7 Ways to Engage Kids Who Are Distracted

3:24 PM  Dale Hudson  

Do you have kids in your ministry that are easily distracted?  Welcome to the distracted generation.

From the time they are toddling around, today's kids are immersed in a digital world.  From being entertained by mom's iPad to watching countless TV shows on networks designed just for them, they are constantly distracted.

And they bring those very short, easily distracted attention spans to your ministry.

So...how can you engage the distracted generation and effectively communicate God's Word to them?  Here's 7 ways...

1. Encourage dialogue.
  • ask open-ended questions and follow-up questions
  • listen to their responses
2.  Build relationships.  The way to capture a child's attention is through their heart.
  • show them you care
  • invest in them
3. Give them clear expectations. 
  • tell them up front when you want them to talk and when you want them to listen
4. Use hands-on, real life examples.
  • teaching about faith being like a mustard seed?  let them touch and feel a real mustard seed
5.  Use cooperative learning.
  • give them projects and activities that require them to work together
6. Use peer-to-peer learning.
  • allow them to teach each other what you taught them
  • retention rate goes up to 90% when kids teach each other
7. Use different learning styles.  This allows all the kids to learn in a way that is comfortable to them.

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