RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: kids and technology

Showing posts with label kids and technology. Show all posts

Great Children's Ministry Ideas from Hot Wheels

7:24 AM Dale Hudson

I grew up with Hot Wheels and I'm sure many of you did as well.

In a day when big box toy stores like Toys' R Us are closing, Hot Wheels grew 21% last year.

This is twice the gain of the companies' Barbie dolls.

Hot Wheels first appeared on the scene over 50 years ago. They were originally launched to stabilize the company's boy's line of toys. Its roots are in Southern California car culture.

The name derived from co-founder Elliot Handler. He first saw one of the cars roll across the floor and said "Those are some Hot Wheels."   It was the launch of a favorite toy in many kids' lives. Check out these stats...

Hot Wheels sold over 16 million cars in 1968.

In the last 50 years, 6 billion Hot Wheels have been made. There are 7.6 billion people on the planet.

There are currently over 20,000 different Hot Wheels models.

30,000 people attended the Hot Wheels convention in Mexico City.

A 2018 Hot Wheels-edition Camaro sold for $38,790.

A 1969 Pink Rear-Loading Volkswagen sold for $72,000.

Hot Wheels' success in engaging kids is worth taking note of. There are some valuable lessons we can gain from them. Let's look at a few of them.

FIND YOUR NICHE

When Mattel first started designing their cars, Matchbox was a leader in making toy cars as well. Matchbox's cars tended to be replica's of ordinary cars that were on the road.

Hot Wheel's decided they would do something different. Something that would distinguish them from the other companies who made toy cars. They needed to find their niche. They decided they would go with a California custom look. The cars would have bright colors, red-line wheels, big spokes and engines.

As a children's ministry leader, you can do a lot of programs, events, strategies, camps, etc. You can fill your calendar up. And you'll end up doing all of these things with mediocrity. Finding your niche means you focus on a few things you can do with excellence. We must remember that being busy is not the goal, rather being fruitful is the goal.

FOCUS ON WHAT KIDS LIKE

The company leaders realized that kids love to "go fast." So they began creating drag-style cars. They also started offering the orange plastic track, which allowed kids to drag race again other.

When you stay closely connected to kid culture, it empowers you with the knowledge of what kids like. But you have to intentionally enter their world. Remember this - yes, you were once a kid, but you've never been a kid right now. It's a lot different growing up now, than it was when you and I were children. Kids today face challenges, temptations and pressures that we never faced. They live in a digital world. They've always had high speed internet, small, powerful computers called cell phones and on demand media.

A great way to find out what kids like or think about the ministry is to simply ask them. You can do this by having a kids' focus group. Bring in 6-8 kids and ask them to tell you what they like and don't like about the ministry.

When you find out what kids like, you can use that to effectively capture their attention and keep them engaged.

A big area this is glaringly apparent is when you sing worship songs with the kids. Watch how they react. Do they sing? Do they engage in worship? Do they get excited about praising Jesus?

You can find out a lot by simply watching how kids respond.

INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY

Some older kids who love Hot Wheels have started putting GoPros on their Hot Wheels. They use it to record stunts and cool maneuvers.

Kids can also use a remote control to race their cars against other cars that have artificial intelligence.

Gen Z kids live in a digital world. They are always immersed in technology.

Look for ways you can integrate technology into your lessons, programs and events. Be okay with kids bringing the Bible to church on their tablet or cell phone. Have kids look up key Bible services on their phone or tablet.

Technology is your friend. It offers you opportunities to connect with families that previous generations never had.

So there you have it. 3 big ideas from Hot Wheels that you can use for your ministry. Here are some discussions you can have with your team on about this. Put the ideas out there and you'll be amazed at the even better ideas that come from collaborating with your volunteers, kids and parents.

