Create groups, assign children and volunteers, manage members across groups, customize group details, and print name badges for VBS.
Groups let you organize registered children and adult volunteers into manageable teams for VBS. Each group has its own color, optional grade range, media branding, and celebration effects. Once groups are set up you can print professional name badges for check-in day.
Creating Groups
Navigate to the Groups tab in your VBS admin area. The groups page shows all existing groups as cards with child and adult counts, grade ranges, allergy alerts, and current donation totals. If this is your first time here you'll see an empty state prompting you to create your first group.
The groups list with (1) Create Group, (2) Auto Assign, (3) Manage Groups, and (4) Print Badges
The toolbar across the top provides quick access to key actions: Create Group, Manage Groups, Auto Assign, Print Badges, and Clear Assignments. The page also has two tabs — Groups and Friend Requests — so you can switch between managing teams and reviewing friend preferences.
1
Open the create group dialog
Click the Create Group button in the toolbar. A dialog appears with options for naming and configuring your group.
2
Name and color your group
Enter a descriptive group name (e.g., "Red Eagles", "Blue Dolphins", or "Green Tigers"). Then choose a color from the eight available swatches. The color appears as a header bar on the group's card and is used on printed badges when group colors are enabled.
The Create Group dialog with (1) name field, color swatches, challenge toggle, and grade range
3
Configure challenge and grade range
The Include in Challenge toggle (on by default) decides whether this group participates in the donation competition. Optionally set a Grade Range using the From and To dropdowns so the auto-assign feature knows which children belong here.
Tip
Setting grade ranges is optional but highly recommended. It enables the auto-assign feature to distribute children into groups automatically based on their registered grade.
Managing Members
After creating a group, click its card to open the group detail page. Switch to the Members tab to add children and adult volunteers.
The Members tab with current members on the left and the Add Members panel on the right
1
Add members from the available list
The right column shows an Add Members panel with a search bar and filter pills (All, Children, Adults). Click any person in the list to add them to the group instantly.
2
Assign roles to adult volunteers
In the left Current Members column, each adult volunteer has a role badge. Click it to assign roles like Group Leader or Station Helper. This helps your team know who is responsible for each group.
3
Remove or manage a member
Open the context menu on any member in the current members list to view their details or remove them from the group. Removed members move back to the available pool and can be added to a different group.
Note
A child can only belong to one group at a time. Adults can be added to multiple groups if they float between teams.
Manage Groups Page
For bulk assignment work, use the dedicated Manage Groups page. Click the Manage Groups button from the groups list toolbar to open it.
The Manage Groups page — click group pills to focus, then add or move people
The Manage Groups page provides a streamlined two-column layout for moving people between groups without navigating back and forth:
1
Select a group from the pill bar
The top of the page shows a scrollable bar of group pills — one for each group with its color dot, name, and member count. Click a pill to focus on that group in the right column.
2
Browse and filter all people
The left column shows All People with a search bar and filter pills: All, Volunteers, Assigned, and Not Assigned. Each person shows their current group assignment (if any) as a colored badge.
3
Add, move, or remove with one click
Each person row has an inline action button that adapts to context. For unassigned people it shows Add; for people in a different group it shows Move; for people already in the focused group it shows Remove. You can also use the dropdown menu for more options like viewing details.
Tip
The Manage Groups page is ideal for last-minute adjustments on VBS day. You can quickly reassign children between groups without opening each group individually.
Customizing Group Details
The Details tab on the group detail page lets you customize how the group looks and feels during the competition and on the big screen.
The Details tab lets you customize the group name, color, media, and celebration effects
Basic Info
Update the group name, change its color, toggle competition inclusion, and adjust the grade range at any time.
Media
Upload a Logo / Mascot image and a Banner Image for the group. These appear on the competition scoreboard and group cards.
Effects
Choose an Animation Style from the available options: bounce, shake, glow, pulse, or confetti. Upload a Celebration Sound that plays when the group's donation total is updated on the live scoreboard. You can preview and stop the sound directly from this card.
Tip
Changes on the details tab are not saved automatically. Look for the sticky Save Changes bar at the bottom of the page. It shows an "Unsaved changes" indicator with a pulsing dot whenever you have pending edits.
Printing Badges
Name badges help volunteers quickly identify children, their guardians, and any allergy information. There are two ways to print badges: per-group or for all groups at once.
Single Group Badges
Open a group and switch to the Badges tab. The left column lets you select which children to include using checkboxes. The right column shows a live badge preview.
Select children using checkboxes, configure style, then click (1) Print to generate badges
1
Select children
Check the boxes next to the children you want to print badges for. Use the top checkbox to select or deselect all. The badge count updates in real time at the bottom.
2
Configure badge style
In the Style card, toggle Use Group Colors to apply the group's color to badge headers. Choose a Text Color from the dropdown (Auto, White, or Black) to adjust readability against the group color.
3
Print
Click the Print button. Badges are sized at 3.5" x 2.5" and print two per row on standard letter paper. Each badge shows the group name, child's name, guardian information, and any allergies.
Print All Badges
From the main groups list page, click the Print Badges button in the toolbar. This opens a dialog with a collapsible group tree and tri-state checkboxes so you can select specific children across multiple groups. The same style options and print layout apply.
Warning
Always do a test print before VBS day. Make sure your printer is set to actual size (not "fit to page") so the badges come out at the correct dimensions.
Auto Assign
If you've set grade ranges on your groups, the Auto Assign button on the groups list page can distribute unassigned children automatically.
1
Set grade ranges on each group
Make sure every group has a From and To grade configured on its details tab. Overlapping ranges are allowed — children will be assigned to the first matching group with capacity.
2
Click Auto Assign
Click the Auto Assign button in the toolbar. The system matches each unassigned child's grade to the appropriate group. Confirmed friend preferences are also respected — children with confirmed friend matches are placed in the same group when grade ranges allow.
3
Resolve friend conflicts (if any)
If friends have incompatible grade ranges for the same group, a conflict dialog appears. You can choose to place friends together (overriding the grade range) or keep them in grade-appropriate groups.
4
Review the results
A results dialog shows how many children were assigned, how many were skipped because they have no grade on file, and how many were skipped because no group matched their grade. It also shows friend clusters that were formed. Review the skipped children and assign them manually using the Members tab or Manage Groups page.
Tip
Run auto-assign after registration closes and before printing badges. You can always move children between groups manually afterward using the Members tab or the Manage Groups page.
Clear Assignments
If you need to start over, the Clear Assignments button on the groups list toolbar removes all children and volunteers from every group at once. You'll need to type "CLEAR" to confirm since this action cannot be undone. This is useful if you want to re-run auto-assign with different grade ranges.
Warning
Clearing assignments removes all members from all groups. The groups themselves are not deleted — only the member assignments are reset.
Friend Requests
The Groups page includes a Friend Requests tab where you can review and manage friend preferences submitted by families during registration. From here you can confirm automatic matches, dismiss requests, and manually link children as friends. See the VBS Friend Preferences article for detailed instructions.
Permissions
Managing VBS groups requires the events.manage permission. Users with this permission can create, edit, and delete groups, manage members, and print badges. Assign this permission through roles in your organization settings.
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