Vacation Bible School Ideas & Planning Help
In most churches, Vacation Bible School is their largest summer. It typically takes the form of a day camp including games, crafts, bible lessons, and other activities. This page offers planning help for your church based VBS.
Choosing Curriculum
- Browse our current VBS 2011 theme and future 2012 VBS themes
- Read our how-to article about choosing a Bible School Theme
- Consider our free Fruit of the Spirit VBS and an Armor of God VBS materials
- How to find Spanish Language and KJV curriculum for VBS
General Planning Help
- Print out this 9 step plan for organizing a VBS
- Listen to our podcast with VBS planning tips
- Considering day versus night schedule
- 10 Tips for VBS Directors
- Read about a church that was sued because of a VBS injury
VBS Promotion & Outreach
VBS Budgeting
- Read our guide for doing VBS on a small budget
- Consider Chick-Fil-A donations for VBS
Finding & Training Volunteers
- How to find volunteers for VBS
- Our post about training Teen VBS volunteers
- Don’t forget spiritual preparation
Rotation Specific Help
- VBS games on a budget
- 8 VBS Game Ideas for Preschoolers
- Tips for Bible School Crafts
- Vacation Bible School Decorations?
- High Energy game ideas for VBS
VBS Follow Up
- sample VBS follow-up letter
- 4 essential tasks for after VBS
- more follow-up advice
- Printable forms for VBS evaluation
Here are a few more articles that might help you plan Vacation Bible School.
- Vacation Bible School Forums
- First read 10 reasons why VBS still matters and then check out
- Bible School Trends & Reflection
- For a brief history of Vacation Bible School, check out this page on Wikipedia.
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{ 24 comments }
We are interested in a one day VBS this year. Do you have any suggestions that would help?
Our church has been blessed to receive a lot of the materials for the Beach Party VBS theme. One thing that I desperately need, though, is the music CD for the songs. Does anyone have one that I can buy? Thank you.
I have the CD. I can copy it and send it to you if you would like. I am doing the same theme. Where did you get materials? I bought the starter kit, but I am unable to find any additional materials.
Please do send me the VBS lesson which was entitled ARMOR OF GOD. I was able to download the teachers manual but I failed to download the kids activities. thanks for all the lessons posted. they’re really very helpful in relaying clearly the messages of the bible. god bless!
construction zone is the name of the vbs. try christian book store online
I am looking for a music cd from a construction theme VBS done a few years ago. Also would like to track down the song (on a cd) called, “Kids Under Construction” Thanks for any help you can give.
This Web-site is a great idea!
In His service
I’m not sure about the song you are looking for, but I just downloaded a construction theme song from KidTunz.com. Maybe that will fit! Also, sometimes you can find stuff like that on Amazon.com under MP3.
I am looking for VBS materials related to ‘Abide in His Love’ Theme. If you have some kindly let me know.
Thanking you
I am looking for VBS materials related to ‘Abide in His Love’ theme. If you have some kindly let me know.
Thanks
I am looking for Groups Bethlehem Village Holy Land Adventure VBS materials…..Can anyone help me?
Thanks..
Can you identify which VBS programs are available in a Catholic version. I have used Group’s for 9 years now, and I love it, but I still like to check other themes out and need to know if they are available in a Catholic version.
Thanks, you have a very informative site.
Ligouri carries a Catholic version of Gospel Light VBS programs!
Tony,
Have you seen Group’s theme this year on ROME: The Underground Church? We are doing it and I am in the role of the Apostle Paul. Just wondering what your overall thoughts were on the curriculum.
I didn’t take a very close look at it, but let me see if I can put together a post on it.
We did Rome in our church (attended by about 50+ kids). It was a huge hit with both the adults and the kids. The Marketplace idea was great, although you have to make sure to have your family leaders keep the group together (or you may have a few wandering kids). We did the animal sacrifice shop and had all kinds of things from duck, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and more! The kids loved this. I would be happy to talk more about this if you have any questions or want any tips. Find me on my website: growingkidsministry.com or email me lindseyrwhitney@hotmail.com!
Wow! What a useful website! Thank you for putting it together for us. Maybe you can give some help with my problem. I work in our church library. We are open during Bible school, supply story tellers and audio visual equipment and we kick off our summer reading program with
VBS using the same theme (or an adaptation of it.) I understand that many of my colleagues in other churches do the same. If would be so helpful if we could purchase a summer reading program kit with the same theme as VBS. It could even include a little booklet with insructions on how to do a summer reading program for those who haven’t tried it before. Just some bookmarks and themed paper that could be used for running off a reading log or summer reading club rules would be helpful. Posters would be fantastic. Do any of the vendors you list offer such a product. I know that two of them do not. Thanks for your help.
I too am looking for additional materials for “Lighthouse Kids – Shining God’s Light” VBS. I just spoke with Cokesbury and they don’t keep VBS supplies around for that long. So, if any one has and old 2003 VBS materials (Lighthouse Kids) they would be willing to share, I would very much appreciate it. God be with you. Sharon.
I am looking for Lighhouse for kids music CD, can you help me find one?
I have the Lighthouse music on CD… I am not sure how this web site works – but perhaps I could arrange to get it to you. I am in California.
I hoping you can help me out. I viewed your site, but I didn’t see the theme I was hoping to find. I am looking for a VBS theme for Hawaii, Do you have material for this type of theme? I saw this theme last year in one of the VBS catelogs. My church did the Beach Party theme last year. We purchased a lot of material for the beach theme and we wanted to use some of the material again for this years theme. You’re help would be greatly appreciated.
Tammie Kuhn
VBS Director
Wacissa Penticostal Holiness Church
(850) 997-4577
I see your church did the “Beach Party” by Cokesbury (I believe it was in 2008) do you have ANY materials left, please contact me. I would love to see what you have and possibly buy some or borrow it. I am VBS Director of my church and I am having a hard time locating materials from this VBS program.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Tammie, Do you have any of the extras that went with Beach Party? I’m trying to possibly locate the Student Take-Home CD-ROM, and The Adventure Video for Assembly Time. Oriental Trading Company has a lots of beach type and Hawaiin themed stuff in their catalog.. you can also access them online. They are pretty reasonable, and sell in quantity.
I have just discovered your website and have found it very informative. Do you have any ideas on how to locate “old” VBS materials. I have a great kit which our church bought and never used called Lighthouse Kids- Shining Gods Light, which I thought would be great to use on our N. Calif coastline this summer. However, I am unable to find any resources (additional product) for it. Any ideas? Thank you for your webpage
Thanks for reading. I’ve heard you can find some old material on Ebay.com or directly from the publishers.
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