Do you still have a Hot Wheels collection from your childhood? What are some other tips we can get from Hot Wheels' success? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

Discussion Questions:

Have we found our niche? If not, how can we find it?
What should we focus on?
What do we need to stop doing so we can do less things with more excellence.
How familiar are we with kid culture? How can we improve in this area?
How can we integrate technology into our lessons?
What opportunities can we give kids to use technology when they come?

Are You Prepared to Reach Gen Alpha Kids & Their Parents?

10:56 AM Dale Hudson

Last week, I shared an article about Gen Alpha. Let's pick back up with that topic and talk more about reaching this upcoming generation and their parents.

We normally focus on Gen Z when we talk about the next generation. But Gen Zer's are growing up fast. Some of Gen Z have already reached adulthood.

The newest generation has been tagged the "Alpha Generation." The term orginates from Mark McCrindle. Mark is a social researcher in Australia who studies generations. Alpha kids applies to anyone born after 2010. In other words, kids who are presently 8 and under.

Here's some key things to remember as you seek to connect with the Alpha Generation and their parents.

Alpha Kids are being raised by parents who've had access to screens and technology for the biggest part of their life.

Alpha kids have access to screens and technology from birth.

Alpha kids are fully integrated online from birth.

Another thing to keep in mind is this - Because Alpha kids are born into an online world, it will be a challenge to keep them focused. They get bored very quickly. To reach them, you've got to catch their attention quickly and in a powerful way.

Alpha kids have lots of connections through online gaming and social media. But many are shallow connections. Due to this, Alpha kids want deeper connections. Ministries that can provide them with the opportunity to establish deeper connections will thrive. This is something that ministries can provide through small group leaders, teachers and other caring leaders.

We must also keep in mind that Alpha kids are being raised by Millennial parents. With so much parenting advice available online, Millennial parents are able to make faster parenting decisions. This allows them to spend more quality time with their kids.

Ministries that partner with Millennial parents through parenting advice, activities and shared experiences will grow.

Alpha kids are an "on demand" generation. More than any previous generation, they expect immediate delivery.

One interesting note, Alpha kids are willing to spend more time viewing a video, if it's relevant to their life or interests.

Alpha kids like repetition. If they like video content, they will watch it over and over. This is good news for people who create contect, curriculum, programming, etc. We know that repetition is a key to kids grasping Biblical truth long-term. If you can create "replay worthy" content, kids will watch it several times.

Remember this as you plan and implement. There is so much content being pushed their way, it can be a challenge to get your message to stand out and stick in their long-term memory. It's got to be excellent if you want them to engage with it.

From the moment they are born, Alpha kids are introduced to social media by their parents. Go to most labor and delivery rooms and you'll see parents taking and posting pictures of their baby on social media from the moment they are born. This continues for the rest of their lives as parents use pictures to document the growth of their children. You could call social media the new family picture album.

How do Millennial parents feel about social media in their kids' lives? Here are the results of a recent survey.

81% say social media helps their child connect with family.

74% say social media helps them connect with friends.

71% say social media helps them explore their passions.

68% say social media helps their child feel more grown up.

Through one or more digital platforms, 100% of kids ages 5 to 12 are using social media.

YouTube is by far the most used platform for Alpha kids - 89% use it.

Minecraft is used by 63% of Alpha kids. It is especially popular among tweens.

Alpha kids are using social media for 3 things.

1. Consumption. They consume social media by watching it, reading it, subscribing to it and following it.

2. Connection. They use social media to share, chat, tag and like people's posts.

3. Creation. They post, comment and make items they share with others.

Here are some additional stats that are noteworthy:

5-to-6-year-olds are using social media to learn, observe and stay in touch with family and friends.

7-to-10-year-olds subscribe and follow others and create content by commenting on friends' posts.

Once Alpha kids turn 11, their usuage of social media accelerates. They begin sharing their own vidoes, photos, stories and other creative work.

Alpha kids feel like they can't function without social media. Among 5-to-10-year-olds, 76% say social media is important for kids their age. Among tweens the percentage climbs to 83%.

