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A windswept clifftop walk, a refreshing sea breeze on your face, leaves flurrying in the gusts. Wind can be wonderful, and wind turbines offer great opportunities for renewable energy (here’s Danny MacAskill riding a 70m wind turbine!) but wind howling under your door, down a chimney, or whistling round the window … maybe doesn’t seem so wonderful!?
Even the tiniest of gaps – a keyhole or a crack in the floorboards - can let warm air leak out of our homes and cold air flow in. Have you ever thought about how this lowers the room temperature, meaning the boiler has to work harder for longer, burning more fuel, costing more money and creating more carbon emissions?
Your challenge this week is to keep the wind out, and the heat in! Help your family by drawing all your curtains at dusk and remembering to shut the door on draughts! Before you tug at any curtains, please check with your parent/carer! Remember to HIT THE RED BUTTON and tell us when you’ve completed this challenge.
Humans put on jumpers, coats and hats when we get cold, but how do you think animals that live in cold climates keep warm? Penguins have dense oily feathers and a thick layer of fat, birds fluff up their feathers to trap air, and sheep grow a thick wool coat. Learn about how polar bears stay warm with the Natural History Museum. What does your home ‘wear’ to stay warm? … Curtains and insulation!
Roof insulation is made of materials that don’t allow heat to pass through easily such as fibre-glass or Rockwool (so don’t touch it with your hands), foam boards, or in some cases, it’s even made from sheep wool! You could ask your parent/carer to show you some insulation around your home – you may find some in a roof space, or can you hunt down some lagged pipes?
If you’re feeling super keen, why not go on a draught-hunt? Hold a feather near external doors, windows, keyholes, gaps between floorboards and unused chimneys. If your feather flutters or you feel a cold chill, it’s time to take action! Ask your parent or carer if you can fill in small gaps with old newspaper. For larger gaps, you could have a go at making a draught-excluder by stuffing one leg of an old pair of tights with scrap paper or fabric. Make a sausage dog draught excluder!
Share your completed challenge with us - HIT THE RED BUTTON when you have drawn your curtains and shut the door on draughts!
