A great way to keep younger kids attentive is to engage all the senses.  Engaging the five senses can benefit everyone in worship, no matter their age. 

Sight: When creating your worship service, consider sharing artwork and visuals to enhance what you are offering. What about using dancers during a contemplative song? 

Touch: Objects can give us a place to focus our attention. Consider using a tactile object to pray with or use in devotional time. Taking these tactile objects home will also act as a reminder of your message in the coming days and weeks. 

Smell: Of course, we want to make sure our worship spaces are free of bad smells, but we can also engage sensing by using candles or incense. We might even engage with a bible story or principle differently if food smells are introduced. 

Taste: Communion is a great way to engage taste. Teaching the Passover? Share something bitter. Salt and light? Share something salty. Jesus is the bread of life? Share some bread. 

Sound: We are amazing at musical worship! What a great way to worship with sound.  What about using sound effects? Or using silence? 

RESOURCES

Here are a few more articles that might get your wheels turning on engaging senses in worship: 

How to use all five senses when you preach 

Experiencing God Through Senses