Green Energy Lessons: Engaging Activities to Teach Kids Sustainability

Helping your kids understand green energy is a great way to raise eco-conscious adults. With these fun green energy crafts, you can bond with your kids and teach them some neat facts about sustainable energy.

1. Wind Turbine Pinwheel

Projects about green energy help kids of all ages understand alternative sources of power. With a pinwheel project, kids can learn that wind creates kinetic energy, which can give us electricity.

For your pinwheel, you will need a:

• Square sheet of paper
• Pair of scissors
• Ruler
• Straw
• Pushpin
• Piece of masking tape

To assemble your pinwheel:

1. Mark the center of your paper using a ruler and draw diagonal lines from each corner. Your lines should stop halfway between the center dot and the edge of the paper.
2. Cut along the lines.
3. Fold every other point into the center of the page and tack them in place with a pushpin.
4. Poke the pushpin through the top of the straw and place the piece of masking tape over the back to protect the point.

2. Potato Light Bulb

Like the wind turbine, a potato lightbulb shows kids how natural objects can give us power. When zinc reacts with an electrolyte in the potato, it creates electrons. You will need:

• A large potato
• Three pieces of copper wire
• Two zinc-plated nails
• Two pennies
• A small light bulb

To assemble your potato light bulb:

1. Cut your potato in half and make a small slit on each side. Place a penny in both cuts.
2. Wrap a separate piece of copper wire around each penny a few times.
3. Wind your last piece of copper wire around your nails, with one nail on each end of the wire.
4. Place one nail in each half of the potato.
5. Touch the loose wire ends (from the pennies) to the base of your lightbulb to generate electricity.

3. Solar Oven

Teach your kids about solar power with this solar oven project. Once your solar oven is complete, you can make nachos in the backyard. You will need:

• A pizza box (so you’ll need to order a pizza first!)
• Tinfoil
• A plastic page protector
• Tape
• Thick wire

To create your solar oven:

1. Cut a square from the lid of the pizza box that’s about as big as your page protector, and leave one edge attached to make a flap.
2. Wrap the cardboard flap in foil.
3. Tape the plastic page protector over the open square, making sure the seal is tight.
4. Cover the inside of the box with tin foil.
5. Use the wire to prop the cardboard flap open.

When it’s time to make your nachos, put them into the box, close the lid and place the box in the sun. The plastic magnifies the heat from the foil to melt the cheese.

 

Learn More About Switching to Shipley Energy

While you can teach your kids about green energy, you can use Shipley Energy to make your home greener. With a focus on cutting costs and providing reliable customer service, we’re an excellent energy provider. Learn more about our home energy services and what we have to offer.