Lesson

Salt and Light Sunday School Lesson for Kids

A free salt and light Sunday school lesson (Matthew 5:13–16) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, Bible story, questions and take-home.

Preschool–Grade 6

Salt and Light Sunday School Lesson for Kids

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Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages: Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5), Preteen (5–6)
Time: 20–60 minutes (depends on the age level)
Scripture: Matthew 5:13–16
Bible story: Salt and Light

What you need

A Bible (mark Matthew 5:14 and Matthew 5:16)
Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
A flashlight or a battery candle (no real flames), a bowl and a small stack of books
A small blanket or towel (preschool)
6 paper strips, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A whiteboard or large paper and a marker (3rd grade and up)
Paper and pencils (preteens)
Printed take-home sheets, one per child
Printed Salt and Light word search and crayons for early finishers

This free salt and light Sunday school lesson teaches kids to let their light shine. Jesus told His disciples, "Ye are the salt of the earth" and "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." Nobody lights a candle and puts it under a bushel, "but on a candlestick." So "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:13–16). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a find-the-glow game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a short memory verse ("Ye are the light of the world.") with a motion, and a drawing activity.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: a flashlight freeze game, the story with a flashlight and a bowl for the bushel, five recall questions with answers, the Shine on the Words memory verse game, and a Pass the Light review game.
3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a read-in-the-dark game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (salt that has lost its savour, the city set on an hill, the bushel and the candlestick), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Matthew 5:1–2 and 5:13–16 out loud themselves, then look closer at "ye are," salt that loses its savour, whose glory our good works are for, and Jesus the light of the world (John 8:12). Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Matthew 5:14 and 5:16).

Lesson at a glance

Bible passage: Matthew 5:13–16
Main point: Let your light shine. Live for Jesus so others see and give glory to God.
Memory verse: Matthew 5:14 (KJV), with Matthew 5:16 added for preteens
Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

Opening game: a short game with a light that can't stay hidden.
Bible story: Jesus teaching on the mountain (Matthew 5:1–2), the salt of the earth (5:13), the light of the world and the city set on an hill (5:14), the candle on a candlestick, not under a bushel (5:15), and "let your light so shine" (5:16). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Matthew 5:14.
What this means for us: shining for Jesus, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the salt and light craft, a pass-the-light game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
Prayer.

Tips for teaching salt and light

Bring a flashlight or a battery candle and a bowl. Covering the light and setting it up high shows Matthew 5:15 better than words. Never use a real flame with kids.
Explain the old words as you go: savour, bushel, candlestick, glorify. Every level explains them in plain words.
Keep the focus of Matthew 5:16 on God: people see our good works, and they glorify God.
Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this salt and light lesson take?

It depends on the age level. The preschool lesson takes 20 to 30 minutes, the kindergarten to 2nd grade lesson about 45 minutes, and the 3rd to 5th grade and preteen lessons 45 to 60 minutes. For a short class, do the story, three questions and the memory verse.

What does "ye are the salt of the earth" mean for kids?

Salt makes food taste good; the Bible asks, "Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt?" (Job 6:6). Jesus said His followers are "the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). Salt that has "lost his savour," its taste, is good for nothing. We stay different and good for God, and we bring His goodness to the people around us.

What is the main point of salt and light for kids?

Let your light shine. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Nobody lights a candle and hides it under a bushel (5:15). We live for Jesus where people can see, so they give glory to God.

What is a bushel in Matthew 5:15?

A bushel was a basket or bowl used to measure grain. Jesus said men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, where its light would be hidden, "but on a candlestick," a stand that holds it up high, "and it giveth light unto all that are in the house" (Matthew 5:15).