Vacation Bible School (VBS) 
Crafts and Activities Page

VBS Crafts and Activity Ideas

Group's Crocodile Dock

1. Possum Craft for Crocodile Dock VBS - This is a cheap and easy craft made from card stock. (Available to members only.)

2. 3D Turtle Craft for Crocodile Dock Vacation Bible School - This craft has lots of pieces and is great for older children. It is made from card stock and is stuff with poly-fil to help it keep it's shape. (Available to members only.)

3. "God is Always with Us" Turtle Sheet for Vacation Bible School - Children color and decorate a turtle picture with buttons and fun foam shapes. (Available to members only.)

4. Burning Bush Picture for VBS - Children color the picture with crayons and then use straws to blow water color paint in different directions to make it look like flames. (Available to members only.)

Plagues of Egypt Crafts

1. Paper Plate Frog - Great craft for Vacation Bible School. Children use dinner-sized plates to make these adorable frogs. (Patterns available to members only.)

2. Make a frog on a lily pad from a smooth rock - Another great craft for VBS. Go to Craft Page 20 for directions and a pattern. (Patterns available to members only.)

3. Decorate frog beanbags - Children glue fun foam shapes on to felt beanbags. Make the frog beanbags before class. They are very cheap and easy to make. Go to the Frog Crafts Page for directions and a pattern. Children can also use them to play Vacation Bible School games.

Gospel Light's Safari VBS Craft Ideas

Foam Marshmallow Giraffe Craft	Foam Marshmallow Lion Craft	Folded Paper African Elephant Craft
Folded Paper Giraffe Craft	Foam Marshmallow Hippo Craft
Folded Paper Lion Craft	Folded Paper Zebra Craft	Also see the African Safari Crafts and Activities Page

Lifeway's Boomerang Express Vacation Bible School - Australian Theme

Kangaroo Crafts for Vacation Bible School

Kangaroo Planter Craft	3D "Tell Someone about Jesus" Kangaroo Craft	Kangaroo Stuffed Toy
Paper Plate Joey	3D Paper Kangaroo and Joey	Kangaroo iPod Pouch
	Australian Dot Art Craft for VBS

Other Craft Ideas for Boomerang Express

Kingdom Servants Web Site as lots of great craft, food, and decorating ideas for this theme.

 

Craft Ideas for Any VBS

1. Fun Foam Bracelets

What you will need: Strips of craft foam approx. 2cm in width. (The length you need depends on the sizes of the children's wrists and is best cut to size individually during the class) and sticky-back Velcro pads. To decorate use sequins, fun foam shapes, 3D fabric paint, twine, and beads. Use materials appropriate for each age group.
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

What to do:

1. Measure the craft foam strips to the child ’s wrist, cut to size and attach the Velcro pads to the ends.

2. Let the children write WWJD, or other message, on their bands and then decorate them as they wish.

3. To add beads, use a hole punch to make a hole to loop twin through then add beads and tie a knot in the end to secure. Sent in by Anglea

2. VBS Rocks! Paperweight Craft - Children glue small rocks into Plaster of Pair molds, paint them, and then write "VBS Rocks!" or "Jesus is my Rock!", etc. on the outside. Go to the Father's Day Crafts page for directions on how to make these.

3.  Make VBS Keepsakes - Take pictures of the children using props and costumes to fit your VBS theme. Have the children decorate picture frames to go with the pictures. This idea came from Loretta Turner she wrote, "My co-teachers and I have found that parents love having a picture keepsake from VBS of their children, so each year we build a "set" in our room (last year we did the stable scene from Jesus birth) and then have the kids dress up as the main characters (i.e. Mary and Joseph).   We took the film to the one-hour photo lab and the kids had the picture and frame (that they made in class) to take home to their parents.  It also served as a great reminder of the bible story."

4. Make a video - Our church this year made a video with all the children in it. Our theme was Ocean Odyssey so they had each child put on goggles and snorkels and wave to the camera. They also included pictures of children making crafts, at recreation, etc.  They sold the videos to the parents to help pay for the program.

5. Handling Craft Projects - Hand out a brown paper bag and small paper plate for each project. The children should put their names on both before they start their craft. The paper plate keeps you from having to clean paint off the table and off your hands when the children are done with their projects. You just pick up the paper plate with their projects on them and move them to a table to dry without having to touch the wet project. When the project dries stick them in the paper bag to store.  (We kept all the projects until the last day)  They were then taken to the children's rooms. After our closing program the children took their parents to meet their teachers and pick up their projects. This was a good incentive to get the children and parents to come back.

VBS Craft Kits and Supplies

 

Oriental Trading Company

Oriental Trading offers easy, inexpensive, ready-to-assemble Vacation Bible School and Christian Crafts! To check them out click the Oriental Trading Crafts picture to the right.

 

 

---

Memory Cross -Bible Verse Craft and Memorization Helps Using the Memory Cross - Here is a great way for your students to memorize Bible verses. This origami cross can be folded over and over changing shapes and showing a different part of the Bible verse each time. Your children will find that it is hard to stop using them once they start. Memory Cross offers Bible verses that go along with many of the most popular Vacation Bible School programs. They have one for the plan of salvation which would be a great witnessing tool for your VBS. They also have many other Bible verse packages you can pick from. If they don't have what you want, you can custom order them. Or you can order blank ones and have your children make their own. (See the pictures below.) Go to Memory Cross to order yours today!  
 

VBS Craft Projects 

Here's a Great Craft for any VBS Program! - This origami craft is fun to play with and educational at the same time. It is designed so that each time it is folded it shows another picture or part of a Bible verse and then keeps repeating over and over. The Memory Cross will help your children remember their Bible verses as they play. They can be used with any VBS program. Children of all ages will enjoy designing their own Memory Crosses. The small Memory Crosses cost 40 cents each and the 7" x 7" cost 50 cents each.

Go to Memory Cross to order yours today!
 

Other VBS Links

 

Vacation Bible School Planning - http://www.gbgm-umc.org/marshltