"It's a Blue Ribbon Life" VBS - Part 4

Last week was our Vacation Bible School, and I posted about it several times....showing you the pictures of my room, as well as others.

For the first time ever, my walls didn't tell the stories we were learning.  Mostly because I was so busy leading up to VBS (daughter's graduation and party/Italian meal for 50 people, end of school activities, decorating responsibilities for events, helping with tornado relief, sending family to help with clean up, etc.), that I honestly didn't have time to think about it or have the energy to even do it.  School ends on a Thursday, I do the Teacher of the Year reception decorating on Friday, and begin VBS decorating/lessons on that afternoon,  finishing on Memorial Day each year. VBS begins the next morning.  WHEW! Makes me tired just typing it - reliving that whole two weeks!!! It was kind of a whirlwind.  

In the midst of decorating, I had a sinus infection which was making me dizzy for about five days.  In fact, I fell the first day of VBS!  I still have the huge bruise and scabbed elbow to prove it, too!  (I was so embarrassed, I hopped up quickly.) Thankfully, only a few people saw my fall, and I'm having to wear longer sleeved shirts in public just so people won't be shocked at the sight of it - and because my children ask me to so they don't have to see it!

So, I settled, and just made my room fit the general theme, and then taught the lesson straight from the Bible and through journaling, activities that emphasized the story, and specific Bible crafts (see my "Jesus on the Cross" craft HERE.).  I like to play question and answer games to review the story.  I'm always amazed at how they learn so much so quickly!  We only have an hour and a half, so it's not much time to do too much, but I strive to make the class interesting, while increasing Bible knowledge.

I showed you in another post my mother-in law's room, where she had each story displayed on each wall.  These pictures are from a friend.  They also did the "Blue Ribbon" VBS.  I love her perspective and beautiful pictures of each Bible lesson!  I also like how she used the blue ribbon part for each of the fruits of the Spirit.  Just beautiful and so creative!

What I thought about doing, but not until it was too late was using the "big top tent" theme on each wall, but opening it each day I could have had the Bible lesson displayed.  That's the kind of thing I usually do.  I'm a big "theme" person and that's the way I like to teach/decorate.  We're all different and unique and have different talents.  These beautiful photos show that truth out in a wonderful way!!

Here's my friend's statement on how/why she did her classroom this way: Jesus is our #1 example. Found some coloring pages for each lesson, blew them up on the overhead, altered the drawing slightly, and colored with pastels. Each picture is about 5x7ft. I wanted to keep the VBS decor Bible centered.

I might add that she also has a newborn baby and three other children, so she worked very hard to get her room ready!

Of all of my posts - over 1,000 - the VBS posts are the very most popular of all on this blog, as well as my "Life's a Bowl of Cherries" blog.  I appreciate my friend letting me share these pictures with all of you and pray that they will be a blessing to you as you strive to teach little ones about Jesus.  She's right - He is the #1 example.  There is no one and nothing else more important than His life and what He did for each and every one of us!

Finally, I want to show you one more picture.  The minister's wife at this same congregation decided to make the Greek alphabet to teach the 4th - 6th grade students more about the words of the fruits of the Spirit.  Neat!

I forgot to show you our VBS t-shirts.  Everyone that helps with VBS and attends VBS gets one.  This is the back of the shirt. The front has our church's logo and name.  It's a great outreach in our town.  We're a very rural, low socio-economic community, so a free t-shirt means a lot to a lot of people.  We also provide a lunch for everyone and an ice cream party at the open house.  It's great seeing the faces of those who are visiting.  They're proud of their shirt, and we all wear it every day!  (Makes getting ready each day pretty easy :) )  They're proud of the free lunch and open house night.

So, as you plan to teach, decorate, or help for VBS, remember that the primary and most important thing is that you are teaching the kids more about God and Jesus.  You are getting them more acquainted with His Word.  Hopefully you're planting a seed that God will grow.  Keep it centered on God's Word.  I gave my class a scripture each day.  We would scramble it up, put it in order, recite it, write it, and memorize it.  They can memorize so well at that age!  (Much easier than I can, for sure!)  But what a wonderful ministry Vacation Bible School is to the children who come.

I hope you've enjoyed the posts about "It's a Blue Ribbon Life".  This may be the last one, unless I hear/see other pictures with another perspective, then I'll have to share them with you, as well.