VBS Open Houses

Wow! I can't even believe that we are already passed the vbs showcase. Where did the time go?? It is almost the end of January!!!

I'm sure some of you are like me and have barely had time to catch your breath since the holiday rush. If that is your situation you may have missed the showcase in all the craziness and are now thinking that it is time to figure out your vbs plan. Good News!! We are having 3 open houses in February to help you do just that! There is one at each one of our retail locations on either February 27th or 28th. We will have kits available for consignment (or purchase!!), staff there to answer questions, and tons of material for you to look over. I've posted the schedule of when and where on the side bar but feel free to call or email me anytime for more information!!!

Hope to see you soon!!!!

Crocodile Dock - Group

Since today is another cold and snowy day I think it is time for me to write about the Bayou! Crocodile Dock is my pick for this week and I love it! I had a blast with this vbs kit. From the second you open the kit (and experience the noise-maker) you will have a great time too!

The first thing I noticed is the Director's Guide. It is in an actual 3-ring binder and is really well organized with color coded tabs. There is a section called 'bright ideas' that I thought was especially well done. There are some great ideas - daily staff devotionals, special thank-you's, and idea's on how to keep kids safe. Also included in the starter kit is a variety of volunteer and student resources. I think for the price ($139.99) the kit is pretty well stocked. The only thing I was disappointed in was the fact that the clip art / resource cd-rom wasn't included.

Also part of the kit are some dvd's - training, decorating, music, and Chadder's Adventure. I was watching Chadder's Adventure dvd at home one weekend when my 4 year old wandered in and sat with me. He loved it! We ended up watching it quite a few times that weekend. By Sunday night he was singing the songs he had learned and telling Grandma all about Chadder and Fraider.

The snacks tie in really well with each days Bible story and Bible point yet still manage to stay fairly healthy. The crafts look fun and easy to do for all ages. I like the different options for most of the days - especially nice for a vbs with a variety of ages in attendance.

I really had fun with this kit. Group did a great job putting together this vbs!!! I'm looking forward to seeing the presentation of it at the Showcase on Thursday.

Kingdom of the Son - Gospel Light

Gospel Light has 2 vbs programs to pick from again this year. The first one that I reviewed was Kingdom of the Son. They are only offering this kit as a Super Starter Kit ($199.99).

I liked the animal theme idea. Using a safari trip is a great way to incoorporate a variety of different animals and fun decorating options. My favorite part of this vbs is the use of the Lord's Prayer. The safari is actually a prayer safari and The Lord's Prayer is the focus. Included in the starter kit is a coloring book called The Lord's Prayer that has been featured by 'Focus on the Family'. Personally I feel that the teaching/learning of the Lord's Prayer is something that can be overlooked in children's ministry and I am thrilled to see it as a focus of a vacation bible school!

An idea that I thought was helpful was all the bonus theme ideas that are in the director's guide. Ideas not just for decorations and snacks but to help you encourage volunteers. Things like creating a prayer journal and publishing a simple one page daily newsletter for your volunteers. I like the idea of letting the volunteers know they are appreciated - that is a great way to get repeat helpers!!!

Another feature that was interesting to me was the daily focus and memory verses. I thought Gospel Light did a great job making them age appropriate. There are seperate options for the pre-k /k age group and the elementary age group. This is a good way to make sure that the daily material is neither watered down or over anyone's head.

This starter kit is one of the more expensive options this year. However, I would like to encourage everyone to take a look at it. Even if you are on a little bit of a tighter budget this year - there are a lot of simple, easy ideas in the director's guide that use things you probably already have.