Simple Tips For Teaching Kids Ways to Conserve Energy

These energy efficient tips are brought to you by Direct Energy.

Children today are surrounded by electronics… in fact, the Washington Post describes them as “The generation of  I-Everything“. It’s so true, from tablets being added to classrooms across the country to individual games systems at home, children are constantly being exposed to technology. This is a good thing, right? Technology equals efficiency. That’s what makes it more important than ever to make sure we are teaching kids ways to conserve energy while growing up in a world of  Smart Technology.

How to Teach Kids How to be Energy Efficient

From the time I was little, I can remember my dad loving gadgets. I think our family got our first computer when I was 9 and I can still remember the “fake bank acount” my dad programmed into DOS for me to play on. That an an Atari were pretty much the extent of the technology I was exposed to as a kid.

Fast forward a few years, and my dad was the first on the block to have a portable phone. You know the ones… they had a bag that came with them, and they were the size of your entire house. But hey, you could TAKE IT ANYWHERE. I mean, how efficient, how clever!

Fast forward even more years, and my dad was the first person I knew to have this device where he could walk in a room, make a noise, and get his lights to turn on. He had cleverly programmed his device to recognize “Quack, Quack” while others came to know it as The Clapper. Again, genius technology. Saving us the time it took us to walk to the switch to turn on the individual lamps, in turn making our daily lives simpler.

Life as a kid with my dad progressed the same way. Every year or two, he would have the coolest new device to save time and make life work simpler. I grew up adapting my view of what it meant to live in an efficient and smart home. But heres the thing… my kids aren’t so lucky. Instead they have been surrounded by smart technology their entire lives. It surrounds them.

In our home, we have a remote control that helps up pick and choose which lights should turn on and when we should turn them on. We have a video monitoring system for when we are away from the house and just  recently, we started looking at a Direct Energy Smart Thermastat to make our home a truly Smart Home.

With all this technology, its easy to take it for granted. It is easy to forget that we have to teach our children how to be stewards of the environment, and that while all of this technology is amazing, we have a responsibility to take care of our planet by learning simple ways to conserve energy. Direct Energy has put together some awesome tips for making your home smarter and more convenient while conserving energy.

CONSERVE Like you Mean it | Simple tips for ways to conserve energy with kids

In addition to these great tips, I wanted to ask real parents and educators what they are doing to help teach their children ways to conserve energy.

Simple Tips for Teaching Kids Ways to Conserve Energy

  • Identify things that rarely get used but stay plugged in. Then, fix the situation. Have this be an activity for your children. Have them take inventory of the house. They can identify what is plugged in, what gets used and how often, and if it should be unplugged. – ALLternativeLearning
  • Screen Free Time- limit screen-time or eliminate screen-time during the school week.- 3 Dinosaurs
  • Cozy Comfort- Lower your thermostat during the winter and encourage children to build forts, cuddle up for family time, and put on extra clothes to keep warm – a friend of Lemon Lime Adventures
  • Light Police- Make your kiddo the light police, complete with a police costume. Give your kid the job to turn out all the lights. Your kids will love running through the house finding ways they can help conserve energy. – Little Bins for Little Hands
  • Night Night Power- Make conserving energy part of your bedtime routine. Your child can walk around the house and say goodnight to everything while you turn off the smart surge protectors.- Parenting Chaos
  • Draft Snake– Use old socks to make an awesome draft snake that you can place in front of doors and windows to help cut down on any energy loss. – True Aim Education
  • Energy Lessons– After installing solar panels or a smart thermastat, you can use the charts and comparisons of before and after to teach science and math. The Educators’ Spin On It
  • Kid Powered Dinner- One night a week, have your kids help you create a meal with no electricity. We love salad, but I am sure you could get creative.- Lemon Lime Adventures
  • Toothy Tunes- Encourage children to turn of the faucet while they brush their hands by playing their favorite song while they brush at a whisper volume. They will HAVE to turn the water off to hear their favorite tune while they brush.- Lemon Lime Adventures
  • Energy Treasure Hunt- Have children put on their detective suits and go hunting for energy wasters like cords still plugged in, faucets dripping, electronics left on. – Lemon Lime Adventures

Teaching children ways to conserve energy doesn’t have to be hard. With the new Direct Energy Smart Thermostat, you can teach children the value of conserving energy while upgrading your home with some of the coolest smart technology out there.

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Direct Energy is hosting a sweepstakes where 5 lucky winners will have the chance to win Nest Learning Thermostats! To enter the sweepstakes, visit the campaign landing page and simply fill out the entry form. How easy is that? The giveaway will take place from Wednesday, October 1st to Wednesday, October 22nd. Winners will be selected in Mid-November.

At Direct Energy, they are committed to helping customers build a smarter home, and thus cut down on their energy usage – saving the customer time and making their lives easier. Currently we’re offering the opportunity for anyone to learn more about creating a smarter home by visiting our Facebook page, or exploring our Comfort & Control Plans.

Our Comfort & Control Plans 24 or 36 month plans offer fixed rate price stability, and a Nest Learning Thermostat (a $249 value) at no cost to you.

How are you using your smart home to make your life more convenient? Maybe it’s buying Smart Power strips for your devices, using dimmer switches, or installing a Nest Learning Thermostat. Share your favorite tips that save you time, money, and make your busy life a little bit easier. 

Once again, thank you to Direct Energy for sponsoring these tips.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: THIS IS A “SPONSORED POST.” THE COMPANY WHO SPONSORED IT COMPENSATED ME VIA A CASH PAYMENT, GIFT, OR SOMETHING ELSE OF VALUE TO WRITE IT. REGARDLESS, I ONLY RECOMMEND PRODUCTS OR SERVICES I USE PERSONALLY AND BELIEVE WILL BE GOOD FOR MY READERS. I AM DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.”

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3 thoughts on “Simple Tips For Teaching Kids Ways to Conserve Energy”

  1. Pingback: Surprisingly Simple Energy Saving Tips for Busy Families - Lemon Lime Adventures

  2. Pingback: Ten Ways to Teach Your Kids How To Save Energy

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