# Vacation Bible school: VBS registration for every kid, crew and volunteer

Source: https://backpr.com/solutions/vacation-bible-school. Last updated: 2026-10-19.

URL: https://backpr.com/solutions/vacation-bible-school

Churches register kids and volunteers for vacation Bible school in BackPR and sort children into crews by age or grade. Every day of VBS week, volunteers check each child out to an adult on the family's pickup list.

Common problems:
- **Volunteers sign up on a sheet in the lobby:** Crew leaders, snack helpers and station leaders write their names on paper, and nobody can tell which crews still need an adult.
- **Crews get sorted the night before:** Someone sits with a stack of forms, sorting kids by grade and trying to keep friends together, while new registrations keep coming in.
- **Snack time and pickup need the details:** Crew leaders need to know about the peanut allergy before snack time, and who is allowed to take each child home at the end of the day.

How BackPR handles it:
- **Free or low-cost sign-up for every family:** Parents register every child in one checkout, add a VBS t-shirt and, if they like, a donation. Families from outside your church sign up from a shared link, in English or Spanish.
- **Crews by age or grade:** Set age or grade rules and a limit for each group, then drag kids into crews, honor buddy requests and print each crew's roster with allergies and pickup names.
- **Volunteer sign-ups for crew leaders and helpers:** Volunteers sign up on their own form and choose a role, such as crew leader, station leader, snacks or check-in. Ask the questions your church's child safety policy requires and collect documents as uploads.
- **Check-in and pickup every day:** Volunteers check kids in and out from their phones or a kiosk tablet, using the family's PIN or QR code and authorized pickup list. Allergies show next to each child's name.

Most-used features:
- VBS and event registration
- Volunteer sign-up forms
- Crews by age or grade
- Buddy requests
- Medical and allergy information
- Allergy alerts on rosters
- T-shirt sizes and add-ons
- Free events with no fees
- Donations at checkout
- PIN and QR code pickup
- Kiosk check-in
- Registration in Spanish

Churches and faith-based groups that are registered nonprofits run VBS on BackPR free, and other organizations get pricing by quote.

**Can we run VBS for free?**
Yes. Make VBS a free program and families register at no cost. With no payment, there's no processing fee, and churches that are registered nonprofits pay BackPR nothing.

**Can families from outside our church register?**
Yes. Share a link to your VBS page or add registration to your church website. Families can register in English or Spanish.

**How do crew leaders know about allergies?**
Allergies and medical notes show next to each child's name on the crew roster, on a phone or on a printed sheet.

**Can we limit spots in each age group?**
Yes. Set a limit for each age group or grade. When one fills, families can join the waitlist and are offered a spot if one opens.

**Do volunteers register the same way as kids?**
Volunteers use their own sign-up form, with the questions and documents your church asks of every adult who works with children.