I have a friend and he’s part of the Kid’s Church in our Church. He used to tell me that he’s not a child person. Whenever we spend time together, he tells me stories on how he is having a hard time dealing with those little kiddos and how hard it is to understand them. He’s new in church and is still being trained in dealing with kids.
What are the ways you can use to tame those kiddos to get their attention? Here are some tips:
First: Know Them Personally.
Like meeting a new friend, you have to know your students personally. Know them by name, and what games they love to play. Use their pet names or nicknames as you call them so it can sound as if you have a more intimate relationship with them. Don’t treat them as your age. They are young, so take them lightly and smoothly.
Second:Entertain Them Using God’s Word.
One way to get children’s attention is to give them a show. It’s pretty boring for them when you share God’s word the way you’re sharing it with their parents. You have to be creative, so that you can catch their attention; something that will make their imagination works. Intrigue them by a puppet show.
Third: Make Them Sing And Dance.
Music is best way to get children’s attention. Make them sing and dance. Teach them songs that can be memorized easily, and dance steps that are easy to follow. One way of helping them worship God is by teaching them songs of praises to the Creator.
I’m smiling as I’m typing now thinking how pleased and happy God can be as He watches those little angels sing praises to Him. How heart warming it is to think that God is pleased seeing them worship at very young age.
Fourth: Tell Them A Good Bible Story.
Every child loves to listen to stories. They love their imaginations being tickled because it allows them to go to a different world. Gather them after worship time and impart to them God’s greatest stories in the bible. Make them know where they came from. Teach them God’s love. Tell them stories like Adam and Eve, David’s heart, Noah’s Ark… and many more.
Fifth: Share Your Thoughts To Them.
After storytelling, you can now ask them what they think of the story, what they have learned from it and what they can say about it. That way, you can evaluate if they have learned something or not. Tell them how God loves them, and how precious they are in God’s eyes.
After my friend applied some of these tips, he told me that dealing with kids became a lot easier and fun. As he watched puppet shows with the kids, worship through dance and singing, sharing bible stories, and after sharing his thoughts with them, my friend now developed a good relationship with the little ones.
One more thing, pray..pray.. and PRAY for God’s guidance as you deal with them. They are His children so it’s best to ask from their Father how to handle His little kiddos.