How do their parents feel about them being involved in social media? Over half of Millennial parents seem okay with their child's current usuage. And very few parents actually monitor their childs's online activity closely.

What should we do as children's ministry leaders? How can we reach Alpha kids and their Millennial paents? Based on the info. above, here are some ideas.

Create online content that is engaging and relevant. Start aYouTube channel. Have a Facebook and Instagram page for your ministry. Post online games and activities that teach God's Word to kids. One important note - many social media sites have a minimum age level. For example, the age for Facebook is supposed to be 13. This doesn't stop kids most from joining anyways. But I believe it is wise to push your content to parents who in return can share with their kids.

Use repetition. Remember, if the content is good, they will watch it more than once. That's awesome, because we know repetiion is a key to learning, so repeat things several times.

Provide environments where kids can establish strong relational connections. Remember...most of their social media connections are shallow. They come to church wanting to make a connection. They want to be part of a group. They want a familiar face who knows them by name and misses them when they aren't there.

On that note, it's important to also facilitate ice breakers, games, discussion times where the kids can build relationships with each other.

I also think that the 3 things kids are using social media for could be used very effectively as a template for our lessons at church. Think about it...if done well...lessons could give kids the opportunity to...

Consume God's Word - provide solid, Biblical content for kids.

Connection - give kids opportunities to connect with each other and adult leaders.

Creation - give kids opportunities to create and share things that highlight the key truth of the lesson. This could be a mini-drama, a craft, a picture, activity, etc.

Have a Facebook and Instagram page for parents in your ministry. Use it to share parenting tips, family activitiy suggestions, announcements, a review with discussion questions from the weekend, etc.

Your turn. What are your thoughts about Gen Alpha? How can we reach them? How can we disciple them? How can we empower parents? Share your thoughts, ideas and insight in the comment sections below.

Gen Z's Technology Addiction

9:41 AM Dale Hudson

Gen Z is growing up immersed in technology. It's an integral part of their lives. How integral? Consider these stats.

96% own a smartphone.

68% own a tablet.

85% use social media to learn about new products.

50% will be connected online for 10 hours a day.

They interact with up to 5 screens a day.

1/3 watch at least one hour of online video a day.

You could go as far as to say Gen Z is addicted to technology because it impacts them emotionally. 80% feel distressed when kept away from their personal electronic devices. Try asking Gen Z to pull away from their smartphone for an extended time and they will become anxious and upset.

Paradigm Malibu is a treatment facility on the Pacific Coast. It started out treating people with classic drug and alcohol addictions. Now it has developed a program specifically for Gen Z kids who have device-use disorders. Kids are brought to the center because extreme use of technology has led to serious behavioral disorders. In some cases, kids have even threatened to kill themselves when told their internet may be cut off.

Several of these type rehabs have been opened across the country to treat Gen Z kids whose lives have become unmanageable because of technology.

If you are a parent whose child has a smartphone, you understand the pull that technology has. Gen Z feels the pressure to constantly be connected, fearing they will miss out on the latest post, like, comment, picture or video. They check their smartphones hundreds of times a day. This can lead to little time for anything else.

Technology has definitely changed the way kids grow up. For many of Gen Z, they communicate more digitally than they do in person. Their smartphone is an extension of their hand and their social media life is more important than their real life.

Dr. Michael Rich, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School said, "You can go by any playground at recess and the kids are all staring at their smartphones."

Dr. Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, says it’s very clear that overuse of digital media is linked to mental health issues and unhappiness. Her research has found that Gen Z kids who spend three hours a day or more using electronic devices are 35% more likely to have a risk factor for suicide than those who spend less than an hour with them — while those who spend five or more hours are 71% more likely to have a suicide risk factor.

Gen Z's bent toward technology addiction is not something to take lightly.

As children's and family ministry leaders, it's important that we provide parents with tools they can use to guide their Gen Z children in the digital world they are growing up in.

