Art Center/Workshop

Art Projects

Done once only during rotation period for each age group.

If setting up in a one room environment you may only want to do one art activity, the reason for this is the children will all be rotating through each center each week and you don’t want to have to come up with four ideas, as some children may not be there every Sunday.  So make it something special.  Pictured advent wreath.

Painting

Kids love to paint – have them paint you a scene or item from the story.

Supplies needed:

• Paint easel(s) - optional
• Washable floor or paint sheet
• Washable paint
• Paint brushes, stamps
• Paint shirts (men’s shirts with sleeves cut, put on backwards, work really well).

Ideas:
Cut painting paper into a shape that represents the story i.e. Big Fish for Jonah.  Hands and feet of Jesus T-Shirts.

Play Dough

Children can shape characters or symbols from the story then retell the story.

Play dough Cookie cutters – find something associated with bible story, examples:

• Lost Sheep – Sheep
• Easter – Cross, Donkey
• Christmas – Star, Donkey, Nativity Set (you can sometimes find complete sets)
• Disciples – feet, fish, hand
• Pentecost – pkg of 3 leaves sizes – make good flames
• Joseph - coat (T-Shirt)

Note: cookie cutters here should be kept separate from those used in cooking.

Resources:

• Check out the Art Workshop Design and Techniques Forum for more resources on running an art workshop link.

Drama Centers/Workshop

Dress-Up (Live it!)

This group loves to play. Bring the story to life for them, during play they will make the story their own.

Supplies:

• Dress-up clothes
• Bible House – use a large box or two and make a bible time house(s) (stove box works well).
  Pictured Joseph in Prison (fridge box)  with props for the Cupbearer and Baker's Dreams.
• House Accessories - mat for bed, bowls for mealtime, pretend food, loaf bread, grapes, etc.
• Props – anything related to bible times and/or specific story (Jesus as a child – carpenter toys, small chalkboard)
• Easter Example - turn house into a cave by covering it with a blanket and making a stone out of a round piece of cardboard. Place an angel inside (large doll dressed in white gown – put a flashlight under her dress) – children can visit the empty tomb.

Note: Sometimes the different VBS programs have some neat bible time props that can be purchased individually.

Puppets

Have the teacher perform for the children. Then have children take turns being different characters as you retell the story. Children take turns being audience members or puppeteers.
Supplies:

• Finger puppets
• Glove puppets
• Sock Puppets
• Wooden Spoon Puppets
• Stage - make a simple stage out of a box or hang a curtain in a doorway.

Note: Check local dollar store for puppets. VBS programs also often have puppets and some regular curriculum programs have puppets.

Book Resources:

• ACTive Bible Play, Bible FunStuff Series, David C. Cook, 2009, 9781434767257.
  Act out Bible stories with dress-up, finger puppet, and role play activities, helping them to explore feelings and new ideas. Each entry includes a Bible Basis, memory verse, Bible Background, Teacher Tips, a supply list, instructions with scripts, and "encore!" questions & prayer. Ages 3-5.
• Check out the Drama and Puppet Workshop Design and Techniques Forums for more resources on running a drama workshop link and a puppet workshop link.

Skills & Games Centers/Workshop

Blocks

Read the story to them, then discuss some aspect of the story or scene from the story. Have the children recreate that scene or item using the blocks.

Examples:

• Cross
• Tower of Babel
• Walls of Jericho
• Tabernacle & Furniture
• Temple & Furniture
• Church & Furniture
• Boat (stories like Jonah, Walking on Water, Fisher’s of Men
• Bible house – Mary & Martha
• Well – Samaritan Women at the Well
• Moses - Part the Red Sea
• Journey’s Map of Travels
  
  

Supplies:

• Blocks – anything you can get your hands on – large wooden or cardboard blocks (check out yard sales!)
• People – Duplo or bath tub toy people
• Wooden Trees

Sandbox

Here if they have not yet heard the story read it first, otherwise we retell the story during play; it’s often fun to start off with a Treasure hunt.

Step 1. Treasure Hunt - Pick an item connected to the story and bury several in the sand for the children to find.

