HAPPY TRAILS…THE WEST OF THE STORY is a Vacation Bible School we first presented several years ago. Churches said they wanted an event their boys would love to attend. We agreed and the cowboy theme has been popular ever since. Surprise! Not only do boys love the wild west, girls love it too! Future plans include an updated re-write of the program to include many current ideas and to give voice to what churches across the country have done when they created their own Wild West VBS. As always, the theme is a backdrop to learn more about Jesus. Students learn what happened in the lives of people after they met Jesus.
We started with an audio tape of music called KIDS SING COWBOY SONGS. Sadly, it is no longer available. However, if interested, contact Ellen at 1-888-236-5433. Recently we found another group of songs we think are terrific. Check out the CD “HEAVENLY HOEDOWN” at www.letusteachkids.com to see if they will work for you. Order directly from let us teach kids!
Blog your HAPPY TRAILS experiences here. Watch for a new version of the program within a year and….watch for our brand new TUMBLEWEED TOWN ONE DAY VBS appearing early 2008.
We received this email last week from Beth Chapman. Reprinted here with Beth’s permission:
“Just wanted to send you a little note letting you know we had a VERY successful Happy Trails Western VBS this year at Fellowship Church of the Brethren in Martinsburg, WV. Many people in our church said it was the best VBS we have ever had. We had so much participation…we had an average of 35 children each night and raised over $1800 to send 6 children to school in Haiti for one year (in co-op with Vine Ministries). We decorated using antiques: old wash tub, wash board, clothes line w/clothes, quilts, boots, chicken crate w/fake chickens…the whole nine yards and everyone loved it. Just wanted to thank you for your great VBS and let you know it was very much appreciated. WE WILL BE BACK!
Beth Chapman…director
We (Hemlock Community Church, Ohio)used Happy Trails for 2007 VBS. Our volunteers got so excited about decorating for their lessons – they went all out. One made a gold mine by making a frame from wood and covering it completely with weed barrier fabric to cover walls, grocery sacks crumbled and painted gray for rock walls. He put gold glitter on the walls and in the rocks to resemble the gold – wrote the scripture in gold and students had to find all the words on the wall with small flashlights.
We used woodgrain scenesetters to cover walls, openings, even furniture to make them look old. Used various sized Christmas trees in groupings. Made log fences from carpet rolls and cement blocks painted gray or brown.
Created a country cabin with old things most people have in their attics or basements – galvanized tubs, crocks, iron cookware, wooden bowls, quilts, rag rugs, lanterns, tinware, old mismatched wood chairs, granny rockers, etc.
We served a light dinner each evening at the Chuckwagon. Menu items were named as in prairie times – rattlesnake (chicken sticks), cowgurgers (hamburgers), just made up silly names for common foods. We covered the floursecent panel lights in this room with plastic scenesetter called “starry night”. Looked like eating under the stars. Really worked.
Our barn was ouside with hay, benches, old tools, used red barn scenesetter with the barn door add-on to cover windows, openings, railings.
General Store was just furniture we had in SS room, but covered with woodgrain paper. Lots of old baskets, wood crates, clothes on wall, small park bench, old type cash register, old books, boots, upholstery fabric in old type patterns,
For the jail we covered everything in the room with white paper on rolls that is used to cover tables. Then made bars from black electrical tape twisted and then attached to ceiling & floor. Wanted posters on the wall, bars on the windows, We even stuffed a dummy for the cot – black & white striped clothes. Filled in with lots of other stuff.
Old Schoolhouse was difficult to find school tables or chairs that looked old. So we set up chairs in rows as in “Little House” – had lunch sacks, water pain & dipper, ten commandments on wall, American flag, pigeon-hole type desk for teacher. Large blackboard, alphabet train with Bible words for ABC’s.
All the kids got cowboy hats & scarves – color coded by classes.
I could not find cowboy music I liked, so we used music from last years Standard Publishing – “Trading Places”. Kids loved the music – make a take-home music CD for kids to keep. (Standard allows this) They had every song learned by the end of the week.
Note: It was surprising how many people in our congregation had the things we needed to decorate. I made a list very early of what was needed and asked them to just put their name by it if they had it not bring it in yet. They brought the things when they we actually needed. Also, the volunteers had good ideas of decorating. I just gave them the lesson material for their day – they went with it.
This was a huge success according to everyone involved. However, my best advice to you is this: Pray about who you will ask to head up each area. Allow God to lead you and get self out of the way. You will be so blessed when you see what He knows about your volunteers that you don’t!
Have lots of fun.
Betty Stover, New Lexington Ohio
I just want to THANK YOU for the information on this site about HEAVENLY HOEDOWN !!! I have looked everywhere for Kids Sing Cowboy Songs, hoping to find a used copy somewhere – but could find nothing.
We are having a western VBS this summer and the music that came with it is AWFUL – I don’t like it, so I KNOW the kids won’t like it – the 3 songs are too SLOW and too short. I just ordered Heavenly Hoedown and I can hardly wait to get it !!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU