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.
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.
Watch the next three Mondays for more helpful ways to keep kids engaged during games, in the classroom, and in conversation!
What do you do to keep kids engaged at church? Do you feel like you have to sing and dance on stage to keep their attention sometimes? Do you find keeping their attention to be one of the easiest things you do or one of the hardest?
Mary Carlisle served on the CentriKid office team.