Is your church taking advantage of the fall season by hosting family-friendly events like fall festivals or trunk-or-treat gatherings? This is a perfect opportunity to utilize these popular events as a platform to build excitement for Magnified! VBS.
Here’s how you can turn your fall festival or trunk-or-treat into an effective promotional tool for Magnified! VBS, helping families get excited about what’s to come!
1. Create a Themed Booth or Trunk
Use the theme for your upcoming VBS as inspiration for a special booth or trunk at your event. Decorate your area to reflect the details of God’s amazing world. Make it colorful and interactive!
- Offer a small game or activity related to the theme, such as a scavenger hunt or a simple craft, to draw families in.
- Decorate with butterflies, plants, acorns, bees, and more! Show how kids can discover the bigness of God in the smallest of things.
- Dress up in fun costumes! Like a butterfly, a bee, a flower, or a ladybug.
The key here is to make your booth or trunk stand out while giving people a sneak peek of what they can expect from VBS. It plants seeds of excitement and fits the bill of dressing in costumes!
2. Give Away VBS-Themed Goodies
Create simple giveaways such as VBS-themed bags, buttons, bookmarks, or stickers. Include the dates and registration info for VBS on these items, ensuring parents know how and when to sign up.
For kids: Provide small treat bags or candy with an attached flyer or card featuring VBS details. Throw a few fake bugs in there with the candy, too!
For adults: Create a “make your own bouquet” station, attaching the information to the beautiful flowers that reflect God’s bigness. They can take some candy though, adults like candy, too!
By handing these out at your fall event, you’re making sure families leave with something tangible that will remind them of your upcoming VBS program.
3. Use Sign-Ups for Early Registration
Make it easy for parents to sign their kids up for VBS during the fall event. Have a registration table or station where parents can get a head start on signing up their children, or set up a simple QR code that links to the registration page. Offering an early registration incentive, like a small prize or discount, can also encourage parents to sign up on the spot.
4. Engage Volunteers and VBS Leaders
If you have key volunteers or leaders involved in your VBS program, invite them to the fall festival or trunk-or-treat. Encourage them to mingle with families and share their passion for VBS. Their energy and excitement can be contagious, making a lasting impression on both parents and kids. Plus, they’ll look great in those silly costumes!
5. Build Anticipation with a VBS Countdown
Consider creating a “countdown to VBS” at your fall event. A simple poster or banner counting down the days until VBS can be a visual reminder that something special is on the horizon. You could also create a fun photo booth with VBS-themed props where families can take pictures and post them on social media, tagging your church and creating online buzz for the upcoming event.
You’ve magnified your impact!
Your fall festival or trunk-or-treat is the perfect opportunity to build anticipation for your next VBS. By incorporating fun, theme-inspired activities and giving families a taste of what VBS will offer, you’ll be planting seeds for a successful program down the road. Whether it’s through creative booths, engaging activities, or simply starting early with promotion, you can make your fall event a stepping stone to an exciting and impactful Vacation Bible School that kids and parents won’t want to miss!
Don’t let this fall season pass without taking advantage of these opportunities to connect, invite, and build anticipation for the exciting journey that VBS will be!
The Teaching Hat with Kevin Jones
»