Vacation Bible School has become one of the most versatile training programs offered by churches. Publishers and program producers are making resources more flexible and adaptable to a range of contexts and formats, and congregations are being creative in shaping VBS programs to meet the needs and gifts of their communities. Day camps, multi- and intergenerational offerings, weekend programs, and weekly gatherings are just some of the ways churches of different sizes and in various contexts have reimagined VBS to work in their contexts.
For any training leaders who may be wondering if VBS might be adaptable to your community as well as those of you who have led VBS programs in the past, we want to share our annual reviews of some of the most popular new VBS and camp program options to aid your discernment process. Our team of reviewers reviewed 10 resources this year and found a number of successful programs for facilitating fun and meaningful VBS or camp programs.
Our review process
This year, we invited a team of three departmental leaders to conduct the reviews. The team primarily reviewed content from publishers’ websites, freely available sample documents, and videos. In a few cases, evaluators had the opportunity to evaluate the entire program.
In the evaluation process, the team considered six interrelated dimensions:
- Theological messages
- Interpretations and Uses of Scripture
- Learning and training approaches
- Language and practices regarding inclusiveness and diversity of human identities and experiences, particularly as they relate to race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and economic status
- Attention to social justice, service and care for creation
- Program structure and logistics
Each review provides an overview of the program and highlights what it does well and what could be improved. Below you can access individual presentations for each review as well as the full presentation with all reviews.
We offer our recommendations and critical comments in a spirit of compassion and dedication to enrich faith formation for all in liberating and life-giving ways. As always, we encourage you to think about the gifts, needs, values, and commitments of your ministry context to discern what curriculum might be best for your community.
This year’s top picks are:
- “Discovery on Adventure Island» by Cokesbury
- “Galaxy» by group
- “In the desert» by InsideOut
- “#KidsConnect» by Brethren Press and MennoMedia
- “Learning together: Paul’s adventures» by Spirit & Truth Publishing (complete revised program)
- “Rainforest Falls» by group
- “Snowball Mountain Challenge» by Cokesbury
- “StoryMakers NYC VBS Starter Kit» by StoryMakers NYC (full revised program)
- “Theses and thrones» by Living Stories Sermons (full revised program)
Overall, these resources generally provide age-appropriate, theologically grounded, and fun training opportunities for VBS and camp participants. While they can also be enhanced in a variety of ways, we believe these programs can be successful options for VBS, camp, or intergenerational training programs.
Additional resource reviewed
We also reviewed the following program and ultimately decided not to include it in our recommended resources:
- “Rome» by group
In our opinion, this program does not provide adequate and comprehensive engagement with Scripture or a holistic education of the spiritual formation of children.
Curriculum Review 2026 Slidedeck
For the full slideshow of all the reviews, follow this link or check out the embedded slides below: Building Faith VBS and Summer Camp Program Reviews 2026
Building Faith VBS and Camp Program Reviews 2026 Slidedeck through lifelong learning
If you’re interested in more program options for VBS or camp, you can also check out our perennial top picks at this link: Permanent Favorites VBS, summer camp and intergenerational program
Thanks to our evaluation team
We are very grateful to our 2026 curriculum reviewers. They brought a lot of expertise, wisdom, practical insight and creative thinking to the review process. A big thank you to all of you!
Check out their bios below to learn more about each of our reviewers:
Sally Benton (she/her/hers)
Sally Benton is the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries at St. John’s in McLean, Virginia, and has been serving children and youth for over 10 years. She and her husband currently live in Alexandria, Virginia with their two young children. They had the joy of serving together not only in parishes, but also on college campuses, at summer camps and just about everywhere else. Sally is passionate about faith formation for all and helping people build their confidence by exploring their faith independently as well as in community.
Molly Herman-Gallow (she/her/hers)
Molly Herman-Gallow lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she is pursuing her Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School. She previously worked at St. Martin in Fields Episcopal Church in Brookhaven, Georgia, as Minister of Children and Youth. In this role, she enjoyed caring for all the children and families of St. Martin, and she particularly enjoyed the aspects of program creation and Christian education that her role required of her. Molly is of Episcopal birth and raised in the Diocese of Atlanta. She graduated from Elon University in 2019 with a degree in film production and a minor in religious studies. Molly enjoys continuing to tell the story of the Church and discovering more about her identity as a Christian educator.
Juniper LaNunziata (they/them)
Juniper LaNunziata is a postulant for holy orders in the Diocese of East Carolina and currently serves as Campus Minister for East Carolina University Well Campus Ministries. They served as Directors of Christian Formation at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, NC for 8 years. Juniper was born and raised in Pennsylvania but has lived in the South for nearly 20 years. They love baking bread, drinking boba tea and geocaching. Check out their blog for Christian training and design at www.formedbyexperience.blog.
The image shown is of Leon Contreras on Unsplash