VBS 2014: Camp Kilamanjaro

Bible story time

We spent a wonderful (though exhausting) week at Linworth Baptist Church's Vacation Bible School! This is always a highlight in our summers. The kids love all the fun & activities, and I enjoy a brief revisit to my days in early childhood education.

Playing with the sand table at our 'exploration stations.'

My little trekker!

  This year, Kyrie was with the big kid program, and I led Degen's pre-K group. I was a lead teacher this year with a teen helper and 10 awesome kiddos! My memory gets a bit hazy, but I think that this year was my best group of kids ever: fun, thoughtful and well-behaved. By the end of the week, I was really holding these kids close to my heart. 

Game time!

Assembly! The church always does an amazing job of decorating the sanctuary for VBS.

This year's theme was an African safari at the base of Mount Kilamanjaro with a Bible study about wisdom coming from the Book of Proverbs. Each day, we heard a Bible story, visited "exploration stations," played games, ate snacks, sang & danced, watched a play and did crafts. The church is packed with volunteers who run the different activities and make being a lead teacher a relatively easy task. 

We have what can be a rowdy 30-minute wait while all the kiddos get checked in. I brought in coloring pages and some other activities, and the kids did a great job waiting.

A lesson about listening. This was my teen helper who ROCKED! 

Though this is a week of early days and long mornings for us (in addition to a lot of our regular activities), we all really enjoyed our week of VBS. I am grateful for this opportunity for the kids to have fun with so many other kids surrounded by a large group of caring adults. I am also grateful for the opportunity it provides me to work with the children. We are already looking forward to next year's VBS! 

Snack time and a visit from Twiga the Giraffe.

Assembly!

The kids singing & dancing during assembly.

Degen working on a craft.

Kyrie ready for a fun morning at VBS! 

We made animal noses with the group for our dress-up day!

Degen really took to my teen helper and spent a lot of time sitting on her lap during story times and working with her during crafts.

Part of my group sitting for the BIG group photo.

A peek at the group photo- WOW!

Kyrie in the group photo.

I only got a few photos of Kyrie because I am not her group leader. Here she is showing off a group poster she made and the flamingo mask that she made. Both of these were part of daily contests.

Degen & a friend building a tower together during check-out time.

My awesome group of Monkeys!

Degen working with the other kids to put together a puzzle.