Top 10 Ways to Use the Kid’s Activity Pak Books

ruth smallYou just never know what you are going to learn at our VBS Preview Events! This past January, I got to hear Kelli McAnally share some creative ways to use the kid’s activity paks with preschoolers. Kelli wrote the 15-page storybooks for the VBS 2013 Kid’s Activity Pak: Babies–2s and the VBS 2013 Kid’s Activity Pak: 3s–Kindergarten.

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  1. Act out the book—kids choose colored craft sticks to determine which character they will be.
  2. Match colors in the book—kids draw pieces of colored paper out of the VBS 2014 Inflatable Coaster Car.
  3. Match letters and words—match foam letters, clothespins with letters, or tiles with letters to those in the book. Easy words (such as “God”) also can be matched.
  4. Listen for a word—kids clap or raise hands when they hear the word.
  5. Make up a finger play or hand motions.
  6. Create cards with review questions on one side and answers on the back. Use with a flip chute.
  7. Record the book on your phone—Play the tape while kids follow along in the book.
  8. Put the story in order—talk about what happened first, next, and so on.
  9. Make a flap book using sticky notes.
  10. Count items—use craft sticks to tally.

Kelli also gave us some great tips for reading with preschoolers.

  1. If preschoolers are on the floor, you should sit on the floor.
  2. Hold the book so kids can see it as you read.
  3. Encourage children to talk about the pictures during the reading.
  4. Allow a child to turn the pages.
  5. Guide children to ask questions about the book.
  6. Respect the child who chooses to look at the book alone.
  7. Provide time after a book is read for kids to respond to the plot and characters of the book.
  8. Read a book many times for kids to connect with the characters.
  9. Encourage children to play out the story from a book.
  10. Allow a younger child to skip around in the book if he wants.

Thanks, Kelli, for the books you’ve written and for teaching us how to use them!

Happy reading with your kids at Colossal Coaster World!

A Lesson in Trusting God

Esther, Joy, Elijah, and Josiah

Esther, Joy, Elijah, and Josiah

When Esther and Joy were newborns, they moved to Peru so that their parents (my niece and her husband) could serve as missionaries with the International Christian School of Lima. Today the twins are five years old! Along with their younger brothers, Josiah and Elijah, they are always on the go—attending Sunday School and church, going to preschool, learning to speak Spanish, or eating at McDonald’s!

Recently, their parents had some exciting news for them! This summer, when they go back to the states, they won’t be there for just a few weeks. They will be there for a whole year (while daddy and mommy are on sabbatical)!

Listen to a bit of the girls’ phone conversation with Nana and Papa (two of their state-side grandparents):

Joy: I will be sad to leave my friends.

Esther: But, we don’t have to worry when we leave Peru because we won’t leave God in Peru. He will go with us.

Joy: Yeah, Nana, God has a plan for us.

What great insights! For these preschoolers, coming back to the states is both exciting and a little scary. But in the midst of their uncertainties, they are learning to face their fear and trust God. After all, He’s the One with the plan, and He will be with them wherever they go.

Our preschool Bible verse is “God helps me. I will not be afraid.” Hebrews 13:6 Do you have a story about a preschooler in your life who understands this truth? Share it with us!

5 Reasons to Teach Babies–2s

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard preschool Sunday school referred to as day care or babysitting. I know none of you have ever said that… but just in case you need some help recruiting teachers for these small ones or want to encourage current teachers with how they are making a difference in these little lives, here are 5 reasons to teach our youngest, sweetest ministry participants.

 

  1. Bible teaching as infants and early toddlers lay the spiritual foundation for those children for years to come. Even babies can begin to recognize Jesus as a familiar name. They will learn that church is a safe place where teachers care for them. They will learn that they can trust what teachers say at church. These are formative years not to miss!
  2. Children as young as 1 year old can remember simple events. They can remember reading from the cool Bible with all the pictures when that action is repeated week after week.
  3. When their needs are met at church, they develop trust for the teacher and the truth that they are speaking to them. This builds into them trusting that their spiritual needs can be met by Jesus.
  4. At 1 year, most children are beginning to make simple choices. Red or green. Cheerios or bananas. Talking about Jesus and making decisions that honor Him can become commonplace. As they develop their ability to make choices, they will know that Jesus wants to be a part of those decisions.
  5. Children will associate God’s name with love and trust. Again, these associations lay a solid foundation for preschool teachers to build on.

Teaching Babies–2s is like a jump start into knowing about God. As they trust and love God, they will begin to understand what a relationship with Him looks like as they continue to grow and learn. Babies–2s are learning at church, too. They may not be able to use their words to thank you, but they are daily growing as they use their senses and develop skills at church to discover who Jesus is!

Four Weeks and Counting…

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Hopefully it is looking a lot like – and sounding a lot like – Christmas where you are today. It certainly is here in the VBS office! But it is also looking and sounding a lot like four weeks until the first national VBS Preview at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina.

We are in perpetual motion putting the finishing touches on a not-to-be-missed event! We have now hit capacity at Ridgecrest and the Nashville Friday/Saturday events, but there is still room at Fort Worth, Nashville Thursday/Friday, and Kissimmee.

A complete list of breakout sessions is now available at lifeway.com/vbs/events. Check it out today!

In addition to the basics for Colossal Coaster World and Club VBS: Jungle Jaunt, you will have the opportunity to explore decorating options with Mark Jones and the VBS Design Team, be introduced to LifeWay’s newest VBS resource Backyard Kids Club, be challenged by the preaching of Dr. Shane Garrison, and participate in worship with the Austin Adamec Band.

I’m looking forward to seeing you soon for the Colossal Coaster World Experience!

A Peek at the Preschool Paks!

Hey y’all,  I am so excited to show you some changes to the 2013 Activity Paks for preschoolers. These handle books are both keepsake books and teaching tools. They bring the theme park to life through a great story with interactive punch-out shapes.

Take a look!

The books are bigger (about 6 x 9.5 inches) and, thanks to your great feedback, we’ve kept the handle to make it easy for little ones to hold and carry. Five punch-out shapes can be tied to the handle and matched to images in the book. You’ll also find a punch-out picture frame on the back cover. For a great souvenir of the week, take a 4-by-6-inch picture of a child (or your class) and insert it into the back cover. Five activity pages follow the 15-page story and reinforce the heart of what kids need to know each day.

Another cool twist . . . books for both age-groups are about the same family as they explore the sights, sounds, and smells of a theme park. See and Hear with Your Eyes and Ears (for Babies–2s) highlights the experiences of a 2-year-old boy, while in Click, Clack, Up the Track (for 3s–Kindergarten), his big sister goes on her first roller coaster ride. Both books reinforce our Bible verse “God helps me. I will not be afraid.” Hebrews 13:6 

We hope that these activity paks will help you as you teach this coming summer and as you follow up with preschoolers and their parents!