How to Get Kids to Actually Listen in Sunday School - The Funnel Strategy
Use FUNNEL science to help kids pay attention in Sunday School. Start with attention as the "wide" attention grabber and then FUNNEL their attention down to the main point.
Have FUN inspiring them to follow Jesus!
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Hi! I'm Nathan, the founder of BetterBibleTeachers.
And yes, that's me in the video. 🙂
Getting kids to listen, means using the FUNNEL method
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I’m sure you’ve seen one of these before. Yep—it’s a funnel. You use it to take something wide and big at the top… and guide it all the way down into a smaller space. For example, when you want to make one of those sand art bottles, the funnel helps you get all the sand into the bottle’s tiny opening without turning your kitchen table into an impromptu beach.
Anyway, what does a funnel have to do with Sunday School? Well, FUN is a FUNNEL to learning.
When kids are having fun, their brains are open. They’re relaxed. They’re curious. And that’s when the real learning slips in—almost without them realizing it.
Think about The Magic School Bus–remember that show? The teacher, Ms. Frizzle took her students on wild adventures—shrinking them down to explore inside the human body, or zooming out into outer space. To the kids, it was a fun field trip. But really, they were learning science in a way they’d never forget.
That’s how fun works. It’s not “fluff”. It’s not a waste of time.
I know when it comes to Sunday School, we teachers often feel like we have to be super serious, because the Bible is a SERIOUS and VERY IMPORTANT subject.
That’s true…but the BIBLE is also FUN and EXCITING. It’s a living book that transforms our lives! And it’s AMAZING to know that the all-powerful God who made the entire universe and designed the intricate workings of the human body cares about us and loves us so much.
We get worried that if we start having fun in Sunday School...the kids will learn nothing.
But let’s be honest…we don’t always teach the Bible in an EXCITING way. We get worried that if we start having fun in Sunday School, it’s going to turn into a free-for-all and the kids will get out of control…and learn nothing!
Don’t worry— I’m going to show you how to FUNNEL some FUN into your classroom without it turning into utter chaos.
Check out the top of this funnel. It’s wide. Fun captures attention at the top—big, wide, exciting. And then it channels that excitement into the truths we want our kids to remember: Bible stories, memory verses, lessons about God’s love.”
So at the beginning of your lesson, catch their attention! Walk into the classroom dressed like the Bible person you’re going to teach about, and have them guess who you are. Place a “mystery box” on the table with some props that relate to the lesson and whip them out at certain moments. Have a helper deliver an envelope labeled “TOP SECRET” with a clue to what they’re going to learn about. The key here is to do something unexpected!
Now, step 2 is to feed the kids the Bible truths. (This is the SKINNY part of the funnel) Now that you have their attention, they’re going to hang onto your every word! You have used FUN to FUNNEL their attention to the important points!
Of course, it’s possible that 10-15 minutes later, you start to lose their attention a little. But that’s where you start the cycle again, by sprinkling in something fun or unexpected to reel them in. For example, you switch activities, have a “wiggle break”, whip the next prop out of the mystery box, or briefly turn the lesson into a game by seeing who can turn to the next Bible verse the fastest.
When fun becomes the funnel, kids aren’t just being entertained. They’re soaking in truth. And the best part? They’ll walk away remembering it—sometimes for years.
So next time you prep your lesson, ask yourself: What fun can I pour into the top of this funnel… so that God’s Word makes it all the way to their hearts?
Remember: FUN is the FUNNEL that helps the truth flow in.
Fun is a funnel that helps the truth flow in.
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