One tool that has just been released is a documentary produced by Kirk Cameron, entitled "Connect." Kirk has 6 Gen Z kids of his own, so he fully understands the challenges of parenting in a digital world. He created the film to help parents find hope, wisdom and strength in this area.

Kirk says, “God-fearing parents can find confidence and guidance when it comes to the challenges of parenting in our technology-driven world, knowing that God has fully equipped us for the sacred calling as a parent. We have resources to prepare our children as they learn their purpose and identity, and responsibly use technology to understand family, friends, God and the world around them.”

The film was recently in theaters and should be available for home viewing very soon. Here is the trailer.

While technology, smartphones and social media can be great tools to share the Gospel, invite people to church, advance the Kingdom of God and connect with families, like anything else, when it begins to overtake and dominate our lives, it can be detrimental. Especially in the lives of children and students who don't have the maturity yet to navigate this on their own.

It is vital that we keep the conversation going and look for ways to help Gen Z find balance in their use of technology.

Your turn. The floor is yours. What trends are you seeing with Gen Z and their use of technology? What other tools can we make available for the parents of Gen Z kids to help them navigate this challenge? I'd love to hear your thoughts, insights and comments below.

What Makes Kids Go "Wow?" You Might Be Surprised

9:13 AM Dale Hudson

Kids have access to more technology than ever before. They've never known a world without it. Technology comes as naturally as breathing for them. But something interesting is happening. Kids have become so inundated with technology that the latest device doesn't wow them anymore. Look what toy expert Chris Byrne says.

“Technology isn’t a wow anymore. Play, and things that allow kids to express themselves, is a wow.”

An example of this is the change that has taken place at the New York toy fair over the last few years. Just three years ago, the tech toys section was several aisles wide and was filled with robots, DIY kits, tablets, mobile apps, interactive dolls and more. But now at the fair, you will find the tech aisle has been drastically downsized.

Why the shift? Because kids and parents are not saying, "I want more tech toys." Rather they are looking for products that facilitate what children have always loved to do. Create. Learn. Explore. Build. That's what engages kids.

Here's an example. 5-year-old Brianna is given a doll by her parents that has the latest technology embedded in it. Since she's never known a world without technology, she isn't wowed by the technology of it. What she wants to know is can she comb the doll's hair? Can she take it take it swimming with her? Can she push it in a stroller? Can she have a tea party with it?

This is good news for children's ministries. Most ministries can't afford or get access to the latest and greatest technology to use for teaching kids about Jesus. But that's okay. They don't have to. As long as they provide kids with opportunities to learn through hands on play, simple and interactive games, creative crafts and projects and active learning experiences, they will be able to engage kids and "wow" them.

This is not to say we shouldn't stay in the know about technology and use it when it is available, but it is to say that technology is not the end goal. The end goal is to give kids the opportunity to learn through their own creativity and natural curiosity.

And that's what parents desire as well. When they pick up their child from your classroom, they are not thinking, "Did they wow my kid with the latest technology?" Instead they want to know if their child was engaged and learned something about God.

Give kids the opportunity to create, learn, explore and grapple and you will "wow" them...whether it's through the latest technology or through a simple craft.

The Children of the Millennials...what you need to know

11:00 AM Dale Hudson

The Millennials (adults ages 18 to 35) are having children. There are 22 million Millennial parents in the U.S. and they are giving birth to about 9,000 babies each day. Research shows there are nearly 21 million children ages 4 and under in the U.S. World-wide there are 2.5 million babies born to Millennial parents each week.

The children of Millennials are known as Gen Z. They are the kids in your ministry and the kids you are trying to reach in your community. Like every generation, they have unique characteristics that you need to understand. Here are a few of the key findings about the children of the Millennials.

They influence the spending of their Millennial parents. It has been reported that children under 12 and teens influence parental purchases totaling between $130 to 670 billion a year.

They don't have as many brothers and sisters. Today, 18% of mothers at the end of their childbearing years have an only child, up from 10% in 1976.

