Spring is just a month or so away. While you’re waiting for warmer weather, challenge yourself and your family to spend the last month of winter saving energy, even though it might still be frosty outdoors.

Make February frugal by making a game out of saving energy. Challenge your children to compete with each other to form energy-saving habits and “catch” each other wasting energy.

Create a checklist for the contest and come up a great prize for the winner. Some challenges include:

•             Turning off the light every single time you leave a room.

•             Unplugging appliances like the TV and computers at bedtime.

•             Not leaving phone chargers plugged in when there’s no phone attached.

•             Switching off bathroom fans once the steam has cleared after a shower.

•             Wearing sweaters and socks around the house so your family can set the thermostat a bit lower.

•             Opening exterior doors only to enter and exit the building; not holding them open if you’re not ready to walk through.

Games involving energy savings are a great way to teach children the value of energy and the senselessness of wasting it.