Organizing Your VBS is a Zip
One of my all-time favorite inventions is Ziplock® bags. I would have a difficult time organizing my life without them. I keep them just about everywhere.
- In my desk drawer.
- In my conference supply box.
- In my Sunday School classroom supply cabinet.
- In my garage (perfect for those small odds and ends that accumulate around a workbench).
- In my luggage (I never know when I might unexpectedly find a small rock or sea shell that needs transporting back home).
- And obviously in the kitchen.
My life would be totally disorganized without them.
By now you are probably not surprised to learn I have just about every size created – from snack size to the jumbo bags used for VBS Leader Packs. In fact, the leader pack bags have become my favorite for organizing my Sunday School and VBS resources.
I keep 13 bags specifically for organizing a quarter of Sunday School resources. As soon as I receive my new literature I divide it by weeks and then place each week in a bag and tag it with the use date.
Since the bags are clear it is easy to see what I already have and what is still needed for the week. If copies are needed I make them ahead of time and place them in the appropriate bag. If supplies such as paper plates, construction paper, or ribbon are called for they go in the bag. The rest of the quarter all I have to do each week is study the lesson and pick up the correct bag. I use the same system for organizing a week of VBS.
In addition to using bags for lesson organization here are some additional ways to make sure organizing your VBS is a zip!
- When sorting curriculum take the time to drop leader guides into leader packs. When it is time to distribute curriculum you won’t have to worry about mixing up leader guides and leader packs, or having one without the other.
- Create supply bags of markers, scissors, extra pencils, etc. for each classroom.
- Create a daily distribution bag for each class – similar to mailboxes schools provide for teachers. Information and supplies for workers, as well as information to be sent home with the kids can be put in bags ahead of time and workers trained to pick up their bag each day on the way to their room.
- Presort craft supplies for a specific number of kids. For example, one bag holds everything needed for 10 kids.
- Provide bags for kids to take home their daily work. Names can be written on the front with permanent markers. Once zipped the contents are secured and identifiable.
- Clear bags are especially good for organizing resources for Backyard Kids Clubs and mission trips. They are easy to pack and the content is instantly identifiable.
Join the conversation: what organizational techniques do you use to prepare for VBS?
I share your ziploc addiction. Represent.
Glad to know I’m not the only one to save ziplock bags! I, too, have all sizes for all kinds of projects.
Just a question…I normally give the teacher a box of supplies they request for their week of VBS. I don’t sort them by day. Does it work better to sort them by day? How would know exactly what they are going to be doing in their classes each day? Or are you talking about them picking up daily stuff such as announcements, parent letters, etc each day? I guess I am asking, what are you putting in their “mailboxes” everyday?
Kristin, daily stuff is as you say – announcements and parent letters. Mailboxes are also a good place to put lost and found items such as name tags. I too give each teacher a box of supplies and let them sort the resources in a way that works best for them.
I have always used large paper grocery bags, one per each day of VBS. Then inside I have paper lunch bags, one for each activity/craft, which has enough for a certain number of children usually 12. I also include whatever art medium we will need, paint brushes, etc. I use large envelopes to hold game card pieces, Bible Verse markers for the day. I staple my lesson plans to the outside of the bag, and I paper clip the Bible story picture to the inside of the bag. I may try the clear zip locks this year. That way if I need the watercolor paint brushes I used Monday again on Thursday, and forgot to stick them in the Thursday bag after using them, I will be able to see “clearly” which bag they are in. 🙂
I also use the large gallon size Ziploc bags for each day’s lesson (picture, story, etc..) and the sandwich or snack size for crafts. I usually bag the craft supply needed for each individual craft in a bag that way when I get a new class for crafts all I need to do to get ready is pass out the bags, then explain the craft.
I also use all sizes of Ziplock bags for Sunday School, Mission Friends, and VBS. Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one who does this!!! What I’ve used in the past for each day of VBS is the lid from a box of copy paper to put all of the bags and supplies for each night. I also label each box lid with the specific day I’m going to need the items. I’ve also used large plastic tubs to carry things for each night of VBS because sometimes you can’t always leave every thing in the rooms until the next night of class. It sure makes things easier to be organized and (hopefully) have all the items that you need for each night. Right now I use an old math curriculum rolling cart to carry my things for the kindergarten classes I teach at church that needs to be replaced because the zipper broke. This has been wonderful and it was given to me for free! Now to find a replacement…
Zip Locs! Thankful to read about how you organize Sunday School. I have rotating PreK teachers and usually prepare a large Rubbermaid, but feel like some of the supplies get lost in the bigness of the box. I can scale back to a smaller container, including items to use in a shared space, but condense the materials for that Sunday.
Thanks!