The lights will go out on March 19th, 2015 at 8:30 pm—for an hour only!—in celebration of Earth Hour. This grassroots movement began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 as a lights-off event to raise awareness about climate change but has since grown to engage more than 162 countries and territories worldwide. 

Even though you’re switching off your lights and electronic appliances for the environment for Earth Hour, you don’t have to sit twiddling your thumbs in the dark. There is still a lot you can do without using even a watt of electricity. Here are 26 of our favourite ideas for what to do during Earth Hour:

1. Start early. Switch off before the sun sets and just enjoy the twilight.
2. Host a fondue dinner. You get a great meal or a delicious dessert with no electricity.
3. If it’s cold, chill your beverages outside.
4. Tell your very best spooky stories in the candlelight.
5. Build a fort out of cushions and blankets (don’t take candles inside!) and then read a classic story to the family. We know you’ve been looking for an excuse to read Shakespeare out loud.
6. Prove to yourself that you can in fact go 60 minutes without updating your Facebook status.
7. Make streetlight shadow puppets (the streetlights stay on for safety).
8. Play with sparklers. Take long-exposure photos of your efforts.
9. Soften your ice cream.
10. Take the family for a walk in your ‘hood and count how many houses have their lights out.
11. Bundle up in bed and read books by flashlight.
12. Play board games or cards by candlelight.
13. Have an indoor in-the-dark picnic. Light some candles, spread out a blanket on the living room floor and serve traditional picnic treats like peanut butter sandwiches, lemonade, brownies and granola bars.
14. If weather permits, camp out in your backyard and roast marshmallows on the BBQ and make s’mores.
15. Host a barbecue for family, friends, and neighbours (if you’re lucky to have nice enough weather where you are!).
16. Take the dog out for his nightly stroll.
17. Go to a neighbourhood park for some nighttime play-time.
18. Go to bed early!
19. Fingerpaint in the dark. If you have kids, do it on canvas, then set up an art wall the following day, when you can see your work.
20. Have a front or back porch catch-up session with the neighbours. Supply beer or wine to ensure excellent relations for the rest of the year.
21. Take moonlight photos with your phone.
22. Dance around with glow sticks in the backyard.
23. Pull out your telescope or binoculars and search for the constellations. Get a star map from the online, or make up your own.
24. By candlelight, introduce the kidlets to “old fashioned” art projects like Spirographs. Their minds will be blown.
25. Hold a candlelit wine, beer or chocolate (or all three!) tasting.
26. Make a resolution. Earth Hour is as good a time as any to make a resolution to reduce your carbon footprint.

Remember to remind your friends and family to switch off their lights and all other unnecessary electrical appliances like air-conditioners wherever they are during Earth Hour itself and beyond.

What are you doing this year during Earth Hour?

Well.ca

well.ca