General Question - Age of participants

[SLDL]

Hello! I am new here!! My husband & I just signed up for our first ever VBS as directors for next year. I have been a participant all my life & we have been teaching for many years but this is a new role for us. I'd like to know what age range you are using for your participants of VBS? Is it your experience that 2 or 3 is too young?

BTW, we have decided to do the Amusement Park theme.

Also, if you have any first timer advice, it would be greatly appreciated!! I assume our first order of business is to set a date & announce it to our church so that others can mark it on their calendar. We did not have VBS this year for the first time in 20+ years due to lack of participation by the adults in the church & I want to turn that around next year! Thanks!! Stephanie

[iddorlando]

congrats on your new job... soon all you will do is eat sleep dream breathe vbs... after you set the date and announce it to the church start to build up a team find out what each persons talent is in your church and start there ... i believe the key to a successful vbs is organization and team work... also, read the forum daily or several times a week as there is great support here...

oh yeah btw or church starts at 3yrs old ... this year we had a 3 year old that knew all of the memory verses for the entire week... if they are potty trained they should be good to go

[CammieSue]

Congratulations on your new job! You are in for a fun time! I have loved VBS since I've started directing them.

One thing I've learned is you really need to set the date early - that way people can plan vacations around the camp. I already have the 2008 dates out to our church and I've already gotten some interest in helping - right after one camp finished is a great time to recruit for the next year.

Our ages are 4 years - 6th grade. We don't do younger then 4 because we have a fairly large camp and if the kids are younger then 4 they tend to get overwhelmed and/or scared and it really isn't the feeling we want them to have when they come to church. That is what works best for us though.

[Josh1]

For SonForce Kids, I used going into 1st Grade through going into 5th Grade. I'm sure you could expand it but my VBS was at a Park.
God Bless,
Josh Trommer:rolleyes:

[Anne]

My philosophy is you are never too young. We have VBS from babies to rising 5th graders. Our nursery - 4 year olds are for volunteer children only (and that has served as a great way to get more volunteers, as their little ones can't come unless they do too, and they don't have to volunteer in the nursery or preschool). Our 3 & 4 year olds do everything the older kids do following the preschool manual that comes with the VBS kit. Our 2 year olds do a simple craft each day and the lady who does the bible lesson for the preschoolers also goes into the two year old room and does the bible story for them.

The two year olds "get it." My favorite story of VBS is when my daughter (now 7) was 2 and I was in the nursery with her. The bible story lady came in each day with her puppet and by Wed. my daughter was asking for "heart bear". I also remember one evening after VBS, our family was eating dinner and my daughter said, "Bible", "Jesus" and "hair" and pointed to her hair. That day heart bear told her that "God knows every little hair on your head."

Anne

[craftygail]

Congratulations! You have taken on a huge responsibility but a massively rewarding one. I know what you are feeling. I volunteered many years then stepped up as leader when no one else would take charge of it. I just completed my 5th vbs as director.

We do ages 2 through just completed 6th grade. Our pre-school leader will take potty trained kids 2-4 from non-volunteering adults or kids of that age not potty trained whose parents are volunteering so diapers can be taken care of. The 2-4 year olds do not rotate with the schedule as the older ones do, but they love it and definitely get the concepts when you use the pre-school books that come with the program (no matter which publisher you use).

My biggest tip after getting the date out is to begin a vbs binder and computer file. Have a section in both for each area of the program you need
to oversee. I break it down into volunteers, decorations/scenery, kid giveaways, budget, sites(or stations), and to do/to buy. This way, through out the year all thoughts, ideas, needs and accomplishments go in one space and can be easily accessed.

Just my thoughts:) God bless:)

craftygail
vbs completed

[SLDL]

These are great ideas! Thanks & keep 'em coming! :)

[Josh1]

Here's a link with tips for 1st year VBS Directors. All of us can use this for VBS.
http://www.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/first-year-vacation-bible-school-director.htm (http://www.vacationbibleschoolnut.com/first-year-vacation-bible-school-director.htm)
God Bless,
Josh Trommer:rolleyes:

[TrinityJen]

I really thought I posted on this thread...but I probably got distracted and never actually posted.

Hello Stephanie and welcome!

For me being a VBS director has been a calling I really avoided I was a helper, then co-director and now I just can't help myself. I just LOVE VBS. Apparently this isn't normal to anyone other than the people you find on this and other VBS boards. Hopefully you will be filled with this love too, if you haven't already.

I offer a nursery for volunteers kids. This year we had a new 2 year old and 5 3 year olds. We started registration at 4 y/o, but I still think that is young, unless you have a good teacher. I had problems w/ 1 co-teacher being sick so it was stressful having a teacher each day. But at 4 they have usually already had 1 year of pre-school and find it easier to see mommy go. I had 2 moms w/ new babies that didn't help this year, so next year I will need a new baby volunteer.

This year we had a special class for 5th &6th graders. (almost all of last years 5th graders we not from my church and I wanted to have them back again). Next year we will only go to 5th grade and all the new 6th & 7th graders will be helpers.

Be sure to publicize and keep sharing your ideas and plans. Your energy and love will be contagious. You can order your kit now and they will be shipped in Dec. The Directors guide is a GREAT necessary resource. GL also has a ‘How to direct VBS’ type book. I can’t remember the name right now but it is very similar to the Directors Guide, but you can look at it now!

Of course these boards are FULL of ideas. Even going back to read posts from SonForce Kids and SonTreasure Island will helpful. Look for posts from new directors, most questions apply each year.

Good Luck and we will be seeing you around!

[Josh1]

This is the resource that TrinityJen is talking about.
http://www.gospellight.com/wcsstore/ExtendedSitesCatalogAssetStore/images/archive/0830716718s.jpg (http://www.gospellight.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10052&productId=20029&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=11652&top_category=10178)
Here's a link to more information about this resource.
http://www.gospellight.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10052&productId=20029&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=11652&top_category=10178
God Bless,
Josh Trommer:rolleyes:

[SLDL]

We are getting pretty excited about this! One question (I'm sure there will be more): What all comes in the bigger kit...we ordered this one but I wasn't sure of the difference b/t the bigger & smaller one. Thanks!

[SLDL]

Another question - and all of you may have ideas but I was especially hoping for ideas from iddorlando...

We are going to Disneyworld in Dec. & I was wondering if anyone can think of anything I could pick up on the trip to use at VBS. We were thinking of napkins, those stickers they give out, things like that. Anyone got any suggestions?

[Josh1]

We are getting pretty excited about this! One question (I'm sure there will be more): What all comes in the bigger kit...we ordered this one but I wasn't sure of the difference b/t the bigger & smaller one. Thanks!

Here's a list of what was in the SonForce Kids Super Starter Pack and the SonForce Kids Starter Kit. Some things will be different but it's basically the same each year. It's on pages 6 and 7.
https://www.gospellight.com/wcsstore/Gospel%20Light/upload/catalogs/vbs07catalog_sonforcekids_gl.pdf
God Bless,
Josh Trommer:rolleyes: