Vbs

[luvmarypoppins]

Just wondering what one you are doing?

And if anyone is doing the Outback Adventure one, can you tell me how you are decorating your room. I usually do much of the decorating ideas and ds sets it up for me. I will most likely be assisting the 6th grade teacher.

 

[KAMLEM]

What the heck is VBS?

 

[kacaju]

Vacation Bible School!! I just printed out the form today for our Church. We are doing Rome, Paul and the Underground Church.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

We're doing Studio GO! I get to run the whole thing, lucky me!

Does the director book not have decoration ideas? I thought most did, but can't remember which publisher was doing that one.

One thing I did for an Egypt-themed cub scout camp that would work- get some inflatable crocodiles/alligators. (I found some at the dollar store- ride on pool toys.) Line them up along a "river" of a length of cheap blue fabric. If teachers have/can borrow tan button up shirts and shorts, you could play up the whole Croc Hunter thing.

 

[laurie31]

We are doing Outback Adventure at our church too, but sadly I was not able to take off work to help. My older DD is old enough to be a youth helper for the first time, though, and she's really excited about it.

I am going to be able to get off work for the commencement on the last day, though

Ours is June 14-18 (yes, Sun-Thurs, not Mon-Fri. Weird, but they've found if they kick off on Sunday, they get more kids to sign up) so if yours is after that, I'll let you know what they did for decorations. I think they will get the rooms all decorated the week before.

 

[Deb in IA]

Chronicles of Narnia: Aslan is on the Move

Prince Caspian!

 

[HamTown]

Oriental trading has a lot of items meant for the Bayou VBS by Group. A lot of the alligator items would translate to crocs for the Outback.

We didn't see the Outback curriculum at our VBS showcase. Who is publishing it?

We're Methodist. We're doing Camp E.D.G.E.

 

[LittleBlue22]

We are doing Studio Go as well. I can't wait! We're going to make our own wheel with lights around it. Our Emcee guy will be wearing a tux all week and he plans on creating the extra long microphone with the cord so he can swing it around. We' re hoping to create a red carpet with rope lights on either side. The snack room might be a game room or THE Green room. With a limited budget we're going to do our best to pull out all the stops on this one. Instead on focusing on the songs, we're going to do some of the suggested games on stage. I look forward to being a Studio Go-Go dancer too, I'm just trying to come up with fun easy cheap costume ideas.We may even green slime the Emcee on the last day.

Outback adventure? Lots of animals or how about making jeep car prints on the floors directing the kids where to go or the next stop on the safari? You could make "road signs" for each department (craft, snack, song room, etc.). The kids could walk in the building through an arch of cardboard (really tall) giraffes! Ohh, what a fun theme! Or super size animals for each of the room doors.

 

[happygirl]

We are doing Coral Reef

 

[Rora]

So funny- DFiance and I were just talking about VBS. We both went when we were little and now our Church is trying to decide the theme.. this is just what we came up with, does anyone know how well they work or if there's a place where we can find good themes with fun activities? VBS is realtively new at our Church so we are all just learning:
-Outback
-Western
-Space
-Spy
-Under the Sea
-Egypt
-Treasure Hunting (I think Dfiance and I just made this one up we thought it would be cool to have each day be a different country and find the treasure-- a little world exposure mixed with Indiana Jones).

Thoughts, opinions, help? Thanks a lot and good luck with your VBS!!

 

[kinntj]

We're trying to get my DD's to go to VBS at our local church. We're not members, so we're not sure if church's are open to that.? We went to church there, but the music was so loud. I guess I could bring earplugs to help.

 

[gymboqueenkaylee]

Our church is doing Son Rock Kids Camp this year for VBS. I think it's going to be pretty good since it's a family VBS. We have never done one of the family ones before.

 

[LittleBlue22]

We're doing Studio GO! I get to run the whole thing, lucky me!

Does the director book not have decoration ideas? I thought most did, but can't remember which publisher was doing that one.

One thing I did for an Egypt-themed cub scout camp that would work- get some inflatable crocodiles/alligators. (I found some at the dollar store- ride on pool toys.) Line them up along a "river" of a length of cheap blue fabric. If teachers have/can borrow tan button up shirts and shorts, you could play up the whole Croc Hunter thing.

Studio Go's publisher is Standard. Have you seen this website for decoration ideas, http://www.vacationbibleschool.com/ ? I can pass along our decoration ideas as they come. When is your VBS? Ours is late June. Are you the Emcee or the coordinator for the VBS? I think being Emcee would be a blast, just watch a lot of Price is Right, Let's make a deal, Wheel of Fortune, or some other interactive game show to get in the mood.

Rora, I would select a VBS that is not too deocration intensive or requires too much work required from workers. Each VBS is adaptable to your level, you just have to decide how intense your workers want to be, how much work you want to prep for it, think about how many workers (older adults and/or teens) would participate. Think about what your church kids would like. What would the adults get into (like) and have fun with as well. I saw a snip it of the Space VBS and that looked cute too for all ages.

Michelle -I also wanted to add: We're decorating the walls with old game boards, game pieces, and use a decks of cards too. Easy peasy!

 

[MichelleinMaine]

So funny- DFiance and I were just talking about VBS. We both went when we were little and now our Church is trying to decide the theme.. this is just what we came up with, does anyone know how well they work or if there's a place where we can find good themes with fun activities? VBS is realtively new at our Church so we are all just learning:
-Outback
-Western
-Space
-Spy
-Under the Sea
-Egypt
-Treasure Hunting (I think Dfiance and I just made this one up we thought it would be cool to have each day be a different country and find the treasure-- a little world exposure mixed with Indiana Jones).

Thoughts, opinions, help? Thanks a lot and good luck with your VBS!!

You could put together active learning stations with lessons off www.rotation.org (which is a great resource no matter what curriculum you do, we use their stuff for our entire church school program. And it's FREE {donations accepted!})

Honestly though, particularly it's worth the $100 or so for a starter kit from one of the publishers. It will have all your art, music, bible study, games, openings, snacks... all right in there.

First one, think "easy theme" as much as you can. Western or Under the Sea/Luau are easy because there is related decorating stuff all over the dollar store, Walmart, party stores... If you can get ahold of it, last year Group had "God's Big Backyard", with an outdoorsy theme. Just bring the outdoors in for decorations. (Check ebay, etc.)

The important thing in conjunction with the theme though, is to make sure the package's lessons fit your churches needs. (Most are nonsectarian, but some "fit" our church better than others. Plus make sure it isn't too much repetition. (I think it was the Bayou one I liked, but it included alot on Moses. We spent 2 months on Moses this year in church school, we can move on! )

We're trying to get my DD's to go to VBS at our local church. We're not members, so we're not sure if church's are open to that.? We went to church there, but the music was so loud. I guess I could bring earplugs to help.

I don't know of any church that wouldn't LOVE to have visitors!

Studio Go's publisher is Standard. Have you seen this website for decoration ideas, http://www.vacationbibleschool.com/ ? I can pass along our decoration ideas as they come. When is your VBS? Ours is late June. Are you the Emcee or the coordinator for the VBS? I think being Emcee would be a blast, just watch a lot of Price is Right, Let's make a deal, Wheel of Fortune, or some other interactive game show to get in the mood.

I meant which publisher did the Outback one,lol (it's Lifeways, by the way).

I'm the Christian ed director, so in charge of the whole shebang. We're doing it end of June, too. I'm recruiting teens to be my characters (we only do VBS through grade 6). I would LOVE to do the emcee, but one of my son's friends will have a great time with it (and do a fab job.) Frees me up for whatever else goes wrong at any given time! I might end up being Cooper (though I'm getting a dog puppet. Even if I had the money to get a dog suit-ha! We have no a/c in our church and it's usually roasting hot VBS week.)

I got the wheel and big deco pack. I'm making up the stage just as they had it in the book with the Christmas lights and fabric, wardrobe boxes. I think the kids are going to be really excited about the opening & closing skit/games. We traditionally do just songs at those times and the current "crowd" just isn't into singing. Going to shake them up! I just had time to find the forums board on Standard's site. Going to keep an eye on it for some more fun ideas.

OP: I found a couple sites with ideas for Boomerang Express:
http://kingdomservants.org/09vbs.htm
Lifeway's own site

 

[KSchwagg86]

The "Son" ones are great!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Michelle, thanks for the links., I always look at the Lifeway site, but the other site has some really cute ideas too.

 

[ssmith010]

Hi we are doing Crocodile Dock VBS on a very limited budget. I have the kit but can't afford the add ons. Going to look at oriental trading. I am incharge of pre-school group. Looking for ideas. Thanks,

 

[LittleBlue22]

Hi we are doing Crocodile Dock VBS on a very limited budget. I have the kit but can't afford the add ons. Going to look at oriental trading. I am incharge of pre-school group. Looking for ideas. Thanks,

Have you had any luck for ideas? My creative streak has come back and I've got some ideas for you. Here's my big picture. I'm thinking fire flys, crickets, swamp reeds, frogs, lake of some sort some where even rafts come to mind or canoes. The kids could cross between two cardboard pieces decorated as a wooden bridge. We bought a dvd of nature noises for when the kids walked in the registration room. You could have the registration table decorated as a picnic table with red/white checked table cloth (found at Wal*Mart). Have the kids groups sit on large blankets (if your church has to set up chairs). Let's see, how about a sun or a crescent moon hung somewhere on stage? The staff could roll up their t-shirt sleeves, wear camp shorts, and a type of hiking boot. Hey, for creme de la creme, have them wear handkerchiefs around their necks or hair.


I've been researching outfit ideas for Studio Go dancers/singers. I think I've come up with a couple outfit ideas. Here's one top I found today with bling trip around the neck. And, the second has Beaddazzle like trim around it.

1st:

2nd:

We could wear white capris and white shoes and maybe blingy bracelets. . We're going to have another VBS meeting soon to further discuss what we could do with the theme. I'll fill you all in after we meet. On another note, we get to borrow a huge black tall stage curtain so a huge part of our budget is taken care of. *whoohoo* so we can spend our limited $$ else where.

 

[LittleBlue22]

How's everyone's VBS plans going? Have you had VBS? Is your week coming up? Or are you in the midst of your week right now like we are? I'd love to hear from you all.

 

[wdwiala]

This is our second year in a row using the Answers In Genesis material. Love it. Very detailed decoration instructions (I'm in charge or decor so I am very thankful for that!). We are doing the one with Space this summer.

I think that you can't underestimate the ease of using material already layed out for you vs' creating your own.