Wild Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is my child’s room?
What do we need to bring?
What should my child wear?
What are “small groups” in the Wild Kingdom?
What is a typical Wild Kingdom service like?
When will my child advance to their next age group?
Where is my child’s room?
For help finding your child's room in the Wild Kingdom,
click here.
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What do we need to bring?
For children in Early Childhood (infants to 2 years) please bring a diaper bag and things that provide comfort for your child.
For older children, we’ll supply everything they need to make their time in the Wild Kingdom comfortable, fun, and engaging.
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What should my child wear?
Your child’s time in the Wild Kingdom will be active and fun, so they should dress in appropriate, comfortable clothing for sitting on the floor, enjoying active play, and engaging in craft activities that may involve chalk, paint, glue, and other creative media that might get on clothing. There’s no need to “dress up” for the WK!
We ask that older children dress conservatively (no short skirts or midriffs showing) and wear shoes in which they would be comfortable running and playing.
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What are “small groups” in the Wild Kingdom?
IHC is a church of small groups, and that includes the Wild Kingdom. Beginning at age 3, your child is placed in a small group with a caring leader.
Small groups are a safe place for your child to ask questions and be connected in a community.
When you bring your child to the same service each weekend, your child’s small group leader gets to know your child and who you are. This is a big help in building intentional relationships with other children and with their small group leader, who will play a key role in your child’s spiritual development while they're in the Wild Kingdom.
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What is a typical Wild Kingdom service like?
In the early childhood area, we’ll spend time engaging your child in loving care and play.
A typical preschool service in the Wild Kingdom has the following flow:
- Check-In (15 minutes before service)
- Classroom Time—interaction and play (10 minutes)
- Large Group Time—singing and lesson (20 minutes)
- Small Group Time—activity, craft, and prayer (20 minutes)
A typical elementary service in the Wild Kingdom has the following flow:
- Check-In (15 minutes before service)
- Classroom Time—interaction with other children and leaders (10 minutes)
- Large Group Time—singing, game, and lesson (20 minutes)
- Small Group Time—activity, discussion, and prayer (20 minutes)
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When will my child advance to their next age group?
In the Early Childhood and Preschool areas, your child advances to their next age group once they have reached the age for that room. For example, your Lamb (infant to 8 months) will become a Turtle (9 to 15 months) when your child is 9 months old. Our volunteers will help you remember when it’s time for your child to move to their next room.
In the Elementary area, your child advances to the next age group with all the other children on Swing Over Weekend in the fall. We’ll make sure parents know when Swing Over is happening. Although some children are in year-round schools, we recognize a traditional track in the Wild Kingdom and ask all children to wait until Swing Over Weekend to move up to their next grade.
