Here is an alternative VBS program that parents (or grandparents, aunts, and uncles, or other friends and neighbors) can create using Jonah: The Fearful Prophet. Find below a wealth of ideas to pull together a mini backyard VBS program to share with children who may have already been playing together safely during this Covid-19 pandemic. Outdoors is the safest place to play when we have to be concerned with the Covid virus. One or more canopy tents would be beneficial for shade and/or shelter if it should rain.
A set of coloring pages is available with all of the illustrations from Jonah: The Fearful Prophet in a downloadable PDF file. These can be printed on paper or traced onto cloth fabric for making a quilt. For more information about how to make the Bible quilt blocks check out this link on www.biblequilts.com.
You can use a laptop or a flat TV screen with BlueTooth features to lead singing the songs listed below on YouTube. You may also be able to share the pictures from the Kindle e-book version of Jonah: The Fearful Prophet on a screen as you read it to the children.
Here are some ideas to help you build your mini VBS program in three segments.
Songs for every day
O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E Song alternate video
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
First Segment – Jonah runs from God
Jonah disobey’s God’s command to go to Nineveh and tell them God is going to destroy their city. Instead he gets on a ship going in the opposite direction. He ends up at the bottom of the sea where he thinks he will die.
Runaway Jonah Game – This game will help children remember that even though Jonah ran away, God forgave him. Have children form a circle with their hands behind their backs. Choose a child to be “Jonah,” and give Jonah a small object or toy. As Jonah walks around the outside of the circle, the children say, “Shame on Jonah who disobeyed. But God forgave him anyway.” At the end of the phrase, Jonah will put the object into another child’s hands, and that child will chase Jonah around the circle. If Jonah makes it back to the open spot in the circle without being tagged, the person holding the object will be the next Jonah, and the game is repeated. If you only have a few children, create a larger circle to run around, possibly around a wading pool or any number of objects.
If it’s really hot, add water games to every day. Use water sprinkler and a large tarp to create a mini-water park and include a wading pool.
Craft idea – Make a model of a boat from cardboard or wood and put blocks of wood or small boxes in it to represent the cargo. Use to demonstrate how the sailors tossed the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter.
Refreshments – make cupcakes using the metalic liners in addition to the paper liners so you can pinch the opposite sides closer together to give the cupcake a boat shape. Don’t overfill the cupcakes as it will be more likely to spill out the ends. Add sails to the cupcake using toothpicks or skewers to hold up paper sails. Every day serve something cold like ice cream and/or popsicles.
Second Segment – Jonah repents
Jonah is swallowed by a fish. He repents and prays to God. The fish spits Jonah out onto the shore. God again tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. This time he goes.
Psalm 139:9-10: “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me.”
Talk about second chances and God’s forgiveness of our sins.
Jonah Tag – Divide the children into two groups. If one group is larger than the other, make the larger group “Jonahs” and the smaller group “whales.” Give each Jonah a green strip of cloth or paper to represent the seaweed from the bottom of the sea so it will be easy to remember who is a Jonah and who is a whale. Tell the whales that their job is to catch a Jonah and swallow him by tagging him lightly. Once a Jonah is tagged, the whale and Jonah walk together to the side of the play area. If there is a Jonah that is left after all of the others have been tagged, that child is the winner! In the next round, the winner from the previous round will continue as a Jonah, and the rest of the whales and Jonahs switch roles.
Craft idea – use paper plates to make a fish, color and add fins. If you glue or staple two plates together with tops of the plates to the inside and one edge open, you can add a paper Jonah to put inside the fish’s mouth.
Refreshments – Blue gelatin in clear cups with a gummy fish and gummy man and green seaweed (coconut colored green). Also a great find on the web, a watermelon whale at this link: Watermelon whale
Third Segment – Jonah goes to Nineveh
Jonah gives God’s message to the Ninevites and the people repent. God saves the city. Jonah pouts and has one more lesson to learn.
Picture shuffle – Shuffle the coloring page pictures and have the children put them in correct order and retell the story.
Repentance Activity by Bible Class Creations (link) A clever way to make a game to emphasize the act of (and need for) repentance.
Discuss how God values all people, and how important it is to reach everyone with the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. Without naming children who might be seen as “bad,” help your children realize that God loves them all and wants them to repent and learn to love Jesus too.
Jesus Loves the Little Children medley Excellent video for a wrap-up take-away.
I hope you will share any additional ideas you think of that would be appropriate for a Jonah VBS and share them in the comments below. I would also love to see pictures of your backyard VBS. (Get approval from the children’s parents before sharing pictures)
Win a free copy of Jonah: The Fearful Prophet, Color your own pictures. I will select a winner from those sharing ideas and/or pictures from a random drawing on August 19.
All three formats of Jonah: The Fearful Prophet are available here.
We are planning a Jonah and the Big Fish VBSt this year!
Wonderful! I hope you will find some helpful ideas on this website. I would love to see some pictures.