10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Earth Hour

Stephen Hawking, the famous scientist who passed away recently, once said, “Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill.”
A closer look at this quote tells us some important things:

1. The Earth’s resources are finite
2. Our use of the Earth is increasing by the day
3. We have the technology and knowledge to make a change.

It is these very points that this year’s Earth Hour theme, “Let Nature Shine”, puts the spotlight on. It focuses on sustainable living to protect the Earth’s resources, preventing loss of Nature and tackle the byproducts of our modern lifestyle, such as carbon emission.

This is a global problem, which is why the World Wide Fund for Nature has decided that on one particular day, across the world, people can show their commitment to saving the planet by celebrating Earth Hour. For an hour from 8:30-9:30 PM, individuals and organizations across the globe will turn off all non-necessary electric lights and gadgets.
And that special day is here – on 24th March! Earth Hour is literally around the corner! And you know what? Earth Hour need not be boring. There are fun ways to celebrate Earth Hour.

10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Earth Hour

Obviously, turning off the electricity for one full hour can be hard, but it should serve to give us a little taste of a life without all the facilities we enjoy today. Yet, it can be difficult for kids, who may not understand why they have to be in the dark. Use this time as the perfect opportunity to talk to your kids about the planet, how we need to avoid misusing our resources and the importance of Nature. But this doesn’t have to be one long, boring monologue! Here are 10 fun ways to celebrate Earth Hour – and have fun while at it!

1. Star Gazing

Being in utter darkness in and around your home makes you more appreciative about the night sky. The scattered sparkly stars are a sight to behold, and you and the kids can have fun picking out constellations. Take it to the next level with a telescope on the roof.

2. Face Paint

Have some face paint ready before Earth Hour. Once it’s dark, take turns painting on each others’ faces. Use whatever colors your hands land upon. When the lights come back on, look at how everyone’s faces turned out. Don’t forget to take pictures!

3. Shadow Puppets

If the moon is shining brightly during Earth Hour, find a suitable spot in your home and have a shadow puppet show/competition. Or else use a candle and a sheet to make shadows on the wall.

4. Candle light Yoga

One of the best things about Yoga is that it doesn’t require any equipment – and no electricity either! So, light up some natural aromatic candles and spread out the mats. Get everyone together and spend an hour stretching and flexing those muscles.

5. Board Games

In this day and age of online gaming, bring out the Scrabble and Monopoly to recreate your childhood! Gather the extended family together to have a fun hour of bonding over some fun board games.

6. Earth Quiz

If one full hour of board games sounds overwhelming, then make it a half hour. Spend the second 30 minutes on a fun quiz about the earth, nature or recycling. Here’s one: ‘Which is hotter – the core of the earth or the surface of the sun?’

7. Play Music

No, not on your smart phone or the TV; play an actual instrument that doesn’t require electricity. If no one in the family can play, get to singing old favorites. Or just divide everyone into two teams and have a singing competition.

8. Take a Walk

If the weather outside is nice and the surroundings are safe, a long walk is ideal. Take a walk around the neighborhood to see how others are observing Earth Hour. You can also check if anyone has all their lights still on!

9. Candle-lit Dinner

Make it fancy with a candle lit dinner – for two, the whole family, or all your friends! With good food and good conversation, it’s likely you won’t even realize that an entire hour has gone by!

10. Campfire

This is a great way to get the entire community involved in celebrating Earth Hour. Make a campfire, pass around some snacks and talk about different ways you can work together to make a greener planet. Along with some ghost stories! Aren’t these some fun ways to celebrate Earth Hour?

You may be of any gender, race, religion, nationality or political affiliation, but there’s one thing you and 7.6 billion others have in common – our home, planet Earth. Here’s another thing we share – the danger of losing our home. So let’s realize the true mission behind celebrating Earth hour – 60 minutes in the dark for a bright and shiny future!