Ideas for Involving Older Elementary Kids in the Lesson
Even older children have shorter attention spans than adults and are not able to sit and pay
attention for a long lecture-type lesson. Kids learn better when they are doing something! Here
are some things that you can do to involve kids in your lessons as you teach:
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Ask the kids describe how they would feel if they were in that Bible character’s situation.
Draw or have the kids draw objects or parts of the Bible lesson.
o Examples: “Who can draw the ark?,” “Who can draw the lame man?,” “I need someone
to draw the well on the board.” “Who can write the name of the town on the board? I
will help you spell it.”
Have volunteers act out the lesson as you teach it.
Use visual aids and pictures as you teach. You can even draw them or use color sheets as visuals!
If you have visual aids, have volunteers come to the front to hold them for you.
Have volunteers read the words of the characters from their Bibles.
Ask volunteers to read verses.
Ask a question about what happens next in the story. Tell the kids what verse has the answer.
See who can find the answer first.
Bring an object from the story and pass it around as you teach.
Have the kids pretend that they are really there when the story takes place. Pretend to be
watching or participating in the story.
o Examples: Pretend to be on a boat with Paul, Pretend to be the Israelites wandering in
the desert, Pretend to march around Jericho, Pretend to be shepherds visiting Baby
Jesus…