Free Summer Family Activities with ENERGY STAR

Summer has started with a splash in our neighborhood!  When the kids aren't running through the backyard or heading for the pool, they need a few indoor projects to keep them busy.  

I love the free, family friendly activities at the new Team ENERGY STAR website.  They include free coloring pages, printable activity sheets with the Lorax and Horton Hears a Who! themes, and a kid-friendly interactive website.  My kids got to trace, cut, color and glue to create their very own Lorax mustaches from the downloadable pattern.  The family dog wasn't so into it, although we made her a mustache, too.  The dog-biscuit-as-bribery backfired and she ended up trying to eat her mustache.

Kids can join Team ENERGY STAR when they visit energystar.gov/team, where they can download lots of energy-saving tips for their families.  Did you know the average family can save $700 a year by adopting the Environmental Protection Agency's energy saving ideas for the home?  That could make a lot of moms and dads very happy.  Maybe you've heard of looking for the ENERGY STAR seal on the most efficient new appliances.  So, if Dad is getting something new for Father's Day, the ENERGY STAR seal adds extra value, when you consider all of the energy savings over several years of ownership. 

Many of the tips are simple, low-cost efforts like caulking around doors and windows, adding programmable thermostats, or simply turning off lights when you leave the room.  I'm hopeful that maybe this time my kids will hear the message about the forgotten light switch and the gaping refrigerator door, since it's coming from the Lorax instead of me. 

Of course, the new Team ENERGY STAR initiative does a great job of tying one family's household savings into the bigger picture. Less energy used now means a brighter future for our kids and grandkids and for the place they need to call home long after the rest of us are gone.