We had a great week of VBS at Home during the week of June 14-18. However, if you missed it, you still have a chance to participate in the lessons and encourage the children in your life to engage in the study of God’s Word. Below you will find the memory verse for the week along with the daily lessons. Simply round up the supplies mentioned and follow the directions here to enjoy these Bible lessons. At the end of each day’s description is a link to the videos of our worship rallies, Bible studies, skits and more which you can use on their own, if you prefer, with your children!
Memory Verse: “Here is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world. He sent him so we could receive life through him.” 1 John 4:9
DAY 1 ELEPHANT:
Jesus Knows Me (And Loves Me Too!)
Scripture for Day #1: Luke 19:1-10, Zacchaeus
Lesson for Day #1: Elephants must know a lot, because they say, “an elephant never forgets.” Jesus knows us completely, more than our friends or even our parents. Jesus knows that we’re not perfect and that we have made mistakes and sinned. But even though Jesus knows every wrong thing we’ve ever done, He still loves us and wants to be with us.
Big Idea for Day #1: Jesus Knows Me
Crafts for Day #1:
1- Paper Plate Elephant: https://www.craftymorning.com/paperplate-elephant-kids-craft/ (Alternative: Cut a hole in the center of the plate and insert a blowout noisemaker to be the elephant’s trunk.)
2 – Zacchaeus in the Tree: Trace kids open hand and forearm onto brown construction paper (this is the tree). Cut out and glue to white or gray construction paper. Color the top of the tree green with crayons or paint. Cut out a Zacchaeus figure and glue into the tree.
Snack for Day #1:
1 – Easy Elephant Ears: https://bitzngiggles.com/easy-ele-phantears-recipe/
2 – Sycamore Trees: Bundle 3 or 4 pretzel sticks to create the tree trunk. Place six green grapes at the top to be the leafs on the tree.
Indoor Game for Day #1:
Elephant Foot Relay Race: Create two sets of elephant feet (https://www.marthastewart.com/265449/elephant-feet), and then have two teams compete in a relay race using the feet.
Outdoor Game for Day #1:
Elephant Field Hockey: Divide kids into two teams. Create a hockey field with two goals at either end. Give each kid a pool noodle to use as their Trunk/Hockey Stick to bat a large plastic ball into the other teams goal.
YouTube Day #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avFI32HXE3M
Vimeo Day #1
https://vimeo.com/428066011
Lesson Day #2: Kangaroo
Jesus Takes Care of Me
Scripture: Luke 8:22-25, Jesus Calms the Storm
Lesson for Day #2: The mommy kangaroo takes care of her little joey by keeping him nestled in her protective pouch. Jesus takes care of us. Even though storms may come our way, we can trust in Jesus. Because Jesus loves us and takes care of us, He wants us to ask Him to help us and save us.
Big Idea for Day #2: Jesus Takes Care of Me
Crafts for Day #2:
1 – Paper Plate Sailboat: Cut colorful paper plates in half (this is the boat). Glue craft sticks to the plates to make a mast. Glue triangles of construction paper to the other end of the craft stick for a sail.
2 – Kangaroo Pouch: Give kids a pouch to wear. Punch a hole into a brown paper bag and attach yarn. Kids put the yarn around their waist, so the bag attaches like a fanny pack at their stomach level. Cut out a small joey figure out of paper and place in the pouch.
Snack for Day #2:
1 – Apple Boats: cut apples into wedges. Insert a pretzel stick into the center of each wedge for the boats mast. Cut cheese into triangles, and then place on the top as a sail. Surround the plate of boats with goldfish crackers.
2 – Kangaroo pouches: Cut pita pockets into quarters. Give each kid a quarter pocket and let them fill as they like from a variety of options: sliced bananas, strawber-ries, peanut butter, jelly, chocolate chips, etc.
Indoor Game for Day #2:
Kangaroo Pouch Race: Have a sack race using sleeping bags (kangaroo pouches) and have them race across the room.
Outdoor Game for Day #2:
Pool Noodle Hopstacle Course: Use pool noodles to create an obstacle course (see http://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/pool-noodleobstacle-course/ for ideas). Have kids run the obstacle course as kangaroos that have to hop everywhere.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D64C5V5VeeQ
Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/428072947
Lesson Day #3: Lion
Jesus is Strong
Scripture: John 11:17-44, Jesus Raises Lazarus
Lesson for Day #3: When we think of strength and power among the animals, we think of the mighty lion. Jesus is called “the lion of Judah” because he is fierce, strong and powerful. Because He loves us so much, Jesus uses His strength to help us. Jesus is strong enough to forgive our sins and save us from anything.
