5 No Prep Activities For Earth Hour 2015

We are turning off our lights, gadgets,and pretty much everything else that consumes electricity at 8:30PM tonight (March 28, 2015). This is in observance of Earth Hour 2015, which the Philippines will celebrate today.

Earth Hour started in Australia in 2007, with millions of homes and businesses turning off their lights for an hour to show their stand against climate change. The year after, more than 30  countries participated in this movement that continues to grow annually.

Here are some activities that you can do with your children to make this event even more significant.

1. Have a slumber party.

Bring out your PJs, some milk and cookies and have a slumber party with your kids. Tell stories about your childhood or make up new fairy tales featuring them as the heroes and heroines. Play a story chain game, where each family member takes a turn in contributing to a made-up story. The sillier, the better!

2.  Time travel to the past

Pretend to live in the olden days and navigate your way using candles and lamps. Bring out your anahaw fans to cool down and beat the summer heat.  The kids will have a kick at experiencing first hand how it was to live without electricity.

3. Read the Creation Story

While you’re at it, why not try reading just as Jose Rizal did? Bring out your favorite children’s Bible and read the amazing story of The Creation. Talk about how God made the earth in 7 days and appointed men to be the caretakers of the world.

4. Sing to learn about the 3Rs

You may be surprised at how even very young children can give wonderful ideas to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Point out also simple ways that they can help save the Earth – throwing trash in recycling bins, bringing water in reusable thermos instead of plastic bottles, upcycling tin cans to make musical instruments. Endless possibilities! To make it fun, teach your kids this song that I found here.

3Rs Song

(Sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”)

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Recyle, recycle.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

It’s easy to do.

Cause your earth is my earth

And my earth is your earth.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

It’s easy to do.

5. Stargaze

With most of the city lights turned off, tonight would be a perfect time to go stargazing. Talk  about the phases of the moon. Look for Orion’s belt. Identify planets and stars. Science lessons have never been this fun!

 

Training our children to love and care for Mother Earth at an early age is a valuable legacy that we can impart to these future stewards of our planet. And it starts with a simple step – such as turning off our lights for an hour tonight.

 

Have fun with your  child!