Goals of WaterWorks!™ Park VBS

These are the goals that this curriculum will help you accomplish:

• Change children from the inside out as their hearts are transformed by God’s love for them and His amazing power.
• Develop in children an understanding of the relationship God wants to have with them through engaging Bible stories.
• Develop meaningful relationships between leaders and children in an interactive, Christian environment.
• Build a bridge between church and home as families are encouraged and challenged by the VBS ministry.

Rotational Learning Model

WaterWorks!™ Park VBS is built on a rotation model rather than a site-based model. The kids will be divided into groups, and each group will visit—or rotate to— every activity at WaterWorks!™ every day. All the children start together at the opening assembly. Then they divide into five groups and rotate through five activities: Bible drama, Bible memory music, crafts, games, and activity pages. All the groups take a break and visit the Snack Shack together as one large group for delicious refreshments. Snacks are prepared by volunteers earlier in the day and are ready to serve halfway through the program.

Coconut Island

Opening Assembly
Coconut Island is the location for your opening assemblies, when all the kids are together in one big group—even your preschoolers! Emceed by the Lifeguard, the main attraction of Coconut Island is the puppet show, featuring Loop-Dee-Loo, the water bird, and Koko, the dolphin. Puppet scripts can be found in the WaterWorks!™ Park Director’s Guide.

To start off the day, the Aqua Patrol teen helpers will lead their color-coded groups to Coconut Island area and direct them where to sit. The adult playing the role of Lifeguard begins the session, welcoming the kids and setting an upbeat tone. Be sure the puppeteers or actors are set up “back stage” before the children enter Coconut Island. There are two versions of each opening assembly skit—one with puppets and one with actors. During the Coconut Island opening assembly, the kids will be introduced to the day’s Bible story through the engaging puppet show or skit and sing the WaterWorks!™ Park VBS theme song, “Splish Splash Bible Bash.” The theme song can be led with the WaterWorks!™ Park CD, the sheet music (with someone playing piano or guitar), or with the music video (on the WaterWorks!™ Park DVD) that has both the lyrics and the motions to the song.

Time permitting, you may also choose to sing additional verses to “Splish Splash Bible Bash” also found on the CD.

Bible Bay

Bible Drama
The leaders at Bible Bay will use the Bible Bay Drama Guide to lead the kids through an engaging and interactive Bible story. The teaching technique uses drama with lots of variety! Every day the children will see God’s awesome power when He intervened on behalf of the children He loves. Riding the wave of God’s love is at a high point here!

The daily Bible drama is simple to present. But your Bible Bay leaders can make it as elaborate as they want! Each lesson includes hugely creative “Pump It Up” ideas—to enhance the Bible drama. “Pump It Up” often includes ideas for additional supplies or for making the drama more realistic. There’s also a “Get Wet!” option in each lesson that lets you bring a little water into the story, if you so choose.

The Bible Bay leaders will present the same Bible drama five times in one day—once to each of the five groups that rotates to this Attraction. The same Bible story presentation will work for all the elementary (K–5) age levels. Salvation lessons for this year’s VBS are found in Bible Bay Bible dramas, Day 2 and 4.

Raging River

Games
The group that comes to Raging River Attraction will dive into Bible application activities and games—and maybe even get a little wet!

All the games outlined in the Raging River Game Guide are full of super Bible spills and thrills. These activities get the kids interacting both with each other and with the daily Bible story content.

Every lesson offers two fun-tastic games or activities. We suggest that the game leader set up both games and have them ready for the kids. When kids finish with one, the next game is ready to play. The Raging River leader will present the same game or activity five times in one day—once to each of the five groups that rotates to this Attraction.

As an added bonus, Raging River has a “thrill meter”—three levels of action that the leader can choose depending on the age-group, space, and supplies.

Thrill Level 1: Cool and refreshing fun

Thrill Level 2: Pump It Up and get moving

Thrill Level 3: Ridiculously fun-tastic!

The highest thrill level will always give you great ideas for bringing water into the fun, giving the kids a chance to get wet and cooled-off!

Gift & Souvenir Shop

Crafts
When the kids visit the Gift & Souvenir Shop, they’ll get to take home their Key Bible Verse learning! The leader of this Attraction will get to choose between two creative crafts each day using the Gift & Souvenir Shop Craft Guide. The choice depends on what is desired based on availability of supplies, level of difficulty, and particular application. Throughout the week, the craft choices will cover the key Bible memory verses along with the Bible story content and Live it!, the lesson application and focus.

Once a craft is chosen, the Souvenir Shop leader will teach the same craft all day, to all five groups of kids. The next day the leader chooses another craft to teach to all five groups, and so on. The kids will take home whatever project they make as a reminder of what they learned at WaterWorks!™ Park VBS each day.

Snack Shack and Blessing Time

Large Group Snack Time
In the middle of your VBS time, everyone will be ready for refreshments and a break. Plan to have all the kids come together at this time, in a place that’s safe to have food and drinks. Adult volunteers (and optional helpers) will prepare the snacks ahead of time, choosing from two yummy, simple snacks that reinforce Bible learning! Snack options can be found in the WaterWorks!™ Park Director’s Guide.

The Aqua Patrol staffers will lead their groups to the eating area and help them get seated. You may choose to seat kids around tables or have them sit on the floor. You might even find it convenient to have them picnic outside on the grass or on beach towels or pick up their snacks by walking through a line cafeteria-style. Before the kids get their refreshments, be sure to invite your pastor, elder or leader to lead a prayer to ask God to bless the good food He provides—and to ask Him to bless the children, as well.

Encourage kids to sit back and relax during this time as they enjoy chatting with friends. After snack, however, is a great time for free play outside if the weather is nice.

Splash-tacular!

Bible Memory and Music
The kids visiting the Splash-tacular! Attraction are in for a treat—five awesome praise music videos to get them on their feet—singing and doing actions. Each video has the words and music that will reinforce each day’s Bible focus. Play one video each day. You may choose to review videos as the week continues.

The WaterWorks!™ Park kit comes with a DVD to use with a TV/DVD player or a projection screen and sound system. The leader simply has to press the button and enthusiastically lead the singing as he or she stands next to the TV. The music videos will teach the kids the songs and actions.

For those churches without access to a TV with DVD player, the sheet music is included in the Splash-tacular! Bible Memory and Music Guide.

Bonus Option! Splash-tacular! Bible Memory and Music Guide also provides the option for kids to memorize the day’s Key Bible Verse. The Splash-tacular! leader can find fun Bible memory activities, games and handouts for each day’s lesson in this guide as well.

Snow Mountain

Reproducible Activity Pages
Time for a water park “cool-down”—a reflective time that utilizes inspiring reproducible activity pages that lead the kids to review the Live It!—the lesson application and focus—at WaterWorks!™ Park VBS that day. All the leader needs to do is hand out pencils or markers and a few supplies, and the activity pages. Be sure to check the age-range on the reproducible pages—there are upper and early elementary options in the Snow Mountain Reproducible Activity Guide.