Wayfinding signage helps your guests feel comfortable at your portable church, but how does that translate to children's ministry?

Kids Ministry Roll Up Banners

We know that parents are the ones who will guide their kids around high school, library, or office building portable church, but what about making the kids feel comfortable in their space?

Since most portable churches aren't hanging signs, roll-up banners are a popular option.

They stand on the floor with a built-in base, they are printed on a solid material so their colors are vivid and accurate to the original design, and they roll up to a compact hard case which protects the banners as they are stored or moved so they look as good as new the next time you roll them out.

Unused Rollup Banner Real Estate:

One thing that often gets overlooked with rollup banners is that while the top half is usually where the wayfinding directions go (so they can be seen over a crowd) the bottom half, sometimes 'unused' space, is the perfect height to be eye level with preschoolers and young elementary students.

While kids this age may not be able to read, this space on a roll-up banner is the perfect location to put a kids character, a smiling face, or icons with directions (for the bathroom for instance), or an arrow with age groups (like 5-10 years old).

This design is less about the functionality of that sign (hopefully, young kids aren't trying to find their OWN way to the bathroom or get to their classroom without their parents), it does make them feel welcome to see a friendly or recognizable cartoon character from their children's ministry curriculum welcoming them, or help them feel like they know they're way around your portable church facility.

Use Wayfinding Signs To Speak Your Kids' Language:

Young kids think in colors and shapes and are still learning about letters. You could have colored signs that match your kids age groups.

When a child checks in for the first time, your guest services team can tell them "We're going to follow the blue arrows to your classroom!" and then have the child look for blue arrows all along the way to their class. This could also work with following the bear paw prints or following the arrows that point to their age group.

Make your guest feel like they know the way around your portable church facility by allowing them to guide you through the hallways by following their assigned symbol on the signs.

Don't Forget: Most Signage is 2 sided!

Not only will your children's ministry guests need directions TO your classroom, they'll also need directions as they're leaving your classroom at the end of service.

Be sure that your signage isn't entirely focused on people coming into your church that you miss helping guide them back out.

No one likes getting lost, so even if your guest has had an amazing experience for their entire time with you, getting frustrated with trying to find the parking lot can leave a poor taste in their mouth (especially if your portable facility is large, or has many different hallways).

Hide the current facility signage if possible

While you may have clear signage pointing the way, a child who is just learning to read may be focussed on finding things to read rather than trying to figure out if the bright letters in the elementary school hallway are connected to the church using that facility, or simply the signage for the facility itself.

As often as possible, minimize distractions by covering other signage, or choosing your own signage to go in front of facility signs.

You don't want guests feeling like they're "back in high school" as they walk past a trophy case, so hang some curtains, or put up a banner in front of that space, and make the environment and experience focused entirely around your church.

Have a question about your Kids Ministry Wayfinding Signage for your Popup Church? Our design team would be happy to share the expertise we've learned from helping thousands of churches! 

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