A Busy Morning
Here are the details that your Sunday morning could live by for a great and time-tested routine!
1. Welcome Time
2. Play Time
3. Tidy Up Time
4. Snack Time
5. Mat Time
6. Craft Time
8. Goodbye Time
All of these elements will fill your morning and the hope is that with your team you will be able to move from one “Time” through to the next all in a one and a half hour morning with the children.
Each “Time” is important and not to be dropped from the routine, the only occasion for me when it has changed is when we are about to do a performance in church see our resource - small people in big church, and stage time. Obviously the weeks leading up to this time I swap out “Craft Time” for “Practise Time” The days of the performance, (this is big) I often have Welcome Time, Get everyone Ready Time (costumes), Practise one last Time, Pray with the Children about the performance, Stage Time, then return to the room usually exhausted and do Snack Time and Play Time and then Goodbye Time.
If the routine is adhered to it means that building up your leadership team will really work for you, as they will quickly get to know the routine and stick to it. When you need to be away (and you do need to be away at times) the routine can be followed, and the children find security from knowing and sticking to the routine. I have a habit of putting up the routine in the room – see “Children Love Routine Poster” that way you can share it with the families entering the room.