Baby Shark Song Big Hit with Kids (here's what makes it so contagious)

There's a kid's song that has gone viral on YouTube. The song "Baby Shark" has amassed over 2 billion views at the time of this writing.

2.2 billion views...that's insane, isn't it?

What does this simple song do to draw kids in and engage them?

It's easy to sing. Only a few phrases are repeated throughout the song.

I've seen a trend in children's ministry where the worship leader uses songs that are really geared toward adults and are not age-appropriate. I can always tell when that happens. The majority of kids just stand there and don't even try to sing the song.

I believe we should use simpler songs with the kids. Songs that repeat a few phrases rather than a full blown worship song that has lots of words that kids can't keep up with.

Songs like "I get down and He lifts me up" and "Every move I make" and "Here I am to worship." I know these are older songs but they are songs that kids will engage with.

It only has a few motions. The motions are easy to follow and are simple. I have observed kids trying to keep up with all the motions the worship team is doing to the point where they get distracted from worshiping. Many kids, when they can't keep up, will stop singing and stop trying to keep up.

We must remember that the main goal of worship is to be able to focus your worship toward God. When the song or motions take the focus away from that, then it's doing the kids a disservice.

It is kid-friendly. It uses bright colors and animation that kids love. When you choose worship videos, keep in mind what the music video looks like. Is it kid-friendly? Does it keep things moving? Is it fun?

Kids are singing it. Kids are more prone to sing along when there are other kids helping lead the song. Make sure you develop a praise team of kids who help lead worship.

Here's the video. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Share your thoughts with us. Why do you think kids love it? What else can we learn for children's ministry from this song? You can leave your thoughts in the comment section below.