RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: games for kids

Showing posts with label games for kids. Show all posts

Generation Screen

8:32 AM Dale Hudson

Gen Z (today's kids) spend an average of 3 hours a day in front of screens.

And excessive screen time can cause feelings of loneliness, isolation and anxiousness.

One thing to keep in mind. In the late 1990's and early 2000's, having video games and videos on screen in your children's ministry area really appealed to kids. But now with the ability to play screen games 24/7 a day, something interesting has happened.

Traditional games are making a comeback. Since Gen Z kids have access to video stuff 24/7, regular board games and old school games are appealing to them. Many churches are cutting back on the number of video games they have in their pre-service time and are replacing it with old school games.

There are definitely advantages to swapping out video games and videos for old school board games and activities. The average child played video games on his or her smartphone all the way to church. Having video games in your children's area, is not that big of a deal for the child. But something totally different like a board game or activity that is hands on and lets kids move, is very appealing to them.

I'm not suggesting you remove all of your video games from your children's area. But I am suggesting you cut back some on the video games and emphasize board games, activities, etc.

Here are some of the games and fun activities that work well with Generation Screen.

Connect 4

Jinga

Hedbanz

Pick Up Sticks

Legos

Lincoln Logs

Checkers

4 square

Craft supplies so kids can make bracelets, etc.

Making cards for soldiers, kids that are sick, fireman, etc.

Another advantage of using some of these type games is they give you a better opportunity for relationships to be built. Think about it. When kids are playing video games, they are staring straight ahead at the screen.

But when kids play board games and activities, they have the opportunity to make connections because they are looking at each other and their leaders.

Screens aren't going anywhere. If anything, our screen time will continue to increase.

Pull out the old board games and activities and you'll have something that Gen Z will be drawn to.

Cool New Game App Helps Kids Memorize Bible Verses

8:26 AM Dale Hudson

I am excited to tell you about a cool new game app that helps kids memorize Bible verses.

Today's kids spend hours each day engaged with games on their phones, tablets, computers, etc. If we want to see them memorizing and living out God's Word, then we must bring it to them through this avenue.

Noah's Elephant in the Room was developed by my friend, Joel Carson. Joel is a gifted developer who has worked in animation and video games for over 15 years in companies like Universal Pictures and EA Games.

Noah's Elephant in the Room is a pac-man style game where the player rides an elephant around Noah's ark. To upgrade the elephant, the player must memorize 25 Bible verses that have been fully illustrated. The game's Bible memory uses the memory palace technique which has been a proven memory tool for hundreds of years. Here's a look at the game.

And here's the trailer featuring the Bible memory aspect of the game.

I highly recommend this game and I'd encourage you to share it with the kids and families in your ministry. Kids get hooked on games. If that's the case, then this is a great game for them to be hooked on, because it can help them memorize God's Word.

The game app is available for free on both Android and IOS. Download it today and spread the word!

4 New Toy Trends That Provide Great Insight for Your Children's Ministry

11:44 AM Dale Hudson

If you want to know what kids like, then take a look at the toys they are into. What they enjoy playing reflects what captures their attention.

Here are four toy trends that provide great insight into what kids like and how you can use it to connect them with God's Word.

Collectible Toys
Collectible toys is the biggest trend of the year so far. The number of collectible toys has increased by 33% in the last twelve months to reach $1.8 billion in sales.

Children's ministries should take note of this. Kids love collecting things. Think about what collectible things you could create in your ministry. Trading cards? Pins? Bible pictures? Buttons? Posters? Small toys tied to a lesson series? Collectibles can be a great way to encourage consistent attendance, scripture memory and promoting teaching series.

S.T.E.M. Toys (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
This segment includes toys that are both educational and fun. They teach kids about spacial relationships and critical thinking. Kids have the opportunity to design things, build things and create code.

