10 Tricks to Make Your Sunday School Lessons Stick

Have you wondered how to make your Sunday School lesson stick? Have you wanted to know how to get and keep kids engaged from start to finish? It’s honestly quite simple! Keep things simple! Kids are sponges and are always ready to learn and absorb new things, but if we give them too much at once or things that are over their heads, we will lose them. 

So, we’ve created a list of 10 tricks to make your Sunday School lessons stick. If you put these to work in your next Sunday School lesson, we guarantee you’ll see a change in the effectiveness of your lesson from week to week!

1. Make It Fun

Who doesn’t love fun? Everyone, kids and adults alike, loves for things to be fun. If your Sunday School lesson feels too much like a monologue they are required to listen to, you will lose them. Make it fun and engaging by:

2. Ask Them Questions

You can engage kids by easy inclusion! Ask them questions like, “Have you ever felt scared before?” or something else they can relate to. Hook them in from the start. Help them to see how the lesson connects to their lives. 

3. Be Silly

Is there a costume you can wear? Are there jokes that fit the lesson? Is there a prop or funny story you can include? Kids love to laugh! So get them to start laughing and they won’t forget it.

4. Play Games

There are several resources available on Worship House Kids. Play games to reinforce the lesson. Give away prizes and have fun! 

5. Show Videos

There are many fun and engaging videos on Worship House Kids. If you’re sharing a Bible story that day, show a video. If you’re talking about a specific topic, show a video. If there’s a place to include a funny moment, show a video. Videos help make things stick. Keep in mind, that many of these kids spend hours on YouTube, so videos are right up their alley!

6. Have A Sticky Statement

Have you ever watched a kids show? They repeat the same phrases over and over. This is called a sticky statement. You need sticky statements in your Sunday School lesson. Here are some examples of sticky statements: 

If you’re talking about the love of God:

• God’s love is big! 
• God’s love never fails!
• God’s love is deep!
• God loves me no matter what!

In Elmo’s World, when it’s time to learn a new thing, Elmo always says, “We look it up!” Sticky statements help kids remember the things taught and also trigger their brains that it’s time to learn! 

7. Repeat It Again & Again

In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell said, “For younger kids, repetition is really valuable. They demand it. When they see a show over and over again, they not only are understanding it better, which is a form of power, but just by predicting what is going to happen, I think they feel a real sense of affirmation and self-worth.” 

Repetition is the learning style of kids. They need things repeated over and over again. Don’t miss this opportunity in your Sunday School lesson. Make it sticky by saying it often. Instead of teaching 10 points for the day, teach one major thought and repeat it over and over again. Get them to repeat it over and over again as well!

A study done by Psychology Today says, 

An early developing preference for the familiar is actually quite common in infancy and early childhood. These preferences begin to develop before a baby is even born—in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Simply put, repetition is the earliest learning style of all of us. So, while kids can all be very different and have different styles and personalities, they all learn through repetitive sounds, phrases, and experiences.

8. Use Object Lessons or Relatable Stories

Stories are a very valuable currency. They help connect people to a particular idea or lesson. When we hear a story, we immediately relate it to our own lives and experiences. When you’re teaching your lessons, tell stories about when you were a kid. Tell them about a time you went through the same thing they are experiencing.

Stories create an emotional connection. When we hear the stories of others, we connect deeper than any other piece of information. Information is important, but stories are connectors.

Object lessons are also helpful. What kid would forget slime in a lesson or an exploding bottle of Coca-Cola? If you can use an object lesson to apply the Sunday School lesson, DO IT. Kids love science experiments or hands-on examples. 

9. Give Them Something to Take Home

Take-home items are a great way to make your Sunday School lessons stick. This can be a handout, a coloring sheet, a small toy, or a token to remember the lesson. Here are some ways you can utilize each of those items to help drive the lesson home:

Handout

Share what the lesson was that day, the key point, discussion questions to talk about at home, and any fun ways they can practice what they learned throughout the week. Keep it engaging and fun for the whole family!

Coloring Sheet 

Is there a coloring sheet or activity sheet they can do at home? Send it! Kids love to do activities throughout the week, so this is a great way to engage them with the lesson outside of Sunday School.

Small Toy or Token

Is there a toy or take-home item that can reinforce the lesson? For example, if you’re teaching about Jesus on the cross, send them with a small cross to put in their bedrooms as a reminder. Anything you can do to connect them back to the lesson from home is a win!

10. Discuss It in Small Groups

Small group discussions will make your Sunday School lessons stick. When kids can discuss the lesson together with other kids, there is nothing more powerful. They can all relate to each other more than any other adult. They understand the lesson similarly and can share stories or takeaways. Use discussion questions that provide more than a yes or no answer. Get them really talking. They don’t have to be complicated, but just need to be something kids can talk about.

Make Your Kids Group Fun and Welcoming

So, if you’re wondering how to make your Sunday School lesson stick, try one of these 10 tricks! Kids are easy to impress and simple to please. No matter what your budget or team size may look like, you can implement these ideas! As a bonus, remember that kids will resonate far more with how they feel in your Sunday School than what they were taught. Make it a fun, inviting atmosphere and a lot will stick!