Playgroup ministries have been the mainstay of daytime community outreach in our churches for generations. They are mainly resourced by the ‘stay at home’ mum, the retiree, the ministers wife, sometimes if you’re lucky enough by the women’s worker and or children’s worker.
But what happens when your small church has only has one of these people? Or one of those roles is filled by the same person? How can we resource and maintain this vital connection into our communities, opening doors to share God’s love with those around us?
But what happens when your small church has only has one of these people? Or one of those roles is filled by the same person? How can we resource and maintain this vital connection into our communities, opening doors to share God’s love with those around us?
Here are five tips to streamline your playgroup to make it more sustainable with a reduced volunteer crew:
1. Ask parents of school age children, who work part time if they would be willing to give you some time. They may be able to come in to help out your ministry on the day, or maybe fortnightly or monthly. Perhaps they would be willing to manage your administration for the group at home. Any help is a blessing and can free you up to keep going.
2. A craft and coffee playgroup prep night. If people can’t help you on the day, consider asking them to give one night a term to help you manage the preparation for elements of your playgroup. You could ask people from church to come and support the ministry, as well as people who attend the playgroup to come and prepare for the group with you. This may give you the chance to connect people in your playgroup with members of the congregation and foster relationships and evangelism.
3. BYO morning tea - Instead of the traditional ‘bring a piece of fruit to share’, minimise your set and pack up by encouraging the parents to bring morning tea for their little ones. 90% of the time parents already pack extra snacks or morning tea for their children. Create this into a shared meal which you can say Grace for, by having a set snack time in your program, and announcing that they children will all sit together to enjoy their morning tea. A little bit of structure goes a long way - the children and the parents like it! (Don’t forget to keep a packet of Rice Crackers in your supplies for those times when someone forgets morning tea!)
4. Incorporate setting up and packing up into your playgroup routine. Children learn by doing and nothing teaches that its time to finish better than packing up the toys and cleaning the craft away. Parents of attendees don’t mind helping and it can be considered a learning experience as well. Singing a song about tidying up, whilst you’re doing it makes it seems cheerful, reduces loud voices and makes it feel more like a game.
5. Consider changing your generalist playgroup into a specialised one. It streamlines the activities and lessens set up and pack up. Most children whether they have a stay at home parent or not go to some kind of childcare. They can do wide play there, and at home. Specialise or have a focus for your morning and then a small amount of free play with limited toys over morning tea. You will be less frazzled supervising fewer activities and have more time to chat and build relationships.
1. Ask parents of school age children, who work part time if they would be willing to give you some time. They may be able to come in to help out your ministry on the day, or maybe fortnightly or monthly. Perhaps they would be willing to manage your administration for the group at home. Any help is a blessing and can free you up to keep going.
2. A craft and coffee playgroup prep night. If people can’t help you on the day, consider asking them to give one night a term to help you manage the preparation for elements of your playgroup. You could ask people from church to come and support the ministry, as well as people who attend the playgroup to come and prepare for the group with you. This may give you the chance to connect people in your playgroup with members of the congregation and foster relationships and evangelism.
3. BYO morning tea - Instead of the traditional ‘bring a piece of fruit to share’, minimise your set and pack up by encouraging the parents to bring morning tea for their little ones. 90% of the time parents already pack extra snacks or morning tea for their children. Create this into a shared meal which you can say Grace for, by having a set snack time in your program, and announcing that they children will all sit together to enjoy their morning tea. A little bit of structure goes a long way - the children and the parents like it! (Don’t forget to keep a packet of Rice Crackers in your supplies for those times when someone forgets morning tea!)
4. Incorporate setting up and packing up into your playgroup routine. Children learn by doing and nothing teaches that its time to finish better than packing up the toys and cleaning the craft away. Parents of attendees don’t mind helping and it can be considered a learning experience as well. Singing a song about tidying up, whilst you’re doing it makes it seems cheerful, reduces loud voices and makes it feel more like a game.
5. Consider changing your generalist playgroup into a specialised one. It streamlines the activities and lessens set up and pack up. Most children whether they have a stay at home parent or not go to some kind of childcare. They can do wide play there, and at home. Specialise or have a focus for your morning and then a small amount of free play with limited toys over morning tea. You will be less frazzled supervising fewer activities and have more time to chat and build relationships.
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