Examples:

• Empty Tomb – find the rocks
• Lost Sheep – find the sheep
• Jonah – find the fish

Note: Good idea to know how many items you buried.

Step 2. Next ask them where today’s story took place, have them arrange the sandbox for story – was there a lake or river, props-buildings, people, and animals?

Step 3. Next, with prompting as needed, have them tell the story back to you using the toy props you’ve provided, sometimes you may want to assign children a prop (then retell story again-different children with different props).

How To Make A Sand Box:

• Plastic Under the Bed Storage Container – best if it has a flat bottom.
• Blue Heavy Vinyl Material - cut to size of bottom of your container. Notes: The reason for the blue vinyl is the kids can part the Red Sea, have Jesus preach from a boat, no water needed, just part the sand!
• Sand - cover with 1 bag of sandbox sand, can purchase from your local hardware or building supply store
• Table: Place on a table (coffee table height) children can stand at this center.
• Drop Cloth - they will get sand on the floor so have a drop cloth or something easy to shake out or sweep up each week, if you don’t have a linoleum floor already.

Cleaning Supplies:
Water spray bottles - to wet down sand (have one with water mixed with a bit of Javex to sterilize sand – spray at final clean up each Sunday).
Note: Replace sand and clean tub at least twice a year

Toys for your Sandbox:

• Shovels
• People (fisher price or bathtub people work well)
• Blocks (for houses)
• Boat (stories on water)
• Animals – hippos, crocodiles, donkey, camels, sheep, pigs, fish (anything for Noah)
• Palm Trees

Note: keep sandbox items separate from other centers, sand tends to scratch them.

Water

Fun for any story that takes place in or around water like Baby Moses, Jonah, Jesus Calms the Storm or Walks on Water, the Woman at the Well, etc..

Act out the story, just like in the sand center.

Be prepared with towels for any mop up needed.

For decorating place a shower curtain with an underwater theme on the wall behind the water center.

I’ve seen Nancy have mini feeder fish in her water center during VBS. She used a child’s wadding pool. The children were having a blast!

Supplies:
- Props - use same props you use in the Sand Center.
- Water Container use a child’s wading pool, a small tub, or any plastic storage container.

Puzzles

Put together then discuss what they see.

Questions you can ask about puzzle picture:

• What has just happened?
• What’s going to happen next?
• Does this picture make God happy or sad?
• Why would God be happy or sad?
• How does this picture make you feel?
• Who would you want to be in the picture?
  
  

Types of puzzles:

• floor Puzzles
• cardboard tray puzzles
• wooden tray puzzles
• regular puzzles
• mat floor puzzles
  
  

How To Make Your Own Puzzles

• 1. Take a reproducible picture; print off on card stock paper, colour, then glue to fun foam, draw puzzle lines, and then cut out.
• 2. Cut 3 or 4 horizontal or vertical lines and cut – have them match up the pieces.
• 3. Cut picture into sections the size of the side of a jello box, glue onto jello box, have kids match up. Can make it easy 4 or harder 8 (just size your picture first when photocopying).
  
  

Note: I know Standard VBS includes printable puzzles in the Teaching Resource Packets for the Preschoolers – you print off story picture, then put the picture through the printer again, but his time choose to print the puzzle lines (3 difficulty levels included).

Where To Purchase Puzzles:
Note: not always easy to find and are considered a toy so their life span is limited. Search online,

• Lifeway – wooden tray puzzles and floor puzzles, expensive but well done and will last Lifeway - Using Puzzles to Teach Kids
• Wal-mart – I’ve sometimes found cardboard tray puzzles of bible stories
• Dollar Store – I’ve sometimes found small boxed puzzles of bible stories
• Bible Storytelling Blocks.
• Puzzle Books: some board books will have one page story, opposite page is a tray puzzle.

