Step-by-step through a KidZone session

KidZone can be used in a variety of presentation styles. Our emphasis has been on small groups as we believe it is important that leaders get the opportunity to get to know and disciple the children they work with, but most activities can be adapted for use with large groups, and some of the games work better with more children.

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 structured session, follow the four steps through in order, dividing your time into roughly equal parts – being generous to step 3 where possible (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.

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 motivate children to pay attention to the topic.

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 or the children’s activity sheets, 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. If you prefer, you may choose to focus on just one verse for each theme (sometimes the key verse for a theme is suggested). 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, including the opportunity to complete the children’s activity sheets. 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 to make a personal response to the session focus. It may include prayer, a challenge and worship (you may wish to expand the time spent singing including other, favourite songs). 
 

Throughout each session the KidZone Blue and KidZone Gold activity sheets, KidZone Craft book and CD Resource Pack will be referenced where they are incorporated in the teaching.

KidZone Blue and KidZone Gold activity sheets are provided stacked, so that you can pull off the full-colour, four pages for the session for each child.

Sometimes an activity in the KidZones will form part of step 1 or step 4.

The Bible story is always included in the KidZones so it can be retold at home. Sometimes these pages are used in step 2 of the session. On these occasions the story may be too hard for younger children to read themselves, but they can follow on their own page as you, or older children, read the story.

The memory verse is also always included (sometimes as an activity, other times just printed), so that the children have a reminder to take home.

The opportunity to complete pages that are not used elsewhere in the session is given in step 3.