Lynda's Links and VBS Info

Many of you reading this probably already know Lynda Freeman. But just in case I will (re) introduce her to everyone!!

Lynda is the curriculum advisor for Kregel Parable Christian stores and as such she is a wealth of great information! She is devoted to children's ministry and dedicated to finding the right curriculum for every group and situation.

On occasion Lynda writes articles that she generously shares with us. I will post links to them as they become available. She has also been spending LOTS of time reviewing and analyzing the VBS kits. Her thoughts and reviews are also available as links on the right hand side of the page. Enjoy!!!

Polar Extremes - Regular Baptist Press

Today I moved from warm canyon weather to the frigid polar climate!! My vbs focus for this week is Polar Extremes by Regular Baptist Press. I enjoyed my "time" in the North and South pole much more then I expected too! If you have never checked out the program that Regular Baptist offers this would be a great year to start!!

There are some really fun crafts. I especially liked the foam penguin puzzle and the handprint moose. For the older kids there is a snow globe kit that looks like a lot of fun.

The Director's kit includes a CD-Rom that is full of really helpful things. There is more clip art options than anymore could possibly use! There are animals (both realistic and cartoon variety), outdoor scenic spots (the North and South poles), and lots of nature options (snowflakes, evergreen trees etc.). Also on the cd-rom are publicity choices, posters, and lots of information. All the print outs are available in black and white or color.

Another interesting feature for Polar Extremes is the Adult studies. The kit includes an Adult leader book and student book. I read the first lesson and found it to be very practical and a great tie-in to what the kids were doing on the same day. I really enjoyed this idea.

My only concern about the Polar Extremes would have to have been the music. While I did enjoy the music I can't see the middle / older elementary aged kids getting that into it. You might want to think about incorporating some songs from your winter Sunday School programs or even some Christmas songs to keep with the snowy theme.

That said, overall I did really like Polar Extremes. I think it is a great idea to bring the snowy, wintery weather back around in the summer time. There are so many great options for things like decorating and snack ideas. This has the potential to be a really exciting VBS!!

Discovery Canyon - Augsburg Fortress

As the weather outside my window gets colder and colder and the snow gets higher and higher it was a nice treat to get to spend part of my day exploring Discovery Canyon by Augsburg Fortress. This is the first of many VBS kits to arrive and I had a great time checking it out!

Discovery Canyon is designed for K - 6th graders with additional curriculum available for preschoolers if needed. The main theme is evangelism with daily mini-themes that enforce it further. One thing that I thought was really neat was the use of a Psalm for each daily memory verse.

As with most vbs options there are activity sites / stations each day. These sites varied from hands-on science activities to drama's to music and motion activities. There is also a Daily Canyon Critter and they are all super cute. I really liked Max the Mantis and Felix the Fox!

Overall I really liked Discovery Canyon and at $69.99 per kit it is very reasonable priced with some fun add-on's you can get to make it just right for your church!!