3 Ways to Teach Kids About Wind #WindPower

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Xcel Energy. The opinions and text are all mine.

My kids are always up for some science experiments in our home. They love them because they are always fun, and I like them because they teach them something at same time. You might be surprised just how easy it is to teach children science concepts using everyday materials you probably already have at home. Here are 3 ways to teach kids about wind using a straw!

Cotton Ball Battles with Straws

Give each of your children a straw and a cotton ball and teach them to blow out of the straw to move the cotton ball around the table. Make a game out of it by seeing if you can blow the cotton ball off the other person’s side! Play defense by trying to blow the cotton ball back over to the other side.

My kids loved playing this game over the weekend. It was foggy and this was a great gloomy day activity. They were giggling and having a blast once they got the hang of it.

If your kids are a bit young for this game, simply give them a pile of cotton balls and watch them blow the balls around. My two year old loved this activity.

Before long, my boys were coming up with their own rules to the game and making modifications, such as using two straws and multiple cotton balls at once!

Wind Painting

Pour a bit of kids paint on a paper plate or construction paper and let them blow the paint around with a straw to create their own works of art! Alternatively, take your plate outside, hold it up to the wind and see what art nature will make!

Blow Bubbles in the Sink

It seems so simple, but having a bubble party in the sink is another fun activity that is great for toddlers and preschoolers. Show your child how blow bubbles, and what happens when you use your straw to blow air over the bubbles. Do they move? Do they pop? Do they change shape?

All of these activities open up a discussion about wind. Just look at what we are capable of doing when we blow some air through a straw. Now imagine what powerful wind can do to create energy!

This is also a great time to talk to kids about wind power and renewable energy sources.

Do You Know About Windsource®?

Windsource® enables Xcel Energy’s electric customers to purchase renewable energy, generated above and beyond the renewable energy in our standard energy supply. The program offers customers a choice on how they want to use energy. Windsource customers pay a small premium in return for the environmental attributes of the renewable energy, giving them the right to make the claim that they are powered by renewable energy. Business customers can use their Windsource participation toward LEED certification points, as well as displaying an overall green sensibility and respect for the environment. Windsource currently operates in five of Xcel Energy’s eight states:  Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Michigan.

As the nation’s No. 1 wind power provider for the past decade, Xcel Energy knows that wind energy is more than an environmental choice. Wind can help to keep energy rates affordable by protecting customers against rising fuel and other costs. Windsource is one of the nation’s leading voluntary green power programs.

Interesting Facts:

• The energy generated is above and beyond the renewable energy in Xcel Energy’s standard energy supply, and cannot be counted toward meeting any state renewable energy requirements; meaning that your purchase directly increases the amount of renewable energy in each state served.
• Xcel Energy has nearly 5,300 megawatts of wind in the system, enough to power nearly 2.7 million average-size homes annually.
• Xcel Energy has been working with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, since late 2008, to develop a highly-detailed wind-forecasting system. By improving our ability to predict the wind, we have saved our customers about $46 million in fuel costs.
• Windsource renewable energy credits (RECs) are retired on behalf of our customers; Windsource RECs are non-transferable.
  • One REC is issued for each MWh unit of renewable electricity produced.
  • RECs contain specific information about the renewable energy generated, including where, when, at what facility, and with what type of generation.
• Windsource is certified through Green-e. Green-e is the leading consumer protection certification for green power programs and provides independent third-party verification of Xcel Energy’s Windsource program and the RECs being retired on the customer’s behalf.
• As the program grows, more wind energy will be added to Xcel Energy’s electric system/grid to meet the needs of Windsource customers.

Interested in Learning More on How to Purchase?

You choose how much of your energy you’d like to get from Windsource. Start with one block per month, which is the equivalent of 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, or about enough electricity to power the lights in a typical home for a month*. (The cost per block varies by state.) You can also choose to get 100% of your  energy from Windsource.

Residential electric customers can call Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-4999 or visit ResponsibleByNature.com/Windsource to enroll.

Business electric customers can contact their account manager or call their Business Solutions Center at 1-800-481-4700.

Have you ever considered using wind power?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Xcel Energy. The opinions and text are all mine.