Kids

Have you ever struggled with the tension of how to create a fun environment for preschoolers while keeping systems in place that ensure their safety and then manage the millions of details that go into Sunday morning? OR, have you ever been totally bogged down in the details of preparation that you lose sight of the importance of what you are teaching?

Effective systems and processes are imperative to creating an environment where parents trust us, volunteers are set up to succeed, and children have fun learning about their heavenly Father.

Jennifer Thomas, the Waumba Land Director at our North Point Campus, shared some of this information during her breakout at our Drive Conference a few weeks ago.

Do you have a system for preparation so that volunteers can focus on children and not preparing supplies?

Preparing the Curriculum:

* Edit all content to ensure that what matters most is being taught.

We simplify so that our volunteers can focus their time on the activities that will help teach the bottom line most clearly in the time that we have allotted for the morning.

* Organize and distribute needed materials to each classroom.

Each classroom and each service hour has a plastic tub with all of the materials prepped and ready to go for the morning. A team of volunteers come to the church during the week to cut out patterns, count out supplies, and get things organized.

* Communicate curriculum details to Sunday morning volunteers.

Each week an email goes out with an overview of the curriculum plan for Sunday. It’s usually pretty simple and we try not to make it too detailed (people don’t read details!) We are sure to highlight anything that might be a little tricky for the morning and give special instructions.

Preparing the Environment:

* Create a safe and clean place.

No matter how great your volunteers and curriculum plans are, parents will not come back if they feel like the space is dirty or unsafe. This has to be a priority and you need a good system in place to make it happen consistently.

We have checklists of things that need to be cleaned and safety items that need to be reviewed and kept up to date. This is everything from washing doorknobs and chairs to checking electrical outlets for covers.

A team of volunteers come in during the week to help us work through these checklists and make sure that our environment is in top shape for Sunday morning.

* Prepare the environment for the check-in process.

As soon as volunteers arrive, we want them to be able to start checking in children with little effort. During the week we go to every check-in table and put out an updated roster and updated name labels.

We also make sure that this area looks clean and inviting for parents. We stock supplies and add any handouts or giveaways for parents.

IMPORTANT: Diligent preparation during the week removes obstacles for families and volunteers on Sunday morning and gives them a stress-free experience!

You only have one chance to make a great first impression. When you put the time into creating effective systems that operate smoothly, you gain the trust of both parents and volunteers. You will not have an opportunity to capture the heart of a child if his or her parents don’t trust the system and the people involved.

What systems do you have in place that make your preschool area run smooth?