They can lean toward selfishness and instant gratification. This is in part due to many being the only child and the "instant download, instant streaming" world they are growing up in.

They prefer communicating with images and voice control over typing and texting. An example is the popular children's app, Snapkidz, which is like Snapchat minus the ability to add friends or share messages.

They captivate the attention of their parents. In the lives of their stressed out, busy, multi-tasking parents, they are the one constant that their parents focus on. Millennial parents and their children are more relationally connected than any previous generation.

They are the most technologically literate generation ever. Here are some examples. Four days before Christmas, Amazon reported that the "most wished for" tablet accessory was the Buddibox Ipad case. It is a kid-safe product marketed to Gen Z.

Over 1 million families subscribe to the educational platform called ABCmouse, which is exclusively targeted to Gen Z kids. 81% of Gen Z kids watch videos or play games on electronic devices on a daily basis.

They are social influencers. YouTube baking experts, Charli (age 7) and Ashlee (age 10) have an average of 29 million views and generate an average of over $127,000 in ad revenue each month. Their audience is primarily comprised of children.

Bottom line for the church:

We have an opportunity like never before, to reach children with the Gospel. There are more kids than ever who need to hear the Gospel. Yes, children's hearts are like wet cement. But wet cement soon turns to concrete. We must write God's love on the hearts of children while they are open and receptive to the Gospel. If they reach adulthood without accepting Jesus, the likelihood of them coming to Christ drops significantly.

If we are going to reach parents and families, it will be done through their children. The key to reaching a parent with the Gospel is first reaching their child with the Gospel. When you take a child by the hand, you take a parent by the heart. Like never before, parents are tuned into what their children are interested in. Interest a child with the Gospel and the interest of their parents comes with it.

We must invest heavily in children's ministry. Churches and ministries that reach families will be those who make children's ministry a high priority. Churches that invest in children's ministry will grow and reap the benefits many times over.

We must communicate with today's kids in their language. Images. Apps. Technology. Online.

The children of the Millennials are here. Will you reach them and their parents in your community?

10 Ways to Protect Kids From Social Media Dangers

9:38 AM Dale Hudson

Being digital natives, today's kids are immersed in the world of technology. It's as natural as breathing for them. But we must keep in mind that there are dangers lurking online.

Consider these findings.

The average age kids are exposed to pornography on social media is 11.

70% of kids ages 8 to 18 are involved in pornography on social media apps.

11% of kids admit to sending pictures to anonymous people.

80% of teens involved in sexting are under 18.

12% of girls are pressured for sexting.

38% of girls and 39% of boys admit to getting unknown sexting messages.

More than 104 million child porn photos have been found on social media apps since 2002.

The most dangerous apps for kids include Ask.fm, Creepy app, Kik, Pheed, Snapchat, Yik Yak, Tumblr and Vine.

The most common threats online for kids are cyber bullying, murder, sextortion, sexual abuse and spiking.

It is vital that we protect kids online. Here's 10 ways.

1. Monitor their social media activity.

2. Be on their friends' list to remain updated.

3. Use available spying apps to view list of installed apps, remove or pause any app remotely.

4. Reduce the time they spend with smartphones by involving them in healthy activities.

5. Petition companies to legalize their terms of use to strictly prohibit kids under 18.

6. Educate kids about the impact, dangers and consequences of leaking private information on social media.

7, No under-age use of social media apps and websites.

8. Check privacy settings of computers/laptops/smartphones used by kids.

9. Limit kids to using technology in your presence.

10. Keep your kids informed about social media crimes and stats.

*This data is from OneSpy.com.

Kids with Smart Phones...the latest findings

8:54 AM Dale Hudson

Generation Z (today's kids) are being handed their own smart phone at a younger and younger age.

According to a new study from Influence Central, the average age that kids are getting their first smart phone is just over the age of 10.

This reflects how much technology is part of the world they are growing up in. It also shows that American children are accessing the internet and interacting with social media.

Check out these stats from the same source.