VBS 2015: Journey Off The Map

Some of the things I've been up to this summer.....

Every year I paint the set for VBS....I LOVED doing this years theme!!!  

The canvases are 20 ft long...and 8 ft tall.

I'm also in charge of crafts!(Imagine that?!?).  We set up stations on the floor that will accommodate up to 6 children.  Our largest groups were around 40 students(Our VBS is about 250 students.)   

We actually finger painted?!?!?! I never do that!!!  ha ha The kids loved it though, and the pictures turned out great.

We took group pictures of the students...so one of the crafts was a doodle frame.  We later laminated them, and placed magnates on the back.  They turned out great.

Here are my kiddos in front of the waterfalls!!  

Vines for VBS

                     

Hello friends!!  On my blog I also share ideas/tips for VBS!  This year I am so excited for the theme...I've already started preparing!!  (My wife is the children's minister....so I am Mr. Ministry! Hahaha)  One of the ideas they shared at VBS training was using plastic table covers for vines.  They didn't recommend the ones at dollar stores because they are so cheap...but that is exactly why I wanted to use them!  I first unfolded it just enough so I could cut long strips out of it.  With some...I unfolded them completely....then pulled/stretched the plastic out all the way down the strip. I loved the look of this!!  The others I tried different cutting techniques to make them look "leafy".  I don't know if there is a right way to do it.....just be careful not to over cut or over stretch!  They are dollar store...and pretty thin.  I believe I made 40 from one plastic cover!!  $1 well spent!

 Stay tuned for more VBS ideas!!

                     NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED ART ROOM POSTS

Agency D3 is Here!!

        

This is the week of VBS....I will post about the crafts soon!  The stage came together well though!!  

What has Mr. E been up to??

    So this is what I have been working on since school let out.....VBS sets!  This year's theme is fun for sets....but not as fun for crafts. Last year was the opposite. The kids will love it all...they always do!  We usually have around 300 or so children. It is a lot of work...but so much fun & totally worth it!!

       

                                 

VBS Prep Family Art Night

This year we're doing Agency D3 for our VBS.  Think Spy Kids meets CSI.  This is the second year we've had a family art night(because this is the second year my wife has been directing the children's ministry at our church).  We have projects that families can work on together that we'll hang up at our VBS.  

Painters Tape & I are not friends!!! ha ha  I was taping off a city scape on large canvases for the teens to paint during the family art night!  

I had pre-drawn images for them to paint..because this was a come and go event.  They used a variety of watercolor techniques to paint the images.

      

Fun & colorful!!!

For the teens helping out...I had them paint these large canvases for a photo booth set.  After they finished up..they helped cut out images the kids had painted. 

VBS CRAFT : Bubble Painting

I did these Bubble Paintings with the Pre-K & K at VBS. 

 I've never done this with my students at school...but could be fun when creating painted paper for collage.  

It is very messy with the little ones, but SOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!  They loved it.  

Twas the Night Before VBS...and All Through the Church!!!!!

Tomorrow is the big day...kick off of VBS 2013!!  

I'm so proud of my wife...taking over the children's ministry at our church was a huge responsibility!!! 

VBS is kind of like the Super Bowl of her role!  

We are expecting 300+ kids! (which is huge since we only have 250 members  at our church!!!)

I'm also in charge of the crafts...so I'll be posting some of those images during the week!  

Doing crafts is NOTHING like being an art teacher!!!! More on that later.  

The popcorn box is on loan from my PTO prez 's!  She goes to a church that was doing the same theme...and allowed me to use her amazing prop!!!!!  (we're going to use it for our fall festival at school too!! might as well get some miles out of it!)

Here are some of the works created at our family art night!! 

HOW FUN!!

The one with her mouth open is my wife! :)  hee hee

With God, Cardboard, & Duct Tape....

With God, Cardboard, & Duct Tape...I CAN DO ALL THINGS!!! ha ha ha

I can make things look pretty, but when it comes to anything beyond that...you might need to call someone else?!?!  HOWEVER...I made the trees stand up! :) ha ha  I used cardboard & duct tape...and it worked.  I had created a more complicated version with foam, but that would have taken forever to do!!

Now I'm just praying they don't fall over during VBS!! ha ha

More VBS Sets

We needed something else for the entrance of our church.  I thought we're going to put up the LifeWay backdrop with the coaster front for pictures(remember the crazy picture of my wife and kids! ha ha).  However, there is a column there that would be in the way of group shots.....sooooo I decided to use one of our extra 4ft x 8ft canvas panels to create this!  Yes, Colossal Coaster World people...I know....it is Facing Fear...Trusting God.  SORRY!!!  I added a bit more after this picture was taken, but you get the idea!  

VBS SET ALMOST DONE!

CLOSER & CLOSER TO BEING FINISHED!!!  

I've had some great help & have been able to go in several hours on my own and work.  

I love these trees...wanna figure out other ways to use them(in my classroom maybe

VBS PREP FAMILY ART NIGHT

So for outside the snack area at VBS..we decided we'd decorate with family/kid made projects.

It was a lot of prep...A LOT OF PREP!  When doing something like this...you don't know how many will actually show, the variety of ages(though we set it at 4 +), how many parents will stay with their children....etc!  It isn't like our regular classroom where we are kind of controlling a majority of the factors.  So...making next to fool proof projects is a challenge..and as I said...a lot of prep.

PICTURES FROM THE ART NIGHT

A mother/daughter team having a great time painting!!!

My wife (our children's ministry coordinator) working on some cotton candy!

IF YOU ARE GOING TO PIN ANYTHING ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS...CAN YOU PIN THE FIRST PICTURE OF MY WIFE SMILING...IT WOULD MAKE ME LAUGH IF YA WOULD! 

Mr. Greg got more into it than I thought!!!!

Watercolor w/ Salt for Icee cups

Popcorn Station

Some of the kids that were left at the end!

Drying Table