Make VBS Great for All Kids
By: Krista Storts
Year after year, Vacation Bible School (VBS) continues to be one of the best outreach tools for churches. Kids from your community and beyond want something to do—especially in the summer! And parents of those kids NEED something for them to do!
So, prayerfully, your VBS is filled with kids—kids with different abilities, kids who’ve never been to church, kids who come maybe 3–4 times a year, and of course, kids you see every Sunday! Each one has his own needs, some emotional, some physical, and you want to make each one feel welcomed and engaged. The challenge is how to make sure that happens. Here are a few ways to do just that!
- Play name games. Every day. When someone knows your name, doesn’t it make you feel good? You feel seen and known. This especially can help a new kid feel at ease. The chance for him to make friends who also know his name—even better.
- Be patient! Some kids don’t know church rules, such as staying quiet while someone is praying during prayer, focusing during Bible story time, following safety guidelines, and so forth. Don’t embarrass any child. Speak one-on-one when guidance is necessary. (For instance: instead of calling inappropriate language “bad words,” just remind kids that “we don’t say those words here.”)
- Speak their language. Stay away from “church-ese.” Define church words often. Some won’t know who Jesus is; what sin is; what it means to be born again; what it means to baptized.
- Teach Bible skills as if no one has ever heard them so a child doesn’t feel like the odd one out. This is especially true for older kids. Many will not know how to find a book of the Bible, much less locate a specific verse. Some may not even know what a Bible is.
- Explain expectations. Take time to talk about what the day will look like, what rotations kids will go to, or how they will be moving around campus.
- Remind kids of details. Take time daily to remind kids of what was learned during previous sessions. This will help new kids as well as those who might struggle with remembering from day to day.
Special Needs Adaptations
Make environmental changes so that those with special needs are able to complete the task.
- Move floor activities to a tabletop so kids with mobility issues or in wheelchairs can more easily participate.
- Increase the font size of handouts or posters to improve visibility for those with vision limitations.
- Use a clear color contrast for print such as a black background with white print or a white background with black print.
Adapt activities to allow students the opportunity to participate with a level of achievement.
- Provide pool noodles to extend reach for kids with limited mobility to reach things like posters on the wall (point to the ___) or to use in simple tag games like Duck, Duck, Goose.
- Offer options that include the child such as being the timekeeper or scorekeeper.
- Provide a large clip (like a chip bag clip) to aid in holding cards.
Modify content for the students.
- Provide a visual schedule (icons or pictures to represent the day’s sequence of events). Hang this on the focal wall or another easily visible location.
- Use picture cues whenever possible for learning and review.
Provide a buddy for a student who requires assistance because of a disability.
- The buddy can provide one-on-one assistance.
- The buddy can monitor safety at all times for the student.
- The buddy can reteach or redirect during a Bible story or activity.
- The buddy can make accommodations to the environment for the student as needed (such as moving chairs out of the way for a wheelchair to have table access).
All in all, the goal of VBS is to share the love of Christ with kids of every age, every stage, and every ability. See and love them through the eyes of Christ, and you’ll reach that goal!
*Special Needs Adaptations suggested by Peggy Howard, Special Needs Ministry Director at her church in O’Fallon, Illinois
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