Church Nursery Jobs Chart Display [free printables]

Help your nursery class run smoothly at church on Sundays with these free printables for a display, as well as a sample nursery schedule.

When Phillip and I were called to serve in our ward’s nursery for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it happened not long after our youngest was born. For those of you who are unfamiliar, nursery covers ages 18 months through the December after a child turns three.

At the time there were 28 children on the class roll. On any given Sunday, we averaged 14–15 little ones—and it was just the two of us. There’s a lot of energy, a lot of movement, and a lot of very big feelings in very small bodies.

If you’ve ever served in nursery, you already know—having some structure is not optional. It’s survival. 😉

One of the biggest challenges we faced was helping the children feel engaged and involved, rather than wandering, melting down, or all trying to do the same thing at once. We didn’t want nursery to feel chaotic, and we also didn’t want it to feel like we were constantly redirecting or correcting. That’s when the idea for a tri-fold display came together.

We created a simple tri-fold nursery display to help give the kids small responsibilities. Even at this young age, children love having a job. It gives them a sense of ownership and purpose, and it helps them know what’s expected of them during nursery time. This display became a visual anchor for our class—something consistent they could see and understand, even if they couldn’t yet read.

The tri-fold setup allowed us to clearly show who was helping with which responsibilities that day. It also made transitions smoother and reduced some of the power struggles that naturally pop up in nursery. Instead of saying, “Please don’t do that,” we could often redirect with, “Let’s check your job,” or “It’s time for your turn to help.”

Over time, we noticed that the children became more confident and more comfortable in nursery. They recognized the routine. They knew where to look. And they were genuinely excited to participate.

Because this worked so well for us, we decided to share it. Included are links to the Canva templates so you can easily print and customize your own tri-fold nursery display. Whether you’re serving in a large nursery or a small one, this setup can be adapted to fit your needs.

Nursery doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With a little preparation and a lot of love, it can be a joyful, peaceful place—for leaders and little ones alike.

Our Nursery Class Routine

Having a routine for our nursery class made a tremendous difference. It no longer felt like a free-for-all hour, but we were able to help the kids learn to listen, raise their hands, sit still, feel the Spirit, and so much more.

Nursery lasts for the entire second hour of church in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The start time varies depending on your ward, but for simplicity’s sake, I am going to have 10:00am be the starting time for this sample schedule.

Time	Activity
10:00 to 10:05	Bubble machine (to help shy/scared kids feel comfortable and excited).
10:05-10:25	Free play with toys
10:25-10:30	Pick up toys
10:30-10:40	Get out sitting spots Sing song Say prayer Share lesson
10:40-10:45	Put away sitting spots Get out table and chairs Pass out crayons and papers Get out snacks and drinks while kids color
10:45-11:00	Color picture and eat snacks until parents arrive
11:00	Parents come to get child Nursery leaders clean up

Tips for a Smooth Nursery

Here are some tips and tricks for what made our nursery class go smoothly, even with so many children and so few adults:

Have a set routine that you follow each week.

Use a bubble machine for the first five minutes as kids trickle in. Many of them don’t want to be separated from their parents, especially the younger ones, and this helps them forget their fears.

Put away toys before the lesson. This helps kids recognize that the expectation of their behavior has changed. They are less likely to be distracted.

Have a lesson, complete with a song (or a few songs!) and prayer. Even the youngest children can learn and feel the Spirit.

Use sitting spots during the lesson to help kids stay focused and sit still.

Have re-usable cups and bowls for the snack and drink. Each child had their own with their name on it. This prevents waste, avoids messes, and doesn’t spread germs. Goldfish was our go-to snack each week.

Nursery Jobs Board Printables

The jobs for our nursery included:

Spots: get out the circle spots. Kids will wait in line, and the helping child will give them the color spot they request
Lead song: stand with a nursery leader and “conduct” the music as you sing the song
Prayer: say the prayer at the beginning of the lesson
Crayons: put crayons (or other color material) on the table
Drinks: hand out the drinks to each child
Snacks: hand out each child’s bowl with snacks
Chairs: help unstack the chairs and put them around the table for kids to sit in
Birthdays: this isn’t really a job per se, but if anyone has a birthday in the upcoming week, take a moment to recognize them and sing a birthday song.

Here is a PDF of our nursery jobs board printables. You can print them as it is, or you can use this Canva link to make changes to adapt to fit your nursery.