VBS 2014 Conference Plan for Preschool RotationsFile 6

Preschool Rotations Conference Plan

Purpose Statement

This forty-five minute plan is designed to prepare preschool leaders to useLifeWay’sAgency D3 3s–Kindergarten Rotation Pack.

Resources to Collect

Resources to use throughout the conference:

  • VBS 2014 Preschool Starter Kit
  • VBS 2014 3s–Kindergarten Rotation Pack

Music at Communication Hub

  • Music Folder from the Rotation Pack
  • Music CD
  • CD Player

Missions at the Map Room

  • Missions Folder from the Rotation Pack
  • Missions DVD
  • DVD Player

Arts and Crafts at the Lab

  • VBS 2014 ID Badge Craft Pack
  • VBS 2014 Magnetic Disguise Craft Pack
  • VBS 2014 Undercover Watch Craft Pack
  • VBS 2014 Agent Communicator Craft Pack

Recreation at the Training Grounds

  • Evidence Drop
  • 4 empty buckets
  • 4 buckets of Koosh® balls or balled paper
  • 4 plastic plates
  • 4 rulers
  • Tape
  • River River Run
  • Swim noodles
  • Jump ropes

Resources to Prepare

Music at Communication Hub

  • Set the CD to “Roll That Stone Away” (track 5).

Missions at the Map Room

  • Set the DVD to play the Agent Sam video for Day 1.

Arts and Crafts at the Lab

  • Prepare one VBS 2014 ID Badge.
  • Prepare one VBS 2014 Magnetic Disguise.
  • Prepare one VBS 2014 Undercover Watch.
  • Prepare one VBS 2014 Agent Communicator.

Recreation at the Training Grounds

  • Evidence Drop
  • Place the 4 empty buckets on the far side of the room.
  • Place 4 buckets of Koosh® balls or balled paper at start line.
  • Make 4 magnifying glasses by taping a ruler onto the back of a plastic plate .
  • River River Run
  • Set out the swim noodles and jump ropes from one side of the room to the other in the shape of a river.

Resources to Copy

  • Handout #1

Focal Wall Description

  • Place VBS 2014 Rotation Signs on the focal wall.

Room Setup

  • Set up a long table beside the focal wall and cover it with a VBS 2014 Tablecloth. Display the VBS Preschool Starter Kit and VBS 2014 3s–Kindergarten Rotation Pack, and Craft Packs on the table.
  • Place chairs in rows.

Decoration Suggestions

  • Drape the VBS 2014 String Flags around the doorways and place the VBS 2014 Visual Pack, VBS 2014 Wall Art, and VBS 2014 Decoration Punch-outs around the walls and door.

Audio Visual Needs

DVD player

CD player

Teaching Steps

Intro: Welcome (5 minutes)

  • Welcome conferees to the Preschool Rotation Conference.
  • Say: “Attention, agents! Your immediate response is required. Agency D3 has received credible information indicating that kids all over the world are seeking to know the truth about Jesus. Our field agents have verified these reports and are requesting backup from all available personnel. Your mission is clear: Train kids to discover, decide, and defend the truth about Jesus through music, games, missions, arts and crafts, activities, and, of course, fun!”
  • Show conferees the 3s–Kindergarten Rotation Pack.
  • Explain that the Pack includes Teaching Plans for:
  • Music at Communication Hub
  • Missions at the Map Room
  • Arts and Crafts at the Lab
  • Recreation at the Training Grounds
  • Briefly discuss how one Rotation pack is included in each VBS 2014 Preschool Starter Kit.
  • Share some tips on using the Pack and planning activities:
  • Keep the focus on the Bible story, Bible verse, and “What Kids Need to Know” statements.
  • Make adjustments to meet the needs of the kids:
  • Special Needs
  • Younger 3s
  • Older Kindergartners
  • The recommended amount of time for each rotation is 25 minutes, which includes time for transition.

Music at the Communication Hub (10 minutes)

  • Say: “Our first stop today is Music at the Communication Hub.”
  • Show conferees the Music Folder from the Rotation Pack. Explain:
  • CD in front contains 10 songs (all split-track)
  • CD also contains 4 Print Resources (CD-ROM)
  • Agency Directory gives overview of the week
  • Front of each teaching plan has Bible story, verse, “What Kids Need to Know” statements
  • Back of each teaching plan has instructions on how to teach the songs to preschoolers
  • Motions and words are provided in the back of the folder
  • Invite conferees to stand. Say: “On Day 4, preschoolers will hear about the women who walked to the tomb where Jesus was buried. They discovered something fascinating.”
  • Ask conferees: “What did the women find when they arrived at the tomb? Where was the stone?”(The stone was rolled away.)
  • Teach the motions to “Roll That Stone Away” (track 5).
  • Ask conferees to sing the song.

