Resources
Concordia has put together a fabulous VBS this year! Tropical Trek: Jesus Comes to Seek and Save! The setting is a tropical island adventure and the daily themes look amazing. I haven’t typically worked on resources for Concordia’s VBS, but I had some folks reach out and ask for some specific items. Since I’ve already taken the time to make them, I figured it only made sense to make them available to anyone who can use them. I will 100% honor Concordia’s copyright rules, so none of their clipart will be used in any downloadable files. However, I usually include the Canva Template links so that you can easily insert official clipart on your own.
One request: You’re welcome to use any of the resources I’ve created! I NEVER charge for my resources. I just ask that you don’t repost copies or share my Canva links on other websites or Facebook pages. Instead, please link back to this page so others can find the resource here. Maybe they’ll even discover a few other helpful resources along the way. Thanks so much!
If you want to read more about Tropical Trek and/or order the starter kit, here’s the link:
JUMP TO SECTION: Click the image below to jump to the resources in each category on this page:
WEEKLY PRAYER GUIDE
Here is a simple weekly prayer guide that can be used to guide your church family in praying for VBS. The Canva Template link below will allow you to edit this according to the needs of your own church. You can also swap out my clipart for Group’s logo.
BUTTERFLY PRAYER REMINDERS
I saw this idea last year and loved the idea for the Tropical theme! Valerie Simonton used magnetic butterflies as a tangible reminder for her church family to pray for VBS. She used a simple whiteboard, but you could also use a magnetic tabletop sign if you needed something smaller. The butterflies work beautifully along with the weekly prayer guide or the prayer calendar.
Here are some magnetic butterflies that would serve as a great reminder for folks to be praying for VBS.
OPSEAM Butterfly Wall Decor 72 PCS, 3D Butterflies Stickers for Party Decorations with Magnets (Swallow, 72)
Prefer a sticker? These decals will serve the same purpose.
ElecMotive 72 Pcs 6 Packs Beautiful 3D Butterfly Wall Decals Removable DIY Home Decorations Art Decor Wall Stickers & Murals for Babys Bedroom TV Background Living Room (72 pcs in 6 Colors)
Full Disclosure: I don’t charge for anything on this site, but as an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases.
PRAYERS OF BLESSING FOR VBS VOLUNTEERS
Many churches set aside time to pray over their VBS volunteers before the week begins. Depending on your church tradition, your pastor may prefer a spontaneous prayer, a written prayer, or a responsive format. Below, you’ll find both a written and a responsive prayer option. Feel free to download and use them as they are…or customize the Word document to best fit the needs and style of your congregation.
ADOPT-A-PROP
Several years ago we started something we called Adopt-a-Prop and it completely transformed the way we prepare for decorating the church for VBS. I doubt I’ll have the time to create an adopt-a-prop file just for Tropical Trek, but I realized that there is a lot of overlap in decorating with the folks that are doing Rainforest Falls (palm trees, toucans, monkeys, tropical flowers, etc.). Feel free to follow the link below to explore more about adopt-a-prop and to access instruction sheets for about 30 different projects that people in your congregation can do at home.
“REASONS TO VOLUNTEER” PAGE
Here’s a little motivator for your recruitment table. There are so many great reasons to volunteer for VBS, and this card highlights just a few of them. Bonus…they even spell out “TROPICAL”!
You can use the Canva link if you want to tweak anything or add the official logo. Or you can simply grab one of the ready-to-use versions as is.
If you’d like to pair it with a small giveaway, there are some really fun butterfly and flower pens out there. That said, the card totally works on its own too. No need to spend any of your VBS budget!
Here are a couple of fun pen options if you like the idea of a giveaway with the page.
Zuazaor 24 Pack Spring Summer Pens Black Gek Ink Butterfly Pens Bulk for Women Party Favors Adults Office School Crhistmas Valentine’s Wedding Party Supplies (Summer Butterfly)
Sayglossy 30 Pcs Summer Hawaiian Luau Ballpoint Pens with Hibiscus Flower Decor Cute Tropical Hibiscus Flower 1.0 mm Black Gel Ink Retractable Ballpoint Pens for Office School Supplies
ISLAND VIBES DAILY NEWSLETTER
Looking for an easy way to send daily info home to parents? This template has you covered. You can print it as a take-home page or use the same format for a quick email at the end of the day.
