7 things you need to run a successful Holiday Club

As the school term ends and we move into summer, be prepared to run a holiday club with our ultimate list.

So you’ve decided to run a Holiday Club this summer? In that case, be prepared for the messiest, craziest, and most fun days you’ll have this holiday period! But before you do, take a peek at our list of everything you need to run a successful Holiday Club.

1. A Theme

Whether it’s Pirates, Cops and Robbers, Outer-Space or Fairy Tales, every good club needs a theme that runs throughout the holidays. It’s what will give your club character, and will help it stay with the kids long after term starts again. You can find a whole host of themes and books here, as well as Bibles for great story ideas.

2. A Team

A good team are your eyes and ears; spotting when children are hiding, what happened to all the sweets, and when one child gets a little too into one of the games (beware of flying objects!), or scissors are drifting dangerously far from paper.

3. A Register

No parent will want to leave their kids at a club if they think it doesn’t have a head on its shoulders, and so having a good register procedure at the door will give them all the confidence they need to go and have one of those rarest of events: a quiet morning.

4. Snacks

For your own personal safety, beware of blue-coloured sweets! The rumours are true!

And dont forget to check for allergies.

5. Prizes

Either as incentives to remember memory verses, or as rewards for winning games, every good Holiday Club needs prizes. They are what capture attention more than anything else, and our Fun & Games department is filled with lots of great ideas for prizes.

6. Songs (with actions)

Good holiday club songs need to be catchy. You need only to hear a snippet before you start to break out all the actions, and there are lots to chose from - whether it’s the poppy tunes of Bethel Kids' Come Alive, or the supreme silliness of Duggie Dug Dug.

7. Prayer

Trust us, you’ll need it. But also, there is no better way to start each day. It brings everyone together, focuses hearts and minds, and is the calm before the storm.