Missions at Map Room (10 minutes)

  • Show conferees the Missions Folder from the Rotation Pack. Explain:
  • DVD in front contains all the video segments
  • 3 short video segments featured each day
  • Agent Sam introduces each day (1 minute).
  • The second clip highlights the McGibbon family, North American missionaries serving in Ontario, Canada (2-3 minutes).
  • In the third clip, Alli will introduce you to the work of Martha Moore, International Mission Board missionary serving in Germany (2-3 minutes) .
  • Share information about “Mobilize Me.”
  • Special emphasis with the goal of starting churches in major “Send Cities” in North America. Churches can partner by praying, giving and donating to a region, city, or church. Go to for more information.
  • Show all three of the Day 1 video segments to the conferees.

Arts and Crafts at the Lab (10 minutes)

  • Show conferees the Arts and Crafts Folder from the Rotation Pack. Explain:
  • Several suggestions for each day
  • Craft Packs available for:
  • Day 1 ID Badge
  • Day 3 Magnetic Disguise
  • Day 4 Undercover Watch
  • Day 5 Agent Communicator
  • Free Art Center which allows kids a time of free-art expression and experimentation with a variety of art media.
  • Talk about ways to prepare for the Lab:
  • Ask Sunday School classes to sponsor an activity. The class could cut out the needed materials or donate the supplies.
  • Host an Arts and Crafts Prep Party a few weeks before VBS begins. Invite church members to come and help with the advance preparation. Include lunch or light snacks.
  • Ask the youth group to package supplies in ziplock bags, one for each child.
  • As kids enter the room, give a bag to each child with the supplies to make her craft. She can place the completed craft back in the bag to take home.
  • Use address labels to attach children’s names or the week’s Bible verse to their arts and crafts.

Recreation at the Training Ground (10 minutes)

  • Show conferees the Recreation Cards from the Rotation Pack. Explain:
  • 4 game suggestions each day
  • Administrative Cards at end, including Indoor and Outdoor Free Play options.
  • Share some Teaching Tips for recreation:
  • Be ready for the children before they arrive.
  • Keep two adults present with the children at all times.
  • Establish a way to get kids’ attention quickly (blow a whistle, say a special phrase, or clap your hands).
  • Specify the boundaries and maintain them.
  • Tell the children what you expect from them and consistently enforce the rules.
  • Keep the children active. Active children have less time to misbehave.
  • Get on eye level with a child and listen to what she is saying.
  • Try to show attention to each child.
  • Deal with problems immediately.
  • Remove a disruptive child from the game for one round.
  • Talk to a misbehaving child privately but always within view of another adult.
  • Love and accept each child.
  • Modify a game if kids become restless.
  • Draw attention to children with good behavior.
  • Share some Grouping Suggestions:
  • Separate the group by girls and boys.
  • Group kids by their interests (favorite food or color).
  • Give each child a square of construction paper and guide him to find friends with matching squares.
  • Note: If a child brought a friend to VBS, allow the two to be in the same group.
  • Invite conferees to stand and play:
  • Evidence Drop (Day 1)
  • Form four equal lines of conferees, one at each bucket of balls.
  • Guide the first person in line to choose “a piece of evidence” (Koosh ball or balled paper) and place it on his glass.
  • Ask him to walk to the empty bucket, drop in evidence, and pass the glass to the next kid in line.
  • Encourage each team to get as much evidence in its bucket as possible.
  • River River Run (Day 1)
  • Set the swim noodles and jump ropes in the form of a “river.”
  • Invite conferees to find a partner. Explain that each pair will “float down the river” together by linking elbows.
  • Explain that you will whisper a secret message to each pair, such as: “The river is running slowly”; “The river is moving quickly”; or “The river is bumpy.” Offer instructions such as tip-toeing, moving in slow motion, going backwards, or skipping.
  • Instruct pairs to move down the river according to the message.
  • Whisper a message to the first pair and send them down the river. Continue to send pairs until all conferees have had an opportunity to participate.

Debrief and Dismiss

  • Thank conferees for helping kids defend the truth about Jesus through music, games, missions, arts and crafts, activities, and, fun!
  • Pray and dismiss.

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