Dress-up Days, Competitions, and Little Bits of Silliness

Every hour a child spends at church should be intentionally pointing them to Christ. I am that kidmin leader who boldly proclaims that there should not be games just for the sake of games and has gone so far as to even speak openly against snack time on Sunday mornings because every moment should be used to disciple. Even with an intentionally discipling mindset, I realize the value of fun and silliness for kids.

• It breaks down barriers.
• Kids listen better when they are engaged.
• You can teach through fun.
• Silliness builds relationships.
• And more!

Adding things like dress-up days, competitions, games, and a bit of silliness to your VBS helps make VBS an even bigger discipleship win.

Adding things like dress-up days, competitions, games, and a bit of silliness to your VBS helps make VBS an even bigger discipleship win. So how do we do this? And why?

Dress-up Days

Why: Dress-up days help with attendance. If children are excited about dressing up (which many are) or they get points for their team because they dressed up, they won’t want to miss out. It could make the difference between skipping out for a pool day and being at VBS and hearing an eternity-changing truth.

Dress-up Day Ideas:

• Theme day (western wear, jungle animals, explorers, etc.)
• Tie-Dye Day
• Wacky-Tacky Day
• Totally Crazy Tuesday (or Thursday)
• Team Color Day
• Superhero Day
• Pirate/Princess Day
• Rainbow of Color Day
• Animal Day
• Camo Day
• Christmas in (Whatever month your VBS is)
• Summer Luau Day
• Backward Day
• Bible Hero Day
• All One-Color Day
• Decades Day
• Crazy Hair Day
• Pajama Day
• King or Queen for a Day
• Favorite Food Day
• Sports Day
• Lost in Space Day
• Emoji Day
• Weather Gone Wild Day
• Scientist Day
• Cardboard Clothes Day

Competitions

Why: Competitions can get kids excited about VBS. If they think their team may win, they are more likely to attend and invite others. If there’s a competition happening, more kids can hear about God. Many churches also use competitions for the missions offering, which often means more money is brought in, and more lives are changed!

Competition Ideas:

• Boys vs. Girls
• Older Kids vs. Younger
• Class vs. Class
• X Team vs. Y Team (pick team names based on the theme and divide kids into the groups)

Missions Competition Ideas:

• Penny/Quarter War (for offering)
• “Would you rather . . . ?” (for offering—kids drop their money in the bucket they would rather)
• Dollar Amount Challenge
• Fill the Container
• Prizes for the Winner

A Little Bit of Silliness

Why: Silliness can break down walls between kids and leaders. It can open a child to hear God’s truths, help them recenter and pay attention, or be used to teach and disciple!

Silliness Ideas:

• Confetti Streamers (Kick off or end a ceremony)
• Silly Hat Wearers (Kids say the verse to anyone wearing a silly hat)
• Crazy Costumes (Have leaders wear something unique to them, like glasses with fake eyelashes. It’ll be a conversation starter for sure.)
• 30-Second Dance Parties (Great for pre-service time!)
• Minute-to-Win-It Games (Use these to earn points for teams and get kids engaged onstage. They can be lesson-related too!)
• Characters (Create characters to lead the assemblies!)
• Be silly! (Encourage adults to cut loose and be silly with the kids!)

It’s worth it each and every time!

Don’t be afraid to add a little silliness and fun to your VBS. Will you get some weird looks from adults when you stop for gas before VBS fully decked out in your mismatched knee socks, cape, tutu, and rainbow wig? Of course! But will you also have been silly in the name of drawing kids into church so they can hear the life-changing message of Christ? Absolutely! And it’s worth it each and every time!