It’s never too early to start planning for Vacation Bible School. As you’re busy going along with day-to-day life and enjoying the warmer spring weather, it’s a good idea to turn your attention to the coming summer and what you’ll need to do to put on the best VBS possible. Not only will starting the planning early help you create a memorable week for the kids, but it will also make things more enjoyable for you and the other leaders. Getting organized now will take the stress off later and allow you to have fun with the event.
With that in mind, we’d like to use this post to deliver some ideas on how you can maximize the VBS vibes this coming summer to make sure parents and kids alike have a great time. You’ll need to customize these ideas to suit your needs and situation, of course, but we hope they will serve as a starting point!
Like any big project, putting on a successful VBS week is going to be made much easier when you have some clear goals in mind. What do you want to accomplish this year? For some churches, the goal will be to reach out to the community and draw in as many new kids as possible. In other cases, the objective will be only to serve the existing church population while making the week as fun and exciting as it can be. There is no right answer here, but you’ll want to have clarity on your goals so you can make decisions accordingly.
Another piece of the goal-setting picture to consider is what you want the kids to take away from the week when all is said and done. What lessons do you want to teach? Most likely, you’ll want to use a theme—that is guided by your curriculum, which we’ll discuss below—and communicate at least one or two core messages that are offered in the Bible. Of course, kids learn more effectively in a fun environment, so blending Christian teachings with plenty of excitement and activity is likely your best bet for a successful Vacation Bible School.
The curriculum you use is going to set the tone for the whole week. Trying to figure out how to make Vacation Bible School fun? It all starts with having a quality curriculum that is going to leave the kids feeling engaged, challenged, and active. There are plenty of curriculum options out there for you to consider, and we’d like to ask that you take a look at the three we offer as possible solutions for your week this summer.
Whether you go with our flagship curriculum, “Backstage With the Bible,” or one of our other two options—“Shine” or “Victory”—you are sure to love the lessons that are taught throughout the week. We take pride in offering affordable curriculum options that can be easily scaled up or down to suit the needs of your church. If you have been exploring some other options for your VBS curriculum and found them to be priced outside of your budget for the project, we would be proud to serve you.
What is Vacation Bible School without music? Pretty boring, we’d say. There should be plenty of music flowing throughout the building all week long, as it is the tunes that you use that are going to set the stage for the right “vibes” to be produced. A quiet VBS is going to feel too much like a traditional day at school for the kids, and they will simply be counting down the minutes until the day is over. Don’t let that happen on your watch; engage the students with great music so fun will be had by all.
Of course, you don’t have to settle for the same old traditional tunes that have been used in VBS for generations, although there is nothing wrong with incorporating some of the classics. You should consider featuring songs from the team here at Go Fish, as we produce high-quality music that kids and adults can both enjoy together. In addition to playing music during gatherings and for dance parties, you could also just have some music playing through the sound system in the background to give the day a lively, energetic feel.
Remember, you are putting on Vacation Bible School for kids first and foremost, and what do kids love? Doing things! Learning from the Bible can be fun and exciting. Your schedule for each day should include many activities to keep the kids happy, engaged, and connected to those around them. Some of the many types of activities you might want to include are:
As you are planning some activities, be sure to keep in mind the resources and locations you have available on the property of the church (or whatever facility you are using). For example, if you have access to a large open space, you might plan some physical games like kickball or other kid-friendly sports. Or, if you have a playground, there could be some activities planned that incorporate the equipment on the playground. Use your imagination to create fun activities that get the kids up and moving around throughout the day.
It takes a lot of hard work and effort for a VBS week to come together successfully. So, start early to collect as many volunteers from throughout the church as possible. One common mistake made here is only asking people who have young children to help with VBS. They are a good starting point, of course, but there is no need to limit your volunteers to just parents of little kids. Specifically, some of the retired members of your church may be great options to help out, as they might have time available during the weekdays, and they’ll love getting to interact with the youngsters.
If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea of planning out Vacation Bible School and getting all of the little details ready for the big week, don’t worry—we are here to help! In addition to providing you with some fun Vacation Bible School songs, we also have three different curriculum options available for you to choose from. No matter which one you pick, everyone at the church is sure to have a great time that won’t soon be forgotten. And, of course, you can always head over to your favorite music platform, like Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube, to stream the best GoFish tunes. We would love to be a part of your VBS week!
