They’ve taken the kid world by storm in just a matter of a few months… fidget spinners. You can hardly go anywhere without seeing them in kids’ hands.
When it comes to adults there’s very little middle ground – you either like them or you don’t. In fact, some adults go to super extremes on both ends.
However, one thing is for sure – Kids Absolutely Love Them! And they’re probably not going away any time soon. Certainly not by the time you wake up tomorrow (or the next day for that matter).
What I’ve learned over the years is that if something becomes a hit with kids that takes the world by storm, parents and those who work with kids need to take notice, and use it to their advantage whenever possible. And the fidget spinner is no exception.
Remember, Jesus Himself was the Master of using practical objects of His day and culture to connect truth to the hearts of people, and in turn teach spiritual principles that He knew they would remember. I believe that we ought to do the same.
So how can we put a spin on all of this buzz to capitalize on the moment of the fidget spinner, and use it creatively to enhance our work with children, as well as teach memorable Bible principles in the moment, that may last for a lifetime?
Here are a few ideas that may help for how to put a spiritual spin on fidget spinners: (Thanks to my friend, Ryan Frank, for the inspiration for some of these ideas.)
1) Teach the Trinity
I asked my 7 year old son last night to look at his fidget spinner and tell me what he could learn about God from it. He looked at it for a few seconds, and without any prompting from me, said, “God is three persons, but one God.” 🙂
Most fidget spinners have 3 ends, which can represent the three different persons of the Trinity. But when you spin it, all three look like they are one. God is three persons, yet one God. Some spinners even have different light up capabilities in each end, representing that each of the persons of God is different, but they all work together to form the One Triune God. (I John 5:7, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14)
I found it pretty cool that my son knew the answer I was thinking before I even told him. Our kids will get it, if we just give them the chance to mentally connect the dots.
2) Teach the Bible Basics
What are the Bible Basics?… Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship with other believers (church). Just like a fidget spinner wouldn’t balance on your finger without all three ends being the same, we need to have a healthy balance of all three of the Bible Basics in order to grow fully as a mature Christian. We can’t just read the Bible and pray when we come to church, we need to be doing those things on a regular, even daily basis to have good balance in our Christian life. (I Peter 2:2, Psalm 119:11, Matthew 6:9-13, Hebrews 10:25)
3) Teach the Gospel
What are the parts of the Gospel?
- The Death
- The Burial
- And the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Just like a fidget spinner feels like it can spin for an eternity, believing in the Gospel can guarantee your eternity will be in Heaven.
How does someone accept the Gospel?
- Admit they are a sinner (Romans 3:23)
- Believe that Jesus died for their sin (Romans 10:9)
- Call upon the name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10:10 & 13)
All three are necessary components of salvation. Just like spinning a fidget spinner is simple, so is accepting the Gospel. That’s why Jesus said we must be saved with a childlike faith. These three things are not difficult, but they are essential.
When I mentioned to my son last night that the three parts of the fidget spinner can represent the three parts of the Gospel and the ABCs of salvation, he said this, “Yea, and the circles in the ends pop out so that you can replace them with different ones, just like Jesus takes away our black heart and gives us a new one.” Once again, I was impressed with his creative thinking.
I’m sure that these are just a few of many ideas. How can you get creative to put a spiritual spin on fidget spinners? Because whether you love them or despise them, don’t fail to use them to the advantage of the kids in your life. They’re even a great tool to encourage kids to use in witnessing to their friends by explaining these important Bible truths.
What other cool ways have you seen fidget spinners used, or what other ideas do you have for how to put a spin on the fidget spinner and maximize it’s potential to reach and teach children?
