Explain what natural gas is. Teach the children that natural gas is a fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are the remains of dinosaurs and the plants they ate that have been buried under layers of rock, building up heat pressure all this time causing natural gas and petroleum oil.
Teach kids how natural gas reaches our homes. Do this by explaining that holes are drilled thousands of feet into the Earth and the wells and pumps on land bring that gas to the surface where it is then sent through pipelines underground. It is then brought into your home through smaller pipes installed by utility companies.
Show children the ways that natural gas is used throughout the home. Natural gas can be used for the furnace, the water heater, stoves, clothes dryers and fireplaces.
Explain to kids that more than half of all homes in the United States use natural gas in some way. This is approximately 62 million families.
Teach children that natural gas does not have any odor or color. A rotten egg-type smell is added to the gas so that gas leaks are more easily detected. Natural gas is also lighter than air and when it reaches a temperature that is 260 degrees below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, the gas will change into a liquid.
Explain how natural gas is measured. It is measured in British thermal units (BTUs). These units measure the contents of the heat. Use a home appliance, such as a stove or heater, to show your child how many BTUs are given off.