Vacation Bible School has become one of the most versatile formation programs that churches provide. Publishers and curriculum producers are making more resources flexible and adaptable to a range of contexts and formats, and congregations are getting creative in shaping VBS programs to meet the needs and gifts of their communities. Day camps, multigenerational and intergenerational offerings, weekend programs, and weekly gatherings are just a few of the ways that churches of various sizes and in various settings have redesigned VBS to work for their contexts.

For all the formation leaders who may be wondering if VBS could 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 curriculum options to aid your discernment process. Our team of reviewers examined 10 resources this year and found a number of fruitful curricula for facilitating fun and meaningful VBS or camp programs.

Our Review Process

This year we invited a team of three ministry leaders to conduct the reviews. The team primarily examined publishers’ website content, sample materials that are available for free, and videos. In a few cases, reviewers had the opportunity to assess the full curriculum.

In the evaluation process, the team considered six interrelated dimensions:

1. Theological messages
2. Interpretations and uses of scripture
3. Approaches to learning and formation
4. Language and practices regarding inclusivity and diversity of human identities and experiences, especially in relation to race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and economic status
5. Attention to social justice, service, and creation care
6. Program structure and logistics

Each review provides an overview of the curriculum and highlights what the curriculum does well and what could be improved. Below you can access individual slidedecks for each review as well as the full slidedeck with all the reviews.

We offer our recommendations and critical feedback in a spirit of compassion and dedication to enriching faith formation for all people in liberating, life-giving ways. As always, we encourage you to reflect on the gifts, needs, values, and commitments of your ministry context in order to discern which curriculum may be best for your community.

Top Picks for 2026

This year’s top picks are:

• “Discovery on Adventure Island” by Cokesbury
• “Galaxy” by Group
• “In the Wilderness” by InsideOut
• “#KidsConnect” by Brethren Press and MennoMedia
• “Learning Together: Paul’s Adventures” by Spirit & Truth Publishing (full curriculum reviewed)
• “Rainforest Falls” by Group
• “Snowball Mountain Challenge” by Cokesbury
• “StoryMakers NYC VBS Starter Kit” by StoryMakers NYC (full curriculum reviewed)
• “Theses and Thrones” by Living Stories Sermons (full curriculum reviewed)

Overall, these resources generally provide the makings for age-appropriate, theologically grounded, and fun-filled formation opportunities for VBS and camp participants. While they also have room for improvement in various ways, we think that these curricula can be fruitful options for VBS, camp, or intergenerational formation programs.

Additional Resource Reviewed

We also reviewed the following curriculum and ultimately decided not to include it in our recommended resources:

• “Rome” by Group

In our estimation, this curriculum does not provide adequate, well-rounded engagement with scripture or holistic nurture of children’s spiritual formation.

Curriculum Review 2026 Slidedeck

For the full slidedeck of all reviews, follow this link or check out the embedded slides below: Building Faith VBS and Summer Camp Curriculum Reviews 2026

If you’re interested in more curriculum options for VBS or camp, you can also peruse our perennial top picks at this link: VBS, Summer Camp, and Intergenerational Curriculum Perennial Favorites

Thank You to Our Review Team

We are so grateful to our curriculum reviewers for 2026. They brought a lot of expertise, wisdom, practical insight, and creative thinking to the review process. Many thanks 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 ministering to children and youth for over 10 years. She and her husband are currently living in Alexandria, VA with their two small children. They have had the joy of ministering together not only in parishes, but on college campuses, at summer camp, and just about everywhere in between. Sally is passionate about faith formation for all people and helping people build confidence in 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 formerly worked at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church in Brookhaven, GA as its Children & Youth Minister. In that role, she loved ministering to all of St. Martin’s children and families, and she especially enjoyed aspects of curriculum creation and Christian education that her role required of her. Molly is a cradle Episcopalian and grew up in the Diocese of Atlanta. She graduated from Elon University in 2019 with a filmmaking degree and a minor in religious studies. Molly loves continuing to tell the story of the Church and discovering her identity further as a Christian formation 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 The Well Campus Ministries of East Carolina University. They served as Director of Christian Formation at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Greenville, NC for 8 years. Juniper was born and raised in Pennsylvania but has been living in the South for almost 20 years. They love to bake bread, drink boba tea, and go geocaching. Check out their blog for Christian formation and design at www.formedbyexperience.blog.

Featured image is by Leon Contreras on Unsplash