How do you get children to look at the camera and smile?

I am an amateur photographer and find it impossible to get the attention of young children whilst trying to take a photo. I think this is an amazing talent. It requires the ability to captivate their attention whilst also getting the them to smile and having the precise timing to capture "the moment".

Tips are welcome. All the portrait types that i have tried end up with the children distracted and looking "off shot". Do i have to wear some silly costume with bells and whistles just to get them to look. Magicians answers welcome

What is a VPN?

VPN is (Virtual Private Network) were first used by companies to enable their employees to securely access internal systems such as email remotely (e.g. from home or while on business trips). Today they are increasingly being used for personal use by individuals to protect their privacy while online in public places (e.g. when using the wi-fi connection in a cafe) or in a country where the internet is censored / blocked (e.g. China, Saudi Arabia…).