Parenting Tips: Earth Hour: Activities to do during lights out

 

Earth| Earth hour| activities for children | lights out | climate change | raising responsible children | save electricity | what to do during Earth hour

  Earth Hour šŸŒŽ March 26th, 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm

 Earth Hour šŸŒŽ is celebrated towards the end if March every year. It is a movement started by World Wide Fund to save electricity. 

Though the first Earth Hour was started in Australia in the year 2007, it was widely appreciated by all and now it has become a world wide movement. 

Every country celebrates the Earth Hour for an hour in the evening or night by switching off electricity . Though the Governments switch off electricity from various non essential buildings , people on a personal level have taken this very enthusiastically by switching off electricity at home,  for an hour during Earth Hour šŸŒŽ. 

Reasons you should be part of this World Wide Movement to save electricity 

ā— Prepare your children to be custodians of our planet Earth šŸŒ 

ā— It will inculcate discipline in your children. 

ā— It will make them conscious for the need for preserving electricity. 

ā— All countries across the World are facing power shortages, so this is a good chance to start a movement. 

ā— Some countries are seeing a sharp jump in electricity and power prices. In fact, according to news, people are being forced to choose between heat and food due to price rise. 

ā— You can teach your children to be conscious about saving electricity.  This will give them a life skill and you can reduce your electricity bill.

ā— Earth hour will lead to discussion about climate change and this way you can teach them about saving other limited and precious resources like water and food. These simple concepts will be easily understood by your children. 

ā— Children are quick to learn. You will be surprised as they will be watching you all the time and tic you off if you default on any of your preachings.

Activities for Children during the Earth Hour 

With a bit of planning  you can have a fun filled evening with your family. 

ā— Plan beforehand. You will be better prepared for the evening. 

ā— Include your children in the planning process. They will be more than happy to contribute as their efforts and ideas will be appreciated. 

ā— Plan a few fun games that do not require you to use electricity or energy. 

ā—  Keep your mobiles , televisions and computers shut during this period. 

ACTIVITIES 

1ā— Tell a joke

I remember my childhood at my granny’s place where it was a custom to sit together and tell jokes as a routine before bedtime.

Now a days cracking jokes is a part of the day but consciously sitting together as a family and giving everyone a chance to tell jokes is missing. 

Try this out during the Earth Hour and you will not realize how the time flew. This is a great way to bond and laugh away all the stress. I won’t be surprised if your children look forward to more joke sessions. 

2ā— Story time

Talk to your children about your childhood. Share with them your experiences growing up as a child and how you solved various issues. We are so busy earning a living that the art of simple conversations is lost upon us.

Bring back old memories and regale your children with the bygone past. They will be enthralled by your growing up experiences and challenges. You never know, they might even admire and learn from them.

You can also encourage them to tell stories. The magic of storytelling is almost lost as we are all busy with our mobile phones and computers. Who knows, this simple act of storytelling might encourage them to explore more and come up with some original ideas. They might start putting their stories on paper and lo! you have a writer. 

3ā— Sing a song

Remember antakshri? All Indians are familiar with antakshri where everyone gets a chance to sing a song starting from the last syllable of the word ending in a song. It’s great fun as it is highly competitive. 

So go ahead and plan a musical evening ! All members of the family from all age groups enjoy antakshri.

4ā—  Cook a candle night dinner.

Plan a simple meal that does not require you to use any electrical kitchen gadgets.

Cook together as a family. Involve your children in the meal process and rustle up a simple meal. Cooking together is a great way to bond with your kids. Teach them simple tricks about cooking. This will give them a lifetime skill and make cooking look fun and not a chore.

Cooking options for Earth šŸŒŽ hour

ā— A simple salad

ā— A pasta dish

ā— Burgers( children can assemble them easily for everyone)

ā—   Rolls ( roti with some stuffing, make them beforehand, just assemble them at the time of eating)

ā—  Make a simple meal in the evening. 

Here , I am suggesting that you don’t fry or heat anything as you will not be switching on the exhaust fan or chimney. Complete all cooking procedures in the evening before the Earth Hour. Stick to only assembling the cooked food. You can prepare burgers, sandwiches and salads during the Earth Hour as it will not fill up your house with fumes from the kitchen. 

Ask your children to set the dining table keeping in mind their age. You can place some candles for some magical ambience ( be careful with the candles, this should be done under strict adult supervision)

I am sure with these tips you will have a productive , fun filled family time, this Earth Hour. 

   HAPPY EARTH HOUR šŸŒŽ šŸ’“ 

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