How an amusement park changed my approach to Sunday School

I worked for one year in a place that would have been my childhood dream come true. I wrote curriculum and coordinated programs at an amusement park called KidTropolis. KidTropolis was a "city for kids" where children got to come and pretend to be adults in their choice of career. The space looked like a mini storybook town complete with a grassy park, streets/sidewalks, store fronts, a fire department, a hospital and more. Kids put on uniforms and chose careers. They rode a mini firetruck and responded to a simulated fire call, put on a doctor's coat and stethoscope and cared for a nursery of baby dolls, baked cakes in the bakery, rocked out in the music studio, delivered mail, drove little pedal cars while learning traffic rules and designed the latest fashion at the clothing store. The list of options was extensive. Kids got paid in play money and even got to deposit it into their own account at the bank.

In KidTropolis, a child's make-believe play momentarily became real. I saw kids of all ages (and sometimes their parents) fully commit to their play experience. Through the power of imagination, an inspiring backdrop, a few well-chosen props and some cleverly designed activities kids believed they were the town's doctor, firefighter, banker or celebrity rockstar.

Each imaginary career came with a variety of learning opportunities, tasks to complete, competitive challenges or projects to work on. Staff played the role of "fun boss" and children had to learn from them and follow instructions. They also had to get to know their fellow community members and work together as co-workers or by providing service to their role-play customers or patients.

It was remarkable to watch children come to life in this space. Kids jumped into every activity with excitement and pride. Kids who were self-proclaimed haters of math ran the bank and didn't realize they were working hard to master adding and subtracting. Quiet and shy kids loved hollering instructions from the fire engine. A cluster of kids who'd only just met became an instant team when they realized they needed to complete a city-wide mail run in record time.

Over the course of one year running school field trip programs I noticed another cool thing - we rarely encountered behavioural challenges. Even when when hundreds of children descended onto the streets of KidTropolis and adults braced themselves for a modern version of "Lord of the Flies" - it was remarkable to watch the exact opposite dynamic unfold. Kids were too busy playing and fulfilling the responsibilities of a "career" to get bored or cause trouble. They had bought into this experience and took charge of their own life in the city. Kids could choose careers and tasks on their own and switch between jobs whenever they wanted. Some kids sped between jobs barely receiving a welcome before they were off to explore a job next door. Other kids took their role so seriously they'd stay glued to the bedside of their baby doll for hours or sort every book in the mini-library according to the modified dewey decimal system forgetting that other job opportunities existed next door.

KidTropolis created a magical experience. Kids were playing, learning, building new friendships, cooperating, growing self-confidence, feeling proud and having a blast. And I believe that some of these experiences ignited dreams for their future. In fact, I know a girl who fell in love with the play hospital and later became a doctor. I'm sure there were many influencing factors that guided her career journey, but perhaps this space was part of the path.

What I witnessed in KidTropolis planted a seed in my brain...what if kid's ministry at church could look like this? What if we could do Sunday School in a way that kids would jump right into their Sunday morning experience and learn about the Bible and God in a way that it captured their attention and inspired their engagement? What if kids felt like they had ownership in their church experience so that it set a path for ownership in their faith journey? What if their experiences could grow excitement for a whole life of walking with God.

This kid city was the start of my journey to reshape Sunday School.

A side note: KidTropolis is sadly no longer around. This now defunct attraction probably deserves a youtube documentary detailing its rise and fall but that's a task for someone else. I have old curriculum that I wrote for the amusement park but am sorely lacking in photos. I managed to find this photo of the play money we used from a reddit post - ah the memories!