Babylon VBS

It’s that time of year again…VBS.  Last year we had a great time learning what Nazareth was like when Jesus was a boy.  This year we visiting Daniel when he lived in Babylon.  At Babylon VBS we learned how his faith in God was tested and how he stayed true in is beliefs even when they were put to the ultimate test.

In the past Dear Husband and I usually play a role.  i.e. Mary, Paul, Joseph in Egypt.  They have pegged us as actor types I guess.  This year we were “tribe leaders.”  Kids are separated into family groups or tribes with two adults to control the chaos and review the lessons learned.  We started out with 9 little girls and by the end of the week had 12 little girls ranging in ages of 6-9.  I was a little apprehensive that there may be more giggling than I could handle but they turned out to be a great group and all very sweet.

Each evening we spent about 15 minutes learning songs and dancing around then would break off into our small tribe to visit our “tent” and talk about what we were going to learn that day.  The highlight for most kids is the marketplace.  We would visit the different craft tents and spend time with Daniel and learn about how he was keeping the faith despite the fact that he was a captive in a foreign land that did not worship his God.

Babylon palace where we would meet Daniel.

In the metal works shop the kids would write a message with foam letters on a piece of cardboard.  Then they would cover the cardboard with metallic paper and rub with a popsicle stick until the message pressed into the “metal.”  Most kids would write their name or something sweet like God is love.  Anyone want to guess what my child came home with on his metal works craft?  Cut the cheese

At the jewelry bazaar we would pound a design into pieces of leather with metal stamps then decorate them with bling and beads.  Loud but fun.

The astronomy tent was a place to make paper mache globes using a balloon and crepe paper.  It was a huge mess but lots of fun.  I’m sure the volunteers for this tent wondered what the heck they had gotten themselves into.

At the cylinder seal shop the kids created their own unique stamp using a round tube and sticky foam shapes.  They then used their stamp to roll designs onto a “scroll”.

Mosaic studio – I think these frames are pretty self explanatory.

The barbershop and salon was a place for the kids to play dress up with wigs and beards.  The shop keeper would take pictures of them and then printed them out later in the week for them to take home.

It’s not really Babylon without a hanging garden.  Here our girls got to put together a potted plant to take home.

Music shop…this year they chose to make flutes.  The kids pounded holes into small cardboard cylinders to make it look like a recorder then attached a plastic whistle mouth piece.  If you are looking for VBS craft ideas, DO NOT – under any circumstances – make this craft!  The noise was excruciating.  One little high pitched whistle isn’t bad.  98 high pitched whistles is worse than Chinese water torture for any adult in the room.

The food cart is always my favorite.  They did a great job of offering snacks that were real and healthy and didn’t involve sandwich cookies.  Each day was something different and unique…dates, nuts, plums, kiwi, nectarines, cheese…the list goes on.

Some kids in the community make it their summer job to attend every VBS in town.  We were on that rotation and at the end of the week a professional VBS mom shared with one of our volunteers that her kids loved our VBS the best.  Was it our awesome market place, the costumes we provide, fun songs?  She said all of those things were great but her kids like ours the best because they actually learned something about the Daniel and the bible.  My heart swells!  Mission accomplished.