The less the children pay attention to you, the more natural the photo will be. Try to get in as close as you can to fill the frame. In the photograph of Macedonian gypsy children opening Christmas presents, I used a telephoto zoom lens so that the children would not realize that I was taking their picture. This is a very natural photo and their expressions really show how inquisitive they are. Chances are if these children knew their picture was being taken, they would either get very silly or very shy.
Small children have beautiful faces and eyes.
Zooming in to include only the child's face emphasizes that beauty. Use a telephoto lens or get in as close as you can with a wide angle point and shoot. Check your owner's manual to find out what it is. Here again, a telephoto lens allows distance between subject and camera for a natural image. Brightly-colored clothing can make a bold and dynamic photograph.