Boot Camp Stuff

My favorite VBS theme is Boot Camp—an Army theme.   We teach the basics of our Catholic faith.   Here is the folder with crafts, banners, games, etc.  In this post I want to share my sources for t-shirts, hats, dog tags, and goodie bags.  The kids love to wear Camouflage Baseball Hats.  My target price is about $2.00 each.  I have purchased plain caps and hand painted them.  You could make painting the hats a craft with painter’s caps and a camouflage spray paint kit.  (The last time I painted hats myself with teens for the kids.)  I buy camouflage dog tags, camo bags, and  patriotic tattoos for the goodie bags.  I sew simple draw string bags for large VBS groups and buy the bags for small groups.  I try to find patriotic stationary for the kids to write thank-you letters to vets or active duty personnel.  (Once, my friend, Claudia, was deployed during VBS.  She frequently helped with VBS.  We sent them to her and the letters made her cry.  Other times, my friend, John, who visits the VA hospital in WV regularly, brings them to Vets.  Some kids take them home to Vets they know personally.).  I like to hand out t-shirts during VBS to foster a sense of identity.  I look for plain green packs of t-shirts—which tend to be one of my biggest expenses.  I usually buy 6-packs of Army green t shirts, at about $20 from Walmart.  I can buy several sizes, including men’s large for bigger children.  The kids can sign one another’s t-shirts or decorate a camouflage pattern with sharpies.  I cover the tables with rolls of camo table cloths.  I distribute the bags, dog tags, baseball caps, and the-shirts Day One.  Buy extra t-shirts and caps.  It saves headaches when kids mislay them or materialize on Day Three for VBS.