Four ways to have fun AND save our fab country for the grandkids

It wasn’t that long ago that it was the norm for the family to live and love by the light of candles, lamps or just a few lightbulbs scattered around the house. 

Earth Hour, which happens every year on March 24, is a great opportunity to recreate those simpler times, show the grandkids it’s possible to have fun without technology, and do your bit for the environment.

The annual event was started by the World Wildlife Fund in Australia in 2007 but now millions of people across 187 countries follow the Australian example by switching off their home lights for an hour in the evening as a symbol of their support for action on climate change. A quarter of all Aussies took part in 2017, to let neighbours and friends know they care about the health of our national treasures, including the Great Barrier Reef and the koala. 

But even if you’re not an eco-warrior, Earth Hour – which starts at 8.30pm at your local time on March 24 – is a good excuse for some old-fashioned fun with the family, grandchildren, friends or your partner. Try out one or more of these four no-cost ways to enjoy an hour (or more) of candlelight with your loved ones.

A potluck dinner with friends

Grab all those candles you were given as gifts but never used, load the table up with them, uncork a bottle or two of whatever you fancy and have a bunch of friends bring a dish for a buffet dinner. There’s plenty of entertainment to be had in discussing the fun you’ve had in the dark over the years (be as daring as you wish!) and if you do want to bring a bit of an environmental message to the conversation, even the most hardened climate-change sceptic isn’t going to complain about a heartfelt discussion about the places in our wonderful country that are the most beautiful and meaningful to each of you. Best of all, everyone can package up the leftovers in reusable containers for a quick dinner to take home for another night – yummy, an interesting change from what you’d normally cook, and a great example of low-waste living!

A games night with the family

Get the extended family to hit your lounge or rumpus room or gather around the kitchen table for some candle- or lamp-illuminated competition over the board games you all grew up playing. Scrabble or Monopoly are ones everyone knows, there’s Twister if you’re feeling energetic, or you could host your own ‘pub quiz’ with a focus on Australian flora, fauna, history, folklore and vernacular to introduce a gentle reminder of what Earth Hour is all about – saving our planet for the next generation. 

A return to childhood with the grandkids

Give your loveable littlies a chance to experience the fun you had before iPads did all the entertaining for them. Make a sheet-and-pillow fort or tent in the lounge room, grab some torches, cuddle up inside and introduce them to shadow puppets, stories of your much more adventurous childhood or even a G-rated ghost story. There’s no harm in working in some gentle hints about the good fortune of the current generation to enjoy all of the services and technologies that the environment allows, along with some ideas about how even a youngster can care for the amazing world that is their heritage. Add some snacks and the only difficulty may be that they won’t want you to turn the lights back on once Earth Hour is over!

An intimate evening with your significant other

When was the last time you two gazed at the stars, dined by candlelight or snuggled up in bed early? Earth Hour is a handy excuse for re-introducing a little bit of old-school romance into your relationship! Even a staunchly unsentimental type is unlikely to protest at an invitation to sit together on the patio with a glass of wine and just enjoy an hour of quiet communing in the star-lit darkness of your suburb. Or if you’re not the stay-at-home type, take a hand-in-hand stroll through your city centre to check out which landmark buildings have switched out their lights for Earth Hour.

To find out more about Earth Hour, including more ideas for fun lights-out activities and the events going on around Australia, you can click here.

Have you switched your lights out for Earth Hour in the past? Are you concerned by climate change? Do you think about the safety and survival of Australia’s national treasures?