How to Make a Bible Lesson More Interesting for Young Children

Studying the Bible is one of the most important things you can do as a Christian. If you have the blessed job of teaching Bible lessons to young children, you’re making a significant impact in their lives and how they view their lives as Christians. 

However, you know it to be true that it can be challenging to keep kids engaged as you read and teach about Jesus’ miracles or the Creation story. Here’s how to make a Bible lesson more interesting for young children! 

1. Incorporate Fun Songs Into the Lesson

Children love songs and they love to sing! Many of the songs the kids learn in church or Sunday school have motions incorporated into them, too. Both the music and the motions provide something active for the kids to do. Even Psalm 149:3 says, “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.”

It will be like a dance party on Sunday morning where the kids can express their excitement and love for Jesus through song and dance. Plus, they’ll be more likely to remember the lesson because of how much fun they had and they’ll be able to remember better the songs and motions that went along with it.

2. Change Your Location

Remember when you were a kid and you got to go on a field trip? Even if it was an educational one, you got to go to a new location and weren’t in the same classroom for a lesson. Do the same with the young children’s Bible lessons!

Maybe you can get secret access to your church’s sanctuary, or perhaps it’s a nice day outside, so you take the kids out on a walk as you read the Bible story — there are tons of Bible stories that happened in nature. It’s natural for a kid to want to explore, and by changing the location, they’ll be more engaged in what you have to say.

3. Use a Relatable Metaphor

If you’ve read the gospels, then you know that Jesus loved to use metaphors, also known as parables. There’s the parable of the mustard seed, the wheat and the weeds, the lost sheep, the good Samaritan and the prodigal son. 

You can use metaphors while you teach young children a Bible lesson, too. Just make sure that you’re using a metaphor they can easily relate to. For example, kids tend to like firetrucks, so you can talk about how Jesus came to the rescue to proverbially “put out” our sins. Of course, you should do a little research beforehand so you don’t come off as clueless. But the point remains the same. 

4. Bring the Story to Life

What better way to make a Bible lesson more interesting than bringing the story to life? For lessons where you want to put in a bit more effort, you can create the scene for the kids. If you’re teaching about Jonah and the Whale, you can set up a boat and create a whale and have the kids move between places as you tell the story.

When you bring something to life, they’ll remember the scenery and the movements they made as you told the story. You could even dress up as someone in the lesson and have the kids act the rest of it out! 

5. Add in a YouTube Video

This generation of children has grown up with technology all around them. Get yourself into their world and use technology to enhance your lesson. Find a video that can share the lesson well and that uses methods of engagement. 

YouTube is a huge resource for Sunday school teachers. Even if you don’t show the videos in your class, you can learn a lot of new ideas for how you can implement teachings and make them more interesting for your students.

6. Do a Hands-On Activity

Kids have different learning styles. Some learn best by listening or reading. Others learn best by doing a hands-on activity or moving around. Interactive activities give young children something to do. Take them on a hike or create a craft or draw a picture that reminds them of the lesson.

Additionally, get their hands on a Bible. Let them flip through the pages and explore the Word of God themselves. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” Getting their hands on a Bible will help equip them and interest them in the lesson and reading the Word. 

7. Give Them Snacks

Finally, you can make the lesson more interesting for young children by incentivizing them with snacks! Kids have a hard time listening whenever they are hungry. Offer light snacks like fruits, crackers and juice before the Bible lesson. Make sure to accommodate allergies and diets!

It’s no secret that meals were shared multiple times throughout the Bible. There’s the Last Supper, Passover, Feeding the Multitude and the First Miracle. When teaching these stories, you should especially ensure you have snacks! It’ll keep the kids full and focused.

Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go

These tips should keep your students more engaged and willing to open their eyes and ears to the Word of God. Keep pursuing their hearts, just as Jesus pursues yours!