This week I’ve been teaching the kindergarten class at our church’s Vacation Bible School. And boy do I have a new appreciation for teachers! How do they do it? I have 19 kindergartners and two helpers and I’m exhausted! I came home today and had to take a nap!!

Our curriculum is from Lifeway- Outrigger Island- a Hawaiian type theme. It is very well written and organized. But they offer way more activities than I can fit into 3 hours! So I have been choosing 1 or 2 crafts and 1 or 2 centers each day. The kids especially like the sand center. And yes I have sand inside my classroom. Some of the other teachers are using Styrofoam packing peanuts. I actually think the sand has been less of a mess. The packing peanuts break apart and get all over the classroom. So far our sand has stayed in the sandbox- an inflatable swimming pool- and on the table cloth around it.

It was fun to decorate for this theme. It seems like all the stores have luau decorations in them right now. I found some really cute ones at The Dollar Tree and Big Lots. Another teacher got scene setters at Garden Ridge- they’re super cute- they’re a beach scene. To make the Tiki hut for my room, I used our outdoor portable awning and taped brown plastic grass skirts around the top edge to look like a grass roof. I then wrapped the legs with brown paper. I borrowed the garland from Teal to complete the look. I put the sand box inside and the kids have really enjoyed it.

I let my son design the sand castle bulletin board. I think he did a really good job. Both of my older kids and my husband helped out with lots of the decorations. It was fun, but a lot of work! I found some great ideas for decorating at www.boonetrail.net. Lifeway’s website has an idea sharing area that really good. I’ve also seen some really cute crafts and decorations in the Oriental Trading catalog. This has been a great week, but I’m glad that tomorrow is Friday!