Children's ministry should take note of this. Kids love to create and build things. Rather than just telling kids about Noah's ark, why not have them build a mini-ark? How about letting older kids design an evite to use on social media? How about using some science object lessons in your lessons?

Educational Toys

These are toys that connect to smartphones and tablets and teach skills like coding, deductive reasoning and math in a way that is fun and engaging for kids. Some examples are Play-Doh Touch Shape to Life Studios that pairs physical Play-Doh with virtual animation. FurReal Friends are moving, robotic animals that kids can code to take specific actions.

Children's ministry should take note of this. Kids love to learn through technology. Think about ways you can use technology in your lessons and programming. For pre-teens, how can you let them use their smartphones to learn about the Bible? What are some review games you can use with technology?

Cooperative Games

Sales on cooperative games increased by 18% last year. Cooperative games involve players working together to achieve the same goal. These games teach teamwork. Some examples are Mole Rats in Space. Players work together to help mole rats escape enemy snakes. Hive Mind is a game that encourages players to think like other members of the hive. Operation: Escape is an escape room game where players work collaboratively to free a player who has been captured.

Children's ministry should take note of this. While kids love competitive games, they also love cooperative games. Think about creating games where kids work together to solve puzzles, find answers and learn Bible truths. What about group activities that require a team to complete?

Bring these four trends into your children's ministry and you'll see kids' engagement rise.

10 Keys to Seeing Smiles Instead of Frowns at Church

8:19 AM Dale Hudson

Want to know how effective your children's ministry is? Watch kids' faces. If you see lots of smiles, then it's a good indicator you're connecting with kids.

Here's 10 keys to seeing smiles at church instead of frowns.

1. Use humor. Kids love to laugh. I like to have open mic time right before service is starting and let kids come up and tell jokes. Yes, occasionally a child will say something inappropriate, but the risk is worth the reward.

Slapstick humor is another way to get kids smiling and laughing. Kids love to see characters falling, crashing into something, tripping, etc. We recently did this with a character we created named Dexter for a teaching series. Here's one episode if you'd like to see it.

2. Give them time to talk.
When kids are forced to sit and listen to an adult lecture on and on and on, you won't see many smiles. It's simply not an engaging model for today's kids. Give kids lots of opportunities to discuss questions, share their thoughts and engage in conversation.

3. Decorate with them in mind. It's very important to remember that the physical environment you place kids in is a big part of their experience. Beige walls and brown metal folding chairs isn't conducive to seeing kids smile. Look through the eyes of a child when you decorate the space they are in. No matter what your budget, you can do something to make your space kid-friendly. At the very minimum, paint the walls with kid-friendly colors.

4. Say their name. Want to see a kid's face light up? Say their name. It's music to their ears.

5. Play games. Kids love games. And with games you can accomplish two goals...helping kids have fun and helping kids learn what you're trying to teach them. Play games with a purpose.

6. Give them opportunities to make friends. Kids are looking for a personal and communal experience. They long for connectedness. Provide opportunities for kids to make connections through icebreakers, small groups, discussion and more.

7. Honor their attention span. We are not ministering to 19th century kids. We are ministering to 21st century kids. They have very, very short attention spans. Divide up your class time into 5 minute segments that change often.

8. Tell stories well. Stories captivate kids. You have the greatest stories...true stories...ever written. Tell them well. If you want to improve your storytelling skills, here's help.

9. Enter their world. When you can talk with kids about the movies they watch, the video games they play, the sport's heroes they like, the TV shows they tune in to and the music they listen to, you will seem them begin to smile. One of our pre-teen staff members, recently started compiling a monthly list of topics that are trending with kids. We share these with our volunteers each month so they can have conversations with kids about their world. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list for this, you can email Keegan at keegans@cftoday.org.

10. Put the right people in front of them. When it comes to stage and up front people, be very selective in who you put in front of the kids. Choose fun, high-energy, likeable, motivational people.

Okay. Your turn. What are some other keys to seeing smiles at church instead of frowns? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.