You are constantly fighting for the attention of the kids at church. We live in a world saturated with entertainment, where even on the short drive to church there is probably a video game in the hands of every kid under 13. So, how do you compete?
Some choose to say they won’t compete and some throw every gaming system and slang acronym at kids, entertaining them, but missing out on solid teaching.
If you fall somewhere in the middle – wanting kids to be engaged and get quality Biblical content that supersedes just having fun and being entertained – you are not alone.
Here are some practical ways to keep the attention of kids at your church that we use:
1. Keep segments short. A kid’s attention span is normally about as long (in minutes) as their age.
2. Keep them moving. Don’t let them sit in the same chair the whole hour. Have them up and moving around the room. Take them on a journey if you are talking about Paul’s journeys or tape a whale on the floor for them to sit in if you are talking about Jonah.
3. Don’t waste game time. Games can be a great way to tie in spiritual content for kinesthetic learners. Connect games to stories principles that you are teaching.
4. Vary activities each week. Keep kids guessing about what is coming next. This takes planning and preparation, but has a huge pay-off.
5. Make it apparent that you care. Kids think video games are great, but kids will know when you genuinely care… and that makes all the difference.
No comments:
Post a Comment