Crafts

• Without being overly graphic, and still giving the children the basic idea of the story, some Sunday school teachers use coloring pages to get the message across. A memorable section of the story to reemphasize in coloring pages is the scene where Samson eats the honey off of the dead lion carcass that he had previously killed. Another strategy is to have students make lions out of paper bags and draw honey on them. This activity is geared at younger audiences, ages four to nine.
  
  

Story telling

• Tell the biblical story about Samson to the Sunday school class. The gruesome details will need to removed because of their graphic content, but most of the story is fine for kids, and even exciting. You can present the vast majority of the plot, but certain aspects, like the degradation of Samson by the Philistines, can be left out. For ages 11 and up, it should be fine to present these details, but they may disturb younger audiences. Paraphrase other stories from the book of Judges if time allows.
  
  

Putting on a Play

• The most effective of all the techniques is probably the skit. Children of all ages feel involved and are more likely to remember as well as be enthusiastic about the lesson. Allow children to dress up and memorize short versions of the lines. With the exciting fight scenes in play, Samson is sure to be an instant favorite. Some possible skits are: Samson slaying the animals and the subsequent riddle to the Philistines (Judges 14:8-19), and Samson's final act of vengeance on the Philistines (Judges 16:23-31). Encourage the children to dress up in old-style garments, and use a long wig for the boy playing "Samson," as Samson never cut his hair because he was a Nazirite.
  
  

Metaphors

• The story of the lion demonstrates one of Samson's evil nemeses. Teach the children that the lion is a representation of all evil, like lying and stealing. Explain that just as Samson, the student should be brave and conquer these evils. With the strength of God, any evil, no matter how strong it is, can be defeated because God's strength overpowers all. Samson's life can also be seen as a metaphor for living life in your own strength. Samson consistently showed pride and a desire to live for himself, rather than living for God. Show the students Samson's strong moments, as well as his weak moments. Explain that in the times that they rely on God's strength, they will have victory, but if they rely on their own strength, they will be defeated.