Think about opportunities you have to do this:
small group setting
waiting for parents to come pick up after class
riding on the bus to camp
before class starts
We often talk about entering a child's world. Just as a missionary learns all they can about the people they are trying to reach, we should learn all we can about our mission field, which is children.
Here are 10 topics that kids love to talk about. Talk with them about these and you will enter their world. And when that happens, you will gain access to their heart.
Before you ask kids to listen to you, make sure you are listening to them.When kids see you care about what they like, it opens their heart to receive your message.
Okay, back to the 10 topics kids love to talk about. (these are geared for elementary age kids)
1. Sports they are involved in. Soccer, baseball, basketball, gymnastics, etc. Team name? Why do you like that sport? What position do you play? How is team doing?
2. Video games - What game system do you have? Favorite game? High scores? Team play online?
3. Pets - Do you have a pet? What's its name? What breed is your pet? What funny things does your pet do?
4. Movies - What is your favorite movie? What is a movie you recently saw?
5. Family - Parents? Brothers? Sisters?
6. Amusement parks - Favorite park? Favorite ride at that park?
7. School - Grade? Favorite subject? Favorite teacher?
8. Vacation - Favorite vacation destination? Where going on vacation this year?
9. Celebrities - Favorite actor? Favorite sports star? Why do you like that star?
10. Super heroes - Name? Where appears? Movies, comic books, apps, games, etc.
Try talking about some of these the next time you are working with kids and you'll see them engage with you.
I've shared before about the time I walked into one of our classrooms and saw a boy sitting in the back of the room by himself. I asked the teacher why he was back there and she said he was in a terrible mood and didn't want to participate.
I went back and sat down beside him. I tried asking him some questions, but got no response. Finally I decided to try video game talk. I asked him what game system he had at home. Nintendo? Xbox? Playstation? When I did that his eyes lit up and he began to tell me all about his video games. He engaged because I had entered his world.
After talking about video games for a few minutes, I told him I was going up front to get involved in the lesson. I left him there in the back of the room and walked up front and started engaging with the worship music. In a couple of minutes, I felt a tug. It was the boy from the back of the room. He was smiling as he joined us.
Why? Because I had taken the time to talk about what he was interested in. Maybe, just maybe, kids will engage more if we take time to enter their world and talk about what matters to them.
Here are some more articles that can help you talk with kids including early childhood.
What Today's Kids Think is Cool
Why Preschoolers Love Paw Patrol
Baby Talk
Your turn. What else do you talk about when making small talk with children? Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below.