VBS Lesson Plans and Curriculum
Plan Vacation Bible School with a free VBS lesson plan template, sample 3-day and 5-day schedules, free VBS lessons and a week builder.
Plan the whole VBS week with the VBS Program Builder
Choose a theme (or type your own), 3, 4 or 5 days, a 2, 2.5 or 3 hour session and the age groups, and the builder plans the week: a Bible story for each day, a lesson for every day and age group, crafts, games, snacks, a supply list scaled to your numbers, volunteer roles and a director pack PDF.
- Twelve ready themes, or type your own theme
- Preschool, elementary and pre-teen lessons, with teen helpers as an option
- Supply quantities and volunteer roles scaled to how many children you expect
- English or Spanish
Open the VBS Program Builder
The preview is free. Writing the full program is included in Church plans and Unlimited. If you only need a single lesson, the free library and the lesson generator work on every plan.
Free VBS lesson plan template (printable PDF)
A one-page template for one day of Vacation Bible School. Print one for each day and each age group, fill it in by hand or on screen, and hand it to your volunteers.
- Theme, day, date, age group and class leader
- Bible story, passage, memory verse and the big idea in one sentence
- Daily schedule with time and notes for each block: opening, Bible story, crafts, games, snack, music, closing
- Supplies checklist, volunteers needed and notes for tomorrow
Download the VBS lesson plan template (PDF)
Free, no sign-up. Also available in Spanish.
A daily VBS schedule you can copy
This is the daily rhythm the VBS Program Builder uses for a 3 hour session. For 2 or 2.5 hours it keeps the same order and shortens each block.
| Time | Block | Minutes |
|---|
| 0:00 | Opening assembly | 20 |
| 0:20 | Bible story and lesson | 45 |
| 1:05 | Crafts | 25 |
| 1:30 | Games | 25 |
| 1:55 | Snack | 20 |
| 2:15 | Music and worship | 25 |
| 2:40 | Closing and take-home | 20 |
Sample 3-day and 5-day VBS schedules
Both samples use the builder's Kingdom Quest theme, "Brave hearts follow the King". The passages are the ones the builder picks for 3 and 5 days. Swap in your own theme and passages with the template above.
3-day VBS sample
| Day | Bible passage | Focus of the day |
|---|
| Day 1 | Joshua 1:1-9 | Be strong and courageous: God goes with you |
| Day 2 | Judges 7:1-22 | Gideon: God works through a small, willing team |
| Day 3 | Ephesians 6:10-18 | Put on the armor of God each day |
5-day VBS sample
| Day | Bible passage | Focus of the day |
|---|
| Day 1 | Joshua 1:1-9 | Be strong and courageous: God goes with you |
| Day 2 | Joshua 6:1-20 | The walls of Jericho fall when God's people trust and obey |
| Day 3 | Judges 7:1-22 | Gideon: God works through a small, willing team |
| Day 4 | 1 Samuel 17:32-50 | David trusts God, not his size or his weapons |
| Day 5 | Ephesians 6:10-18 | Put on the armor of God each day |
Each day uses the daily schedule above.
Free VBS lessons from the library
These free lessons are complete 45-minute plans with a memory verse, activities and a materials list. Use them on their own or as the Bible story block of a VBS day.
Start here
Kingdom Quest
Ocean of Grace
Shepherd's Field
Rescue at the Red Sea
Browse all free lessons
VBS planning questions
Is there a free VBS curriculum?
Parts of it are free. The free lesson library has a VBS opening-day lesson and many Bible story lessons that fit VBS themes, the lesson plan template on this page is a free PDF, and the VBS Program Builder shows a free preview. The full builder, which writes every lesson, craft, game and snack for the week, is included in Church plans and Unlimited.
What should a VBS lesson plan include?
For each day and age group: the theme, the Bible story and passage, a memory verse, the big idea in one sentence, a daily schedule with times, the supplies you need, the volunteers who will run each block and a note for tomorrow. The free VBS lesson plan template on this page has a place for each.
How do I plan a 3-day or a 5-day VBS?
Pick a theme with one Bible story for each day, then use the same daily rhythm every day so children and volunteers know what comes next. The sample schedules above show a 3-day and a 5-day week built the way the VBS Program Builder builds them.
Where can I find easy Vacation Bible School lessons?
Start with the free lessons linked above. Each one is a complete, timed plan you can teach as written or change to fit your group. To write a new lesson for any passage, age group or length, use the lesson generator.
How many volunteers do I need for VBS?
The VBS Program Builder plans about 1 adult for every 5 preschool children, 8 elementary children or 10 pre-teens, and never fewer than 2 adults in a group. Check the result against your own church safety policy.