Save $20 on All-in-One Kits with Reproducible Student Sheets

New for Fall 2010, the Primaries All-in-One Kit for combined grades 1-3! The kit includes a spiral-bound Leader's Guide, colorful teaching visuals (Bible Teaching Resources), plus a CD-ROM with reproducible student sheets (both Classroom Activity Sheets and Take-Home Papers) for 13 weeks of materials. Now you can print just as many student sheets as you need each week. No need to worry about running short…if you have lots of visitors, simply copy more student sheets. If you have kids on vacation, simply print fewer activity sheets that week. The All-in-One Kit is completely flexible. If you need to have two classes of students, just order an extra Leader's Guide for your second class. Take a look at samples from the Primaries All-in-One Kit and then order your Primaries All-in-One Kit for a risk-free 60-day review. If you're not completely satisfied, return it for a full refund. The Primaries All-in-One Kit is a $125 value for just $79.95. Use coupon code ALLINONE20 to save $20 . . . now just $59.95 for your first quarter.

All-in-One Kits are also available for Preschool so you can teach two- to five-year-olds in one class or divide them into two classes using the reproducible student sheets. The quarterly kit includes a spiral-bound Leader's Guide with 13 weeks of materials, colorful teaching visuals (Bible Teaching Resources), and Classroom Activity  Sheets for Honeybees (2- to 3-year-olds) and Cubby Bears (4- to 5-year-olds) plus Take-Home Papers on the CD-ROM. The Preschool All-in-One kit is completely flexible. You can use it to teach a class of 2- to 3-year-olds, a class of 4- to 5-year-olds, or a combined class of 2- to 5-year-olds.  If you have two classes, order an extra Leader's Guide for your second class. The Preschool All-in-One Kit is a $150 value for just $99.95. Use coupon code ALLINONE20 to save $20 . . . now just $79.95 for your first quarter.

If you have a combined group of children ranging from Grades 1-6, take a look at the Explorers All-in-One Kit. The Explorers Kit includes the basic Bible teaching you've come to expect from the All-Stars for Jesus Explorers curriculum, but with the student sheets on CD-ROM. The Explorers All-in-One Kit is a $125 value for just $79.95. The quarterly kit includes a spiral-bound leader's guide, colorful teaching visuals (Bible Teaching Resources), plus a CD-ROM with reproducible student sheets (both Classroom Activity Sheets and Take-Home Papers) for 13 weeks of materials. Now you can print just as many student sheets as you need each week. Take a look at samples from the Explorers All-in-One Kit and then order your All-in-One Kit for a risk-free 60-day review. Use coupon code ALLINONE20 to save $20 . . . now just $59.95 for your first quarter.

Questions? Call one of our helpful All-Stars for Jesus specialists at 1-800-854-1531. We'll be glad to help you decide which program is best for your church and your students. Remember to use coupon code ALLINONE20 to save $20 on your first quarter. We're here to help you get started, and we'll give you service with a smile. After all, we're serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Trust God Photo Craft

Before your lesson, take a photo of each child's face or have each child bring a photo from home. Bring markers, wet wipes (or paper towels and soap and water), paper plates, green tempera paint, light-colored cardboard (about 9 x 12 inches) for each child, hole punch, scissors, glue, and 12-inch ribbons for each child. Cover your work areas with newspaper or plastic tablecloths.

Give each child a piece of light-colored cardboard about 9 x 12 inches in size. Help him cut a circle slightly smaller than his photo about a third of the way down from the top of the poster. Let the child use markers to draw flower petals around the circle and a stem going down to the bottom of the cardboard.

Help each child glue his photo on the back of the poster so the picture shows through the hole. At the top, let him print his name and TRUSTS GOD. Then have him print Proverbs 3:5 or a memory verse of your choice on the topic of trust.

Pour green paint into a paper plate. Let the child place his hands in the paint and then press his hands near the bottom of the stem, one on each side, to form leaves. Provide wet wipes (or paper towels and soap and water) for cleanup. Help the child punch two holes in the top of the poster and add a ribbon hanger. Make sure names are on the posters. Talk about how God wants us to trust Him, even when we don't understand why certain things are happening in our lives. Say, When we trust God, He will help us get through the tough times in our lives.

Joseph in Egypt VBS Snack Ideas

We've created some snack suggestions for your Egypt VBS. Feel free to modify them as you wish. Some of your creative volunteers may come up with additional snack ideas. Here are a few to get you started:

Day 1

Serve fruit such as apples, grapes, figs, berries, and dates. Give each child a paper bowl and spoon. Let the child choose which fruits to add to his bowl. The fruit can be accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt (optional). Explain that these fruits are similar to those Joseph and his brothers may have eaten in Egypt.

Day 2

Serve ice cream. Let the children add root beer or soda to make floats or provide toppings for ice cream sundaes (chocolate and butterscotch chips, sprinkles, chocolate and caramel sauce, mini M&Ms™, maraschino cherries, mini peanut butter cups, etc.). As the children eat, talk about what a special snack this is. Remind them that God gives us each special gifts. Help the children identify some of their gifts.

Day 3

Prepare small pita pockets cut in half. Let each child fill the pocket with cheese, ham, or turkey (or have them already filled). You may want to provide olives, tomatoes, and lettuce for condiments. As the children eat, talk about how God gave Joseph wisdom so he was able to make sure the people had food during the famine.

Day 4

Today’s story is about how Joseph forgave his brothers. After he forgave them, Joseph gave them grain and bread and plenty of food for their journey back to their father in Canaan. Provide flatbread with tomato sauce and melted cheese on top (or serve flatbread cheese pizza cut into small pieces). As the children eat, talk about how hard it can be to forgive others. Explain that God can help us to forgive.

Day 5

Cut cheese slices into cross shapes (or lay two rectangles of cheese across each other to form a cross). Serve with crackers and grapes. Talk about the memory verse (Galatians 3:26) as the children eat. Have the children tell you what it means to have faith in Christ Jesus. Speak individually with any child who wants to learn more about following Jesus.

TIP: Use registration cards when children sign up for your VBS to record any allergies they may have. See the July 6 post for registration cards you can print out for your VBS program. Include any allergy information on the child's name tag so all VBS helpers are aware of the allergy. You can substitute items or omit dairy products from the snacks if you have children who are allergic to milk or dairy.

VBS Coupons

Here are some Vacation Bible School coupons you can use over at Christian Ed Warehouse.com. Just type in the coupon code when you check out or mention the code when you call us at 1-800-854-1531. But hurry! These coupons expires July 31, 2010. The VBS website is found at Shop VBS. While you're online, check out the new 2011 VBS Starter Kits and free gifts with your order.

(Click image for a larger view)

VBS Registration Cards

Before the first day of your VBS program, copy the registration cards from below onto heavy paper or cardboard. If you divide your students into different age groups, use a different paper color for each age group.

Cut the cards apart and give them to parents when they register their children. Have parents fill out a registration card for each child attending your elementary VBS program and for each preschooler attending your preschool program, if you offer one. 

The card contains a place to record emergency information and has a section to list allergies and other medical conditions your students may have. For any child with allergies, create a special, brightly colored name badge with the allergies listed so all leaders and helpers are aware of the allergies and don’t inadvertently give the child something that might cause an allergic reaction.

Click on the image above for a larger view.