these issues are very dangerous for people with compromised immune systems, the elderly and babies. And the use of certain resources helps spread pollution by releasing chemicals and gases. It also helps cause the earth to get warmer than it should be and this could lead to the weather change or create really bad snow, rain or heat. By using less energy, you’re creating less pollution and fewer problems.
Ways kids can do to save energy at home
As kids, you don’t work for the government or large companies, but you can still make a huge impact simply by starting at home. Every time you turn off a light bulb or play game less by going outside to play more, you’re saving energy. Here’re some more easy ideas that kids can use to save energy at home:
- Watch less TV – read a book instead! A book doesn’t require electricity to run. Additionally, reading a book is proven to be more relaxing than watching TV.
- When you play video games or watch TV, turn them off when you are done.
- Don’t leave your computer in standby – turn it off at the end of each day.
- Remind parents to their phone from the charge when the phone is fully charged.
- Avoid browsing the fridge a thousand times a day. Also, avoid browsing for food with the fridge door open – every time you do, the fridge has to fire up to cool down the air again.
- When you shut down your gadgets or appliances, be sure to unplug them completely since these energy vampires often suck up power even when we’re not using them.
- If the air conditioner is on, close all of the doors and windows in the house because if they are open, the air conditioner will work harder than it needs to.
- Again, shut all of the windows if the heating is on. If they are open, the hot air will escape straight out of the window, then you’re wasting energy and money.
- If the weather is not too hot, ask your parents to open the windows instead of relying on an extractor fan or using the air conditioner – No electricity used, no cost!
- Shower – don’t bath! A shower uses less hot water, and as a result, showering costs less than bathing. If you choose the shower instead of bathing, then over a year, you would save a lot of water and the costs of heating that water.
- Reuse or recycle whatever you can (such as composting) since it helps to reduce or eliminate the need to make materials from scratch which means to save energy.
- You can also help by reminding parents to turn the heat down in the winter, buy energy-smart bulbs and use machines the right way.
Learn by watching | Make learning fun for kids
Overall, energy conservation is as important as energy itself. The choice people make about how they use energy – turning electric devices off when they are not using them for example and all those energy-savers add up to a big impact on the environment.
Use these resources below to learn more about Energy Conservation for Kids:
Things that you can do – Imagining Tomorrow – Ways that older kids and even adults can change attitudes toward energy use and the environment and in government policy.
Plant Trees to Conserve Energy – Follow the link to learn how planting trees for shade, windbreaks, and insulation can conserve energy and lower energy costs.
NASA Climate Kids – How to Help – On this page, you can find a lot of ways that kids can help protect the environment, reduce their “carbon footprint”, reduce their “trash pile”, and save water.
Energy Conservation in the Home – This is a printable coloring and activity book for kids about energy conservation at home.
Kids for Saving Earth – This site provides educational materials, posters, and activities to educate, inspire and empower kids to protect the Earth’s environment.
Teaching Children to be “Energy-Wise” – This fact sheet identifies things that kids can do to help save energy at home.
Kids Saving Energy: The US Department of Energy provides a fun page for kids about using energy the right way at home, games and renewable energy information.
Energy Sources – This site describes the types of energy in a way that is easy for kids to understand.
EIA Energy Kids – This page has a lot of energy information from learning about the definition of energy, the form of energy, energy calculators to the difference between renewable and nonrenewable sources.
Energy Kids Games & Activities – Riddles, experiments, quizzes, puzzles, and activities on energy conservation are available on this website.
Ways to Save Energy – The Victorian Energy Saver has great tips on how to save energy at home to help keep your energy bills down.
Energy Efficiency – Check out to see things kids can do to start saving more energy.
Energise Anything – About E.ON – Energise Anything aims to inspire young people aged 5 to 18 in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths. Follow the link to watch the science animation and get free resources for the home and classroom.
Energy saving advice – Click this link for the exhaustive checklist of energy saving ideas.
Energy Tips For Kids – On this page, kids can learn many ways to conserve energy and save water. The article features many activities that kids can participate in rather than watching TV or playing Videogame.
How to get your kids involved with saving energy – Check this page to learn how kids can save their parents a little money by saving energy in this summer. The page offers ten quick things you can do to keep your kids thinking about energy efficiency all summer long.
Top 10 Rules for Saving Energy – There are lots of ways to save energy at home and rules can make it easy for the whole family to save energy in the home. To get started, try the top ten rules for saving energy on this page. The grown-ups in your house can help!
GEF’s Energy Activities – Pick one of the GEF’s Energy Activities are a great way to get started on the Green Energy Challenge. These hands-on and fun activities teach kids to know the importance of energy conservation at home and at school.
Con Edison Kids – On this site, kids can watch and play a variety of games that teach them about energy usage.
30 simple things you can do to save energy – Click on this link to read a PDF about 30 ways grownups and kids can do to save energy and help the environment. This PDF also talks about pollution and environment.
Zoo America – Kids Conserve – Inside, kids can learn ways to help protect the environment. This page gives many tips on saving energy, conserving water, and other advice, including recycling.