Step-by-step through a MiniZone session

MiniZone can be used in a variety of settings, from Sunday children’s groups to playgroups.

Every session is divided into four steps. This ensures you will address the learning preferences for all the children in your group. For more information on how children learn read the reaching every child and the learning cycle articles. For a typical, structured session, follow the four steps through in order, dividing your time into roughly equal parts – being generous to step 3, and possibly giving less time to step 4. If you are incorporating MiniZone into a Playgroup setting you may choose to offer step 3 and other activities throughout the general session time, grouping stories, discussion and singing from steps 1,2 & 4 together for a shorter teaching time. (Click here for more information on how to divide your time.)

Before you start

As you start your preparation think about the Session Focus. This is the prime idea for the session – a key factor in judging the success of your session is being able to say that your children have grasped the focus by the end of your time together. Each step of the session should act to reinforce the focus.

Read the Key Scripture. Then read the Bible Background – someone else has looked up the commentaries for you! Taken together with Take a Moment you are given insights to help you teach the session with confidence. Of course you still need to read through the steps, planning any adaptations that you may need to make for your own group; gather together any extra resources you need (helpfully prompted by the list on the planning page); and pray.

As children arrive
Throughout the Leader’s Guide suggestions of what you might say are in bold type and suggested or desirable answers are in italic type, but are not always comprehensive!

Starters is an attention-grabbing, on-topic activity for early arrivals or to use while children are settling. If you don’t need a starter activity, you may often use the idea as an extra or alternative activity in step 3. The Starter always includes a Moving-on Rhyme (the same for a whole theme of five or six sessions) that the children become familiar with as a prompt to move from one step, or activity, to another.
Bible teaching and application isn’t just for one week, but for all time, so before you get involved in the focus for this session, use the Link to last time to remind the children about the previous session.

Step 1: Beginning
This step seeks to help the children answer the following questions: ‘Why do I need to know this?’ ‘How does my life relate to this topic?’
It includes a brief activity, often with a linked discussion, to help young children understand the relevance of the topic to themselves.

Step 2: Bible Story
This step seeks to help the children answer the following questions: ‘What does the Bible say?’ ‘What does the Bible mean?’
It always contains an age appropriate telling of the Bible story – possibly using drama, puppets, or on the CD, or illustrated using the craft book… This is followed by all-important questions to check that everyone understands the story content.

Memory verse
Every step 2 includes a relevant memory verse (taken from the NIV), along with a creative idea for committing it to memory. Don’t forget – if the leaders don’t learn the verse, the children will quickly follow their example. A memory verse is often repeated several times throughout a theme (indeed you may choose to only focus on one verse for each theme). Actually remembering eight or nine verses each year is a better achievement than forgetting fifty-two!

Step 3: Building
This step seeks to help the children answer the following questions: ‘Can I try this out?’ ‘How does this work in practice?’
It contains a range of activities that will reinforce the session focus. Depending on time and space, you may offer all the activities simultaneously (allowing the children to choose their preferred activities) or you may choose those best suited to your group and situation. The icons against each activity will help you select activities, planning a balanced mix over a period. If you only have time for one activity we always recommend a key activity for you.

Step 4: Back-up
This step seeks to help the children answer the following questions: ‘How does my life need to change?’ ‘How does this topic relate to my life?’
It is the final, ‘so what?’ phase of the session, helping the children respond to the session focus in the coming week. It may include prayer and worship (you may wish to expand the time spent singing including other, favourite songs).

Throughout each session the MiniZone Craft book and CD Resource Pack will be referenced where they are incorporated in the teaching.