Big Idea for Day #3: Jesus is Strong
Crafts for Day #3:
1 – Lion of Love: create a lion using three different size construction paper hearts: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/552816923003961461/
2 – Lion Mask: Decorate a paper plate to look like a lion’s head. Cut out holes for the eyes and mouth. Secure the mask with yarn or elastic.
Snack for Day #3:
1 – Lion Crackers: using graham crackers, pretzels, peanut butter and raisins (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/145241156708487832/)
2 – Lion Cups: Serve a plastic cup of mandarin oranges to each kid. Beforehand, draw a lion face on the outside of the cup in black marker, adding googly eyes.
Indoor Game for Day #3:
Lazarus Wrap Up: Have teams wrap up their teammates in rolls of toilet paper. Do a second round of “unwrapping” as a reminder that Lazarus didn’t stay in those grave clothes for long.
Outdoor Game for Day #3:
Water balloon toss. This game will take strength and gentleness. Divide kids into teams of 2 and have them stand 10 feet apart. Give 1 team member of each team a water balloon. When you say go they will toss the water balloon to their teammate. Any teams whose water balloon bursts are out for this round, the rest of the teams all take 1 step back and toss again. Keep going until only 1 team is left.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfvlnxqvDOg
Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/428079782
Lesson Day 4: Sheep
Jesus Saves Us
Scripture: John 10:11-18, The Good Shepherd
Lesson for Day #4: Sheep need a strong and loving master, or they will easily go astray. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are his sheep. Jesus loves us so much, he laid down his life for us, dying on the cross for our sins. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, has saved us from our sins, we just have to accept the gift of salvation.
Big Idea for Day #4: Jesus Saves
Crafts for Day #4:
1 – Sheep Masks: cut out the center of a paper plate. Glue cotton balls to the remaining ring. Attach yarn or elastic to the back to create a mask for kids.
Snack for Day #4:
1 – Popcorn Sheep: Place popcorn into clear plastic bags. Form into a ball, tape construction paper sheep faces to the outside of the bag.
2 – Rice Crisp-Sheep Treats: Make Rice Crispy treats, formed into small balls. Add pretzel rods to be the sheep legs, and M&Ms to be the sheep head. Indoor
Game for Day #4:
Gathering Sheep Game: Blow up a dozen or so (depending on the size of your space) white balloons and color sheep faces onto the surface. Use masking tape, put two goals on either end of the room. Give kids flyswatters or rolled up newspaper to represent their shepherd’s staff. Place all of the balloons into the center of the room and have each team of 2 to 3 kids gather their sheep into their sheep pin goal. The team that gathers the most sheep wins.
Outdoor Game for Day #4:
Wolves and Sheep: Play this game like Sharks and Minnows except the “sharks” will be wolves while the “minnows” will be sheep. When the leader says “go” the sheep must run from one end of the field to the other without getting tagged by the wolves. Anyone who is tagged becomes a wolf for the next round. Continue playing until only 1 or no sheep are left.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZTHKWrJK4w
Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/428112861
Lesson Day #5: Giraffe
Tell Others About Jesus
Scripture: Acts 8:26-39, Philip and the Ethiopian
Lesson for Day #5: On the giraffe, you can’t miss the long and powerful neck; everywhere he goes, he’s sticking his neck out. Jesus wants us to know his love and experience his forgiveness; and when we do, he wants us to share that Good News with other people. Once we’ve been saved, and we let Jesus take the lead in our life, the difference will be as obvious as the neck on a giraffe. That’s when we can tell people how amazing Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Big Idea for Day #5: Tell Other People About Jesus
Crafts for Day #5:
1 – Paper Giraffes: http://krokotak.com/2015/11/paper-giraffes-soeasy-to-make/
2 – Good News Hearts: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/471259548488218605/ 3 – Tell The World: Take a blue plate to represent the world. Have kids crumble squares of green, white and brown tissue paper and glue to the plate to make the land. Glue the plate to a piece of white card stock with the words “Tell the World About Jesus.”
Snack for Day #5:
1 – Giraffe Faces: Nutter Butter cookies. Use frosting to add fish crackers for ears, half pretzel rods for horns, frosting for eyes, and brown M&Ms on a vanilla wafer for the nose.
2 – Animal crackers: Use to talk about all of the animals discussed over the week, and what they teach us about Jesus.
Indoor Game for Day #5:
Go And Find: Hide 20 or so action figures/Barbie dolls throughout the space. Place a Cross or Bible in the center of the space. Have kids seek out “the lost” and “bring them to Jesus.”
Outdoor Game for Day #5:
Have 3-legged races or wheel barrow races or similar races where teammates have to work together to get to the finish line to remind kids of today’s Bible story where Philip helped bring someone else to Jesus.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv9EsAQXUd0
Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/428120274