Vacation Bible School
My passion is knowing Jesus and making Him known. Vacation Bible School is one of my favorite weeks, because I get to pour God's love and God's Word in the lives and hearts of many kids while we all have tons of fun. I will post my ideas and resources here.
My church is using Lifeway's In The Wild curriculum. I have used some of Lifeway's clipart in my materials to help them fit the theme. My ideas and materials are not made or sponsored by Lifeway.
Here is a link to Lifeway's website in case you want to check out their resources.
vbs.lifeway.com
My church is using Lifeway's In The Wild curriculum. I have used some of Lifeway's clipart in my materials to help them fit the theme. My ideas and materials are not made or sponsored by Lifeway.
Here is a link to Lifeway's website in case you want to check out their resources.
vbs.lifeway.com
Back-Up Activities
I like to keep a couple simple activities on hand in case I end up with a few extra minutes or a few kids who arrive early or leave late.
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This file is just for fun. It is a Hidden Words (word search) page. I will keep these on hand just in case I need an extra-early-arrival or late pick-up activity. This is also good for the first day if kids need something extra to do while kids are still being registered and coming in.
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This game is designed for kids 8+. One person stands in the front of the group and selects a card. That person may speak, act, draw, or any combination of them in order to get the rest of the group to guess the sentence on the card, but none of the words can be said.
This is last year's file so you can see what it will look like. Check back soon for this year's file. | ||
Pass the iPod
If you end up with a couple minutes in a hallway waiting on a rotation, you can play Pass the iPod.
- Ahead of time, make a PowerPoint with one word of the memory verse on each slide. Save the PowerPoint slides as jpgs and sync them to an iPod.
- During a waiting time, hand the iPod to the first child in the line. The child reads the word, and passes the iPod to the next person in the line. That child swipes to the next word, reads it, and passes it. Continue until the verse has been read.
- You can time this activity with the stopwatch on your phone and challenge kids to beat their time. (A time penalty could be given if kids are too loud, in order to help keep the noise down in the hallway.)
If you end up with a couple minutes in a hallway waiting on a rotation, you can play Pass the iPod.
- Ahead of time, make a PowerPoint with one word of the memory verse on each slide. Save the PowerPoint slides as jpgs and sync them to an iPod.
- During a waiting time, hand the iPod to the first child in the line. The child reads the word, and passes the iPod to the next person in the line. That child swipes to the next word, reads it, and passes it. Continue until the verse has been read.
- You can time this activity with the stopwatch on your phone and challenge kids to beat their time. (A time penalty could be given if kids are too loud, in order to help keep the noise down in the hallway.)
Here are Puzzle Pages for each day. Check back soon for more resources.
Day 1 Encounter at the Temple Puzzle Page and Felt Board Characters
Day 2 Encounter at the River Puzzle Page
Day 3 Encounter at the Water Puzzle Page
Day 4 Encounter at the Tomb Puzzle Page
Day 5 Encounter on the Road Puzzle Page
Day 1 Encounter at the Temple Puzzle Page and Felt Board Characters
Day 2 Encounter at the River Puzzle Page
Day 3 Encounter at the Water Puzzle Page
Day 4 Encounter at the Tomb Puzzle Page
Day 5 Encounter on the Road Puzzle Page
Teaching Tips
Here are some tips for teaching kids Biblical content. If you attended my training session, these are the notes and PowerPoint from that session. The PowerPoint also has notes in it.
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Decorating Ideas
It is important for children to feel like a part of the class as soon as possible. One of the first things I do each year is an activity for kids to display in the classroom. This not only gives the children a chance to be creative, but hanging their work up in the class gives them ownership in the class and a sense of belonging. This year, when kids arrive they will make their own ecosystem scene to add stickers to throughout the week. Last year they made large trading cards about themselves and added gold stars to trophies that we put next to their trading cards.
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This is how I set up my room last year.
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Next to their trading card they put a paper trophy. (They cut it out from this handout.) During the week they earned stickers to put on their trophy. This year students will earn animal stickers to add to their ecosystem scenes they designed. Stickers are earned by memorizing Scripture, participating in activities, showing kindness to others, etc.
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Another will will be covered in blue and green paper. Kids will make their own animal to add to the giant mural. Last year kids made their own paper jerseys.
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Be sure to post the schedule somewhere so the kids know what to expect.
This is last year's sign. |
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