10 Hands-On Projects to Get Kids Excited about Renewable Energy

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Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power are vital to meeting the next generation’s energy demands. With the price of solar photovoltaic panels dropping  and wind power having the worldwide capacity to power 30 million U.S. homes, renewable energy is no longer an inaccessible, fringe option. This transition in energy generation and consumption provides an excellent learning opportunity for parents, teachers, and kids alike.

Showing kids how renewable energy works, and how it is a smarter alternative than traditional fossil fuel methods, will help them embrace these resources throughout their lives – and could even spark an interest in the science behind renewable energy that leads to career choices.

If you are looking for ways to teach your kids about renewable energy, but make it a fun experience, give these projects and experiments a try.

Solar Light

If you ask your kids what items electricity powers, “the lights” are likely the first response you’ll hear. Use that familiarity to teach them about how electricity powered through solar energy can power the items in our homes. You’ll need wide mouth Mason-style jars and solar path lights (these are generally available at hardware stores). Once completed, these solar lights can be used for emergency purposes, night lights, or even out by the pool on a summer evening. For full instructions on creating these solar lights, visit Tinkerlab.

Hot Dog Cooker

This experiments offers a great example of cause and effect – and the result is lunch. All you need is a cardboard box, tin foil, poster board, something to serve as a skewer, a hot dog, and some sunlight. Let your kids help you cut the foil, box, and poster board to the right dimensions (instructions are available via the California Energy Commission). Within a few minutes, you can use the power of the sun to cook your hot dog – no stove or microwave needed.

Water Filter

Show your kids all of the work that goes into the clean water we drink by building your own water filter. The only items you need are available around the house, like drinking glasses, a coffee filter, and a container to use for the filtering. You can also use natural filtering materials. Check out the full experiment details on the blog Planet Smarty Pants.

Wind Turbine

Teach your kids about how wind power’s electricity with this simple outdoor experiment that uses a half-gallon milk carton, masking tape, string, a hammer and nail, and water. The hammer and nail are used to create small holes in the carton that will alternate on releasing water, and move the entire container in the process. The more holes in the carton, the faster it will turn based on water pressure. Read and print the directions for this project at Alliant Energy Kids.

Solar Car

This is a fun way to create something your kids will want to play with that is powered by something readily available – sunlight. You will want some wheels from toy cars, plastoform, small washers, thin cables and pulleys. You will need a solar cell on top of the toy to propel it forward. For the list of instructions and supplies, visit the site Science Experiment for Kids.

Water Heater

In this experiment, kids learn to create batch solar collectors that are discernable with different colored plastic bags. Students will discover which colors heat water the best and learn how the sun is a possibility when warming up the water that is traditionally heated by gas or electricity. An outline of the experiment is available on the site Science Buddies.

Solar Oven

Teach your kids to cook with the power of the sun, using a cardboard box, some plastic, and construction paper. There are a variety of tutorials online for solar ovens, including one that makes use of a pizza box. Use your solar oven to make meals in those hot summer months without heating up your house – and let your kids help you in a safe way. Check out the entire experiment, with photos, via The Daily Green.

Light Box

To teach your kids all about light refraction, and what that means when it comes to solar energy, check out this experiment featured on the blog True Aim Education. The supplies you need include a box, plastic bottles, water, tape and scissors. Have your kids decorate the box first and then add bottles of water inside it. By cutting strategic holes in the box, and giving kids different angles to view, they will see the power of light. You can use the experiment as an opportunity to discuss how solar energy is collected and distributed and what that means for renewable resource energy.

Hydro Powered Device

Water can produce energy and kids will see that after creating this renewable energy project posted on Education.com. Teachers or parents will need several household items, including an empty two-liter plastic soda bottle, craft knife, wooden skewer, duct tape, paperclips, and cork. This experiment is best for children age 10 or older because it calls for precise measurements to work correctly. In a classroom setting, the project is best executed in small groups. By the end, kids will see how water is used to generate motion, which in turn creates energy.

Fried Egg

If you’re looking for a simple way to explain the power of solar energy, grab a few eggs out of the refrigerator. Head outside on a hot, sunny day and crack three eggs on the sidewalk – one directly on the sidewalk, one in a black or cast iron skillet, and the other also in a skillet that is covered by clear glass. Which one will fry the fastest? Have your kids make predictions before the experiment begins and then discuss the results.

Lessons in renewable energy aren’t confined to textbooks. Parents and educators can show kids real-life ways solar, wind, hydropower and other renewable forms of energy are applicable through hands-on experiments like these. The more kids understand renewable energy, the more they will want to implement it throughout their lifetimes.

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Sam Alkass is a firm believer in solar power and its valuable impact on the future of our planet. Sam helps others generate their own clean, green energy while minimizing environmental pollution. For more solar news and tips, follow his Facebook.