For the last couple of months the school has been enlisting the help of my boys to encourage their parents to turn off the lights (and the rest of stuff that gets left on out of laziness). It started as Turn It Off fortnight but in the Pants household seems to have been extended to Turn It Off 2013.
Is a good idea and one that was highlighted for me when I was asked to review the Maps International Glow in the Dark Map. A normal wall map by day. Turn off the lights off and you can see what the world looks at night. It really is rather beautiful. You can see where people make their homes from the cluster of lights in a surprisingly small area of the world. In Britain the south east is lit up like a Christmas tree, as are Manchester/Liverpool and Northeast.
I'm a HUGE map fan and am determined my boys shall know how to read a map. We have a number of maps on the walls already. But I have to say I like this one. It will start to teach the boys that a map tells a story far greater than 'where is it?'
This map really made me think about how much light we use, how much electricity we waste. So the next time they turn off the kitchen light when I'm in the middle of cooking I won't mind quite as much.
Disclosure: This is a review post for which we received a Maps International Glow in the Dark Map to review and keep (although it will go to the school's Green Group) free of charge. RRP is £30.