Children at a very young age can already grasp the concept of saving resources such as energy and water – like turning the light off when they walk out of a room, or turning the water off while brushing their teeth, for example. During the hot summer months, an easy and efficient way to save some more energy is by air drying clothes in the sun versus using your dryer. Air-drying is good for the environment. In many areas, electricity is produced by coal-powered plants. By reducing your electricity consumption, you’ll also reduce the burning of irreplaceable fossil fuels. On those hot days, it seems that it take almost the same amount of time to dry a load of clothes outside as it is to run your dryer for an hour. Even little children can help hang up clothes, and they love helping with this! While you’re hanging up the clothes to dry, you can explain to your child how using the sun’s heat to dry the clothes saves electricity, just like turning off a light.

A few side benefits are really fresh smelling clothes and a decreased utility bill to boot!