28 tips on scheduling and rotations
- Include missions in large group Worship Rally time.
- Add an extra 15 minutes to the total time and include 5 minute per 3 rotations to change classes.
- Give snacks to take home and eat.
- Eliminate recreation rotation and include craft with snack time.
- At the end of each rotation, play a different musical instrument and the kids have to guess what it is. The first correct answer receives a prize.
- Include music during large group Worship Rally time.
- Use a block schedule that is color coded, then give it to the staff to follow (i.e.- blue – recreation, green – Bible study, etc.)
- Post the complete schedule in a central area for all to see.
- Instead of a Bible study room for each class/grade, create a Bible study site of K-2 and 3-5 with a team of 5 workers for each room. The team works together to decorate and each person teaches one time and assists the other four.
- Serve a meal at the beginning and eliminate snack time.
- Do the mission lesson while the children are eating their snacks.
- Have a morning VBS and an evening VBS due to limited space. Morning session from 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon and an evening session from 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Combine crafts with missions or other videos, if you’re crunched for time.
- Place schedules on the backs of nametags for quick reference.
- Split children in two groups during one 30-minute time frame. One group has missions while the other group goes to crafts. Then, flip-flop the groups.
- Conduct VBS from Saturday thru Wednesday evening. Begin on Saturday at 3:00 p.m., have an hour or more of games, feed the kids dinner, and begin VBS. End with Worship Rally. The remainder of the week, classes run from 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Have Bible Study at the same time. All classes are studying at the same time frame. There are fewer distractions this way. No rotations occur at this time.
- Run a 3-day schedule, Friday-Sunday. Begin Friday night, run all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon. End with the Family Night on Sunday evening.
- To facilitate better use of space, we split the fellowship hall between dinner and crafts. We then feed the children on a split schedule as well as speed the process as well as help with space issues.
- Due to limited space in church, we have held Bible study outside in tents, in a motor home, under a canopy, or whatever might work with the theme.
- On Friday evening, cut two rotations and host the musical.
- Host outside activities (games, races, etc.) for a pre-rally gathering. Call to Worship is the line-up time.
- Divide kids into family groups (all ages) so the older can help the younger and don’t have as much peer pressure.
- Rotate the leaders rather than the kids. This saves time.
- Expand VBS time for the day by 15-30 minutes.
- Have teachers help relieve each other, so everyone gets a break.
- Rotate everything!
- Put Worship Rally in the middle of the schedule.
Color code your age groups. Use a different bandanna color for each group and it is easy to spot which group is where and any little ones that get misplaced.