Memory/Matching

(can use this center with puzzles or by itself)

1. Match pairs of pictures
2. Sequence the story – could be 3 to 9 pictures or story scenes.

Making Your Own Memory/Matching Game:

• Take two copies of same pictures, place them on two pieces of cardstock, which you have divided into sections (example 9 pictures – 9 sections), keep one as your game board, take the other and cut along the lines you drew – use these as your game pieces. Have children match cut ones onto full sheet – can also discuss story sequence.
  For pictures use stickers or resize bible colouring pictures.
• Buy bible card games, buy two sets so you can match pictures, if they don’t already come in pairs of two.
• You sometimes can mix & match different card games.
  
  

Storytelling Centers/Workshop

Books

• Board Books (will hold up longer and are better for little hands).
• Purchase books related to specific rotation story or theme.
• Look for interactive ones – doors they can look behind, large size with colourful pictures that everyone can see.
• When reading the book to the children make it more interactive. Can they “Boo” or “Hooray” when they hear the name of a bible character. Make movements with their hands or arms or feet during action scenes. Be creative!
• Check with your local bookstore for boardbooks. You can also do a search yourself using www.christianbook.com to search for board books on a particular story – in the search box under Keywords, type in Moses for example, then click on the left hand side “Children”, then click on books and it will pull out all items related to Moses. By clicking on individual items it will give you a picture, description, ISBN and publisher, make your list and take it to your local Christian bookstore and they can see what items they have or can order for you.

Flannel Graph

Be sure to involve the students by handing  out the pieces and having them place their piece(s) on the board during the story.

Next have them retell you the story as they place their pieces, with prompts from you as needed.

To purchase http://www.bettylukens.com/

Story Table

"Story table" is a type of re-enacting the story using models, dolls, and small props on a table or floor space. Part drama, part puppets, and part object lesson, it is a form of guided Bible re-enactment and study. It has previously been called "Diorama."  Here you can also use play sets.

Play sets available to purchase:

• Fisher Price: Noah’s Ark Set (Toys R Us)
• Nativity Set (Sears Catalogue) – check at Christmas
• Veggie Tales – has a Jonah Play set and a whale puppet
• Playmobil – Noah’s Ark & Nativity Sets.
• Cook Ministries has a David & Goliath & a Nativity Set (small pieces).

Make Your Own:

• As I did with Jonah - I took a piece of blue vinyl and cut it shaped like a pond for my water, I had a wooden bible house (someone in the congregation had made) to represent Nineveh (could use shoeboxes), I had a bathtub boat and sailors for the ship, Jonah was a bathtub boy, plastic toy worm and Lego palm tree standing on a small green Lego base, that could be eaten (taken apart), piece of cardboard for dock, I had a clear plastic whale that’s mouth opened and closed and we could actual have it swallow Jonah (use Veggie Tale Puppet or make one from a shoebox). Children were all assigned an object to manipulate (boat, person, worm, tree, etc) as I read and paused as necessary the children acted out the story using the props. We added lots of sound effects. We ran through it several times, each time children changing props. They had a blast and no one will ever forget what happened to Jonah and why!
• Another idea I once saw used was a bag of props that contained simple items, such as: rock, shell, scarf, marble, piece of wood, cross, etc. as the storyteller told the story she used an item to represent each character, the shell was a disciple, the rock was another disciple, Jesus was a cross, the piece of wood was the boat, the scarf was the water. The story was the Call of the first two Disciples. After she told the story we were all assigned parts and given our prop and we then retold the story. I was surprised how much I got out of the story and was amazed that she’d used such simple items and that it worked so well.

Resources:

• God's Storytable - how to created by Hampton United Church - read more here.

Computer Center/Workshop

• Children can sit and listen, taking turns using mouse, being asked questions by leader on what they see and hear.  Or sit the little ones with older children who can assist the younger ones by reading any text or in using the mouse —which will broaden your software selection.
• They love to do what I call our scavenger hunt – when we look for hidden things in the picture and take turns clicking on them.
• 12 to 15 children only need 2 computers as children will rotate through centers.
• Good place to have a adult/teenager help out as you will need someone at computers with the children.
  
  

Resources:

• Recommended Software for ages 3-5 (available at Sunday Software, links provided below):
  Play & Learn
  Say Your Prayers with Li'l Anglina
  Charlie Churchmouse 1, 2 & 3.
• Check out the Computer Workshop Design and Techniques Forum for more resources on running a computer workshop link.