As usual, I’ve left out any official clipart to stay within copyright guidelines. You’ll find two versions here: one with an alternate logo already included, and one with open space if you’d like to add Concordia’s logo yourself. I added a third version with no days of the week so you can modify that to fit your church’s schedule.
If you’re a Canva user, the Canva template link makes editing quick and painless. Not on Canva? No problem. You can download the Word document below the images and edit everything right in Word.
ALTERNATE CLIPART INCLUDED:
SPACE TO ADD IN THE OFFICIAL LOGO:
DAYS LEFT OFF FOR EASIER SCHEDULE CUSTOMIZING
DRESS-UP DAYS IDEAS
Not every church wants to (or can) do t-shirts for every kid. As fun as matching shirts are, they can get pricey fast. A great alternative is themed dress-up days.
Speaking as a mom, I’m always a fan of dress-up ideas that are simple—the kind that don’t require a last-minute Target run at 10 p.m. the night before camp. 😉 And of course, the goal is for the themes to add to the kids’ experience, not distract from what really matters.
Here’s a sample with some easy, kid-friendly ideas to get you started. I made 3 versions: M-F, S-Th, and one with no days so you can add in your own. (And yes—these can absolutely be used alongside VBS t-shirts. There’s no rule that says kids can’t have fun with both!)
Feel free to use the Canva Template Link to make it your own and change the dress up to the themes that work best in your context! (You can update the clipart to Concordia’s while you’re at it!)
Since not everyone loves Canva like I do, here are some shareable flyers that you can download and use without the need to edit them. If these themes work for you, feel free to take the easy route and use these as is.
DOT MARKER PAGES
I love dot marker pages so much! Whether you use paint or stickers, they are such a fun way for the younger kiddos to decorate a page. Here’s one for each day of VBS. I’ve also included a couple options for title pages in case you want to put these together as a take-home booklet.
Need dot markers? They can be a little pricey, but the decent ones last awhile. This set holds up well and has 36 different colors (easy to use with a group). They have other options with more/less markers too.
Shuttle Art Washable Dot Markers 36 Colors with Free Activity Book, Fun Art Supplies for Kids Toddlers and Preschoolers, Non Toxic Water-Based Paint Daubers, Dot Art Markers
Here’s another set I found on Amazon—pretty good reviews and less expensive if you need a smaller batch of markers.
Nicecho Dot Markers, Washable Dot Markers for Kids Toddlers & Preschoolers, 24 Colors Bingo Paint Daubers Marker Kit with Free Activity Book
Full Disclosure: I don’t charge for anything on this site, but as an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from qualifying purchases.
Need an option that is even less messy? Cut off a strip of these 3/4″ circle labels and let the kids color their pictures with stickers and crayons. I love this pack with a huge variety of colors that are perfect for this year’s animals!
JANYUN 3920 Pcs 3/4″ Color Dot Stickers,Colored Coding Labels Circle Dots 14 Assorted Colors 0.75 Inch Colored Round Labels Stickers Dot with Zipper File Pocket for Office Classroom Student
Looking to keep it simpler with fewer colors? These are tried and true and stick well!
Misofuki 3000 PCS 3/4″ Round Color Coding Circle Dot Labels Includes Bright Yellow Green Red Pink Orange Blue(6 Rolls,500 Labels/Roll)
MAKE-A-FACE STICKERS
I’m amazed at how inexpensive these cute little sticker pages are. There are 6 each of 6 different reptiles. What a fun activity for toddlers or preschoolers!
36 PCS Make a face Sticker for Kids Toddlers, Make Your Own Reptile Animal Mix and Match Sticker with Snakes, Lizards, Frogs, Turtles, Kids Party Favor Craft Supplies
COMING SOON…
I’m all about getting the whole congregation involved in decorating! We heavily promote Adopt-a-Prop, Build-a-Prop days, Craft days, etc. HOWEVER, sometimes a quick click of a button to order an already-made prop can be a huge help. Amazon is filled with items perfect for a tropical theme. I’ve gathered a few at the link below if you’d like to peruse to see if any of them work for you.
I am committed to keeping all resources provided on this page completely free. However, if you make purchases through links on this website, I may be paid a commission to help support this website and ministry. Please be assured that I will only put links on this site for products that I genuinely believe to be helpful and of value.
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