Arrival and dismissal are important parts of VBS. If parents do not know where to drop off their children and where to pick them up, then they can become frustrated. Clearly marking these areas and creating an organized traffic flow makes the process so much easier. It is also necessary to publicize how arrivals and dismissals will be handled so parents know the procedures ahead of time. At my church the children arrive and are let out at the fellowship hall, but at the end of VBS their parents have to come in and get them in the sanctuary. We try to make sure that parents are aware of this, but there is always someone who goes to the wrong location at the end of the day or the parent who sits in the car waiting for their child to come out to them. For our church, having the parents come in and get their children helps with security and having an organized dismissal time. The children are seated with their classes and each teacher is responsible for the children in her class.

Each church is different in where and how children enter and leave the building. Figure out what works best for your church situation and for the parents dropping off their children. Then make sure the plan is organized and communicated to those working VBS so that they can help steer parents in the right direction. If it is necessary, enlist a team of people to direct traffic, and then have them placed in the church to give directions if the drop-off and pick-up location is a long distance from the place where the children are gathering.

How does your church handle the arrival and dismissal time?

VBS is a great outreach tool for the church, and a great time of fun and fellowship for the kids. It is important that during VBS that the church takes precautions with safety and security. In this day and age one can never be too careful. It is the church’s job to help parents know they are doing everything they can to keep their child safe while he or she is in their care.

1. Many churches have to use classrooms during VBS that are not normally used for children’s classes. If that is the case in your church, take the time to look at the classroom and remove anything that might be a safety issue for the kids. It helps to take a picture of the room before making changes so that at the end of VBS you can put the room back in order.
2. It is also important to make sure that every leader knows where first-aid kits are located and what the procedures are for an emergency. No one wants anything to happen during VBS, but it is important to be prepared.
3. Make sure that all equipment is safe and in good working order. This goes for tables and chairs to playground equipment. Get rid of tables and chairs with broken legs or that might be wobbly and check playground equipment for loose screws or broken pieces.
4. Make sure that all toys have been cleaned and disinfected and then put the supplies out of the reach of children.
5. In terms of security, make sure that passenger loading and unloading areas are clearly marked.
6. Provide security wristbands or some type of tag or card to ensure safe and appropriate release to parents.
7. Create a two-person rule so that there is always at least two adults with anyone under the age of 18 at all times.
8. Only release children to those who are authorized to pick them up.
9. Have a security team monitor the facility during VBS.
10. Complete background screening on all volunteers.

You’re walking down the hallway before VBS carrying a couple of carefully balanced boxes of supplies and props when you’re nearly mown down by a crowd of children trying to play tag in the church hallway. You try to gently reprimand them and send them somewhere else, all the while trying not to lose your temper or send them somewhere without adult supervision.

You’ve been hit by early arriver fever.

Early arrivers come in lots of forms, from VBS teachers’ kids, to working parents’ kids who have an unwieldy schedule to keep, to, at my home church, the first group of kids who ride the bus, since the bus often needs to make two trips. And the same reasons kids arrive early may also make them need to stay late after VBS is over.

So what do you do with these kids to keep them from causing chaos or being bored at VBS before it’s even started?

Don’t get me wrong. As a teacher, I’ve had some great chances to bond with my kids who arrived early since there was more time to get to know them and let them ask me questions.

But it also pays to be prepared for those empty times. The adage is true, if you don’t have a plan, your kids will.

Your teachers will certainly thank you for an extra few undistracted minutes preparing rooms and getting hearts ready for VBS.

So here are some ideas you can keep in your back pocket in case you have extra time to fill:

1. Enlist volunteers who love kids but aren’t comfortable in a formal teaching role. Make sure there are always at least two adults with kids. Provide them with details about the Bible study material so that they can be prepared to reinforce concepts in casual conversation. Consider suggesting some silly and serious ice breaker questions, from “if you could be a ice cream flavor what would you be?” To “what did you learn at VBS this week?” and everything in between that will help kids feel loved and known.
2. Designate space- whether it’s in your church sanctuary, in an unused Sunday School room, or on your church playground, choose a spot where all your VBS workers know to send early arrivers after they’ve been registered for VBS. That way, if a straggler runs into you in the hallway, you have a safe place to send him.
3. Music- Kids I’ve seen never seem to get enough of the VBS music. They always want a little more time with their favorite song. This could be extra time for teaching motions to a new song on any day. After the first day, let kids compete to say the memory verse to you. Those who do it correctly get to choose what song you replay for them.
4. Games- Provide volunteers with some easy games from the Recreation Rotation Leader Cards that won’t take much setup, are adaptable, indoor/outdoor and will allow for repetition and multiple age groups. A few in Colossal Coaster World that fit this description include Quick Pass, Screaming Scrambler, Ferris Wheel Relay, Tilt-A-Whirl, Frozen Fun House Tag, and the games on the Family Connections card for families to play when they’re waiting in line somewhere.
5. Take pictures and video of kids throughout the week and have these playing as a slideshow where kids can watch and pick themselves out.
6. Provide an extra craft or activity that relates to the day’s Bible content.
7. Encourage teachers to arrive as early as possible to finish their preparations for the night and then be ready to spend time with their kids. Time spent developing relationships is never wasted at VBS.

VBS registration is important to any successful VBS. It helps you estimate how many children you need to prepare for, and it is also an important tool to use during follow-up. Here are some hints to make registration easy and useful.

• Pre-register your church kids. Any time that you can pre-register kids, it helps you estimate the number of children you need to prepare for and it helps to speed up the registration process on the first day of VBS. Set up a registration booth outside the sanctuary or in the welcome center two to three weeks before VBS to allow time for church members to pre-register their children.
• Online registration. Some churches offer online registration. This allows parents to register their children at their convenience and if you have a link on your website for online registration, it can help those who will be visiting your church to pre-register.
• Offer registration every day of VBS. You will have some children who only come to VBS one day, and for some it may be the very last day. Therefore make sure you have registration every day so that you can gather information from every child who visits your church.
• Get complete information. I know on the morning of VBS parents are in a hurry and children want to get to their rooms, but make sure that registration forms are completely filled out. Any information that is left off makes it harder to follow up with the child and his or her family after VBS is over.

VBS Registration Flyers can be purchased at your nearest LifeWay store or online. Each flyer features a customizable Colossal Coaster World announcement on one side and a ready-made registration form on the other. Flyers are perforated so parents can return the registration form and keep the announcement as a VBS reminder. You can also find registration forms on the Administrative Guide CD-ROM in the Director’s Helps folder.