Cooking (Food) Center/Workshop

Tell the story with food.

Pictured a scene from Jonah created with food on a foam paper plate.

Once everyone is done making their scene go around the table and have each child tell what's happening in their scene.  Ask questions that promote what the character was feeling.  How God was feeling, etc..

Generally most things you can do with older children you can do with younger children if you have extra helpers on hand.  Or often I do a cooking workshop with combined ages and the older students enjoy assisting the younger children as needed, and the younger children enjoy working with the older students, friendships are formed!

Resources

• Cookie Cutters - start collecting: churches, crosses, doves, feet, hands, fish, animals, numbers, letters, etc.. I find keep an eye in cooking utensil stores, especially around Easter and Christmas, also in dollar stores and craft stores, Christian stores sometimes will have them as well. They will enjoy creating as much as they will enjoy eating it.
• Check out the Cooking Workshop Design and Techniques Forum for more resources on running a cooking workshop link.

Fundraising Idea for Start-Up Supplies

Have a Preschool “Shower” – buy items you want, price them all and during coffee (social time) after church (usually do 3 weeks in a row to catch everyone).

People select an item and donate ($) amount. Prices can range from $1 - $30. So everyone can fit their budget.

People like to see what their money is going towards. This way you get what you want and they get to see what their paying for.

WHERE TO PURCHASE TOYS/GAMES/PUZZLES/BOOKS ETC.

Keep an eye open whenever your shopping, regardless where it is. I've picked up bible related items in the most unusual places, sometimes where I least expect to find things.

Below are suggestions, some names may be restricted to Canada, but it should give you an idea.

• Yard Sales
• Value Village
• Thrift Stores
• Dollar Stores
• Drug Stores
• Grocery Stores
• Walmart
• Zellars
• Cooking Stores
• Christian Bookstore
• Canadian Tire
• Scholars Choice
• Mastermind

Decorating your Room(s)

Have fun with decorating. You’ll have fun and so will the children.

Have a look at the pictures taken by L.D. McKenzie who attended our Rotation Seminar in April 2007. She wrote the following lovely article about her experience with us and I’ve included a link to it here because the pictures she included are from the Preschool Workshop done that day by Nancy. Thanks again L.D. for your article.  Link to article to see pictures mentioned below Word4kids.ca

The theme is Jonah and you’ll see:

• Picture #1 - Jonah (doll dressed up) in the boat (made out of a fridge box), large enough the children can play in as well. There are rubber oars in the boat as well!
  
  
• Picture #2 – that’s Nancy on your left – notice behind her the flannelgraph set-up with the story of Jonah, on the table is a Jonah puppet and other toys (fish/whales).
  
  
• Picture #3 - Snack table with lots of fish shaped dishes, cups of blue Jell-O™ with fish shaped candies in it, and behind that you’ll see a crawl through blue tube outfitted with sharp teeth and fins (you can also make a simple whale out of a cardboard box).
  
• Picture #4 – Jonah in the whale (whale is a yard sale find), backdrop of palm trees with ocean beach along bottom is a Scene Setter™. In Canada they are available at Save-A-Lot™. Also check party supply stores. Ocean scene to your right is a simple shower curtain.
  
  

Don’t think you need to do all this, Nancy’s been collecting stuff (Sunday school yard sale junkie that she is) for years and years. And that day we wanted to show all the possibilties for doing one story. So we had out material for every center we could think of. The idea is to get you thinking. One simple shower curtain of fish can change your room. Give it a try!

Work with other churches, borrow and loan stuff, back and forth. Put out a word among the congregation and your fellow Sunday school teachers. This is our story, these are the related items were looking for.

Here is a fun idea for the preschoolers' storytelling center/workshop: Story Stones. You could add a stone for each rotation's story (Collect them All!  

http://intentionalbygrace.com/...ones/#_a5y_p=3212138

(Google Bible Story Stones and you will find many other sites with suggestions for pictures on the stones)