Vacation Bible School was a much LOVED event for our children. They each had their favorite part, but they loved it as a whole. Now that my children are now mostly too old to participate (still have one guy little enough!), they help out and give other children the same love for VBS that they had.
We attend a SMALL country church and our attendance for Vacation Bible School is pretty small. Our budget is pretty small as well. Doing all the BIG decorations, craft, snacks and extras is often difficult Zondervan Publishing has put together a Vacation Bible School resource list to give ideas if you have not chosen something already in your church. These would also be fun if you wanted to hold a five day club in your backyard or at a park. I will will highlighting one theme each day...so keep checking back! You might be thinking, VBS? It's only May!!! Well, it takes some advance planning and MUCH PRAYER to run a Vacation Bible School. Also, just in case you are wondering, I do not get any kick back or commission for sharing this... I am not an affiliate for any of the links, I do not get paid in any way. As a member of the Z Blog Squad, this resource list was made available to us to share...being in a small church, I really appreciate having this kind of information. I hope you enjoy it too!
Today's theme is: Under the Sea
This summer, Finding Dory, the much anticipated sequel to the beloved Disney movie Finding Nemo will release on June 17. Kids everywhere will be excited for everything under-the-sea related---which also makes it a FUN theme for Vacation Bible School!
Bible Stories that would fit well with an Under the Sea theme:
Creation
Noah's Ark
Jonah in the belly of a big fish
The Loaves and Fishes
Jesus Walks on the water
Jesus says, "I will make you fishers of men"
Books to reference:
The Under the Sea NIrV Bible $24.99
Made by God: Sea Creatures (An I Can Read level 2 book) $3.99
Jonah and the Great Big Fish by Rhonda Gowler Greene $9.99
Ocean Adventures by Peter Schreimer $7.99
Ocean Adventures DVD Series
Volume 1 $9.99
Volume 2 $12.99
Volume 3 $12.99
These resources would be a great accompaniment to the story period or play the DVDs in segments at your opening and closing sessions. They would also be great gifts to award for children who brought friends, had perfect attendance or maybe just need a Bible.
Oriental Trading Company has some great ideas for crafts, here are just a few I have chosen to highlight. HOPEFULLY, they will not be out of stock if you decide to use them
Under the Sea Treasure Prayer Box $8.25 for 12
Under the Sea Clip Magnet $3.48 for 12
Clown Fish Sea Anemone Pop Up $8.25 for 12
Under the Sea Paracord Bracelet $11.99 for 12
Flowerpot Whale Well, it looks like this one is out of stock...maybe it will come back...it is very cute!
Find other ideas from OTC here or from Pinterest Decor, Crafts, and Snacks. You can find INFINITELY more wonderful ideas on Pinterest or by just doing a Google Search. I can get lost for days on Pinterest...SHINY...PRETTY, Oh, you want dinner? Also, I tried to choose snacks that were more on the healthy side than sugary. There are some sweet treats in there too, but children...on sugar...not such a great idea.
A few more ideas could be:
Make cupcake liner fish
paint seashells by the seashore...well, not by the seashore! Turn them into necklaces, paperweights, magnets and frames.
Scuba Diver Costume
Outdoor fishing games using mini swimming pools and foam fish.
Visit a local pool, lake or beach for swimming.
Visit an aquarium or zoo.
Create an Under the Sea wall mural using recyclables. Invite parents to check out your "art gallery" at the end of VBS.
Songs for this theme can include:
Rise and Shine
Who Did (Swallow Jonah)
Deep and Wide
And more ideas here
Come back tomorrow for the next theme:World Builders!
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