Sensory Showdown: Bringing David & Goliath to Life in Kids Ministry

God isn’t dull—and our teaching about Him shouldn’t be, either. Nothing about the Maker of the Universe, our loving Father, and our beautiful Savior is dull. So why, oh why, do we struggle so much to convey to kids just how amazing He is?

We sing that He's a good, good Father and a friend, but the God we teach them about is stripped of affection, creativity, and fun. Fun matters because children learn through play! By incorporating sensory learning into our Kids Ministry teachings, we can help kids engage with a God who is tangible and real.

Take the timeless story of David and Goliath: it’s more than just brave fighting—it's about courage, trust, and a deeply personal God. By harnessing sensory learning—sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch—we can bring this narrative to life in Sunday School, helping kids feel the stones in David's pouch, hear the clink, and see the giant himself.

See:

Create a “battlefield” corner with a cardboard Goliath to scale, slingapult targets, and simple slingshots. Let kids visualize David’s giant challenge facing them directly.

Hear:

Use sounds like marching armor, wind whipping across the Valley of Elah, or the sudden silence before David speaks. Play a recorded heartbeat to ground them in David’s anxiousness.

Touch:

Give each child a smooth stone—let them hold it, weigh it, feel its texture. Connect that to David’s tactile readiness and faith in God’s strength.

Smell:

Bring in campfire scent or pine branches—remind kids that David was in the wilderness pondering God’s provision long before the showdown.

Taste:

Serve small “shepherd’s snack”—cheese cubes and olives or fruit leather—so they can eat like David might have in the fields.

When kids get to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste, they don’t just hear the story of David—they step into it, engaging their whole selves with God’s living Word. It transforms David from a distant figure to a real boy, a friend of God, someone they can relate to.

You might think teaching kids about God is just cute crafts and games—but this is real ministry, not fluff. When children engage their senses, they engage their hearts—and that’s where faith grows.

Have you ever tried a sensory-driven David and Goliath lesson? Share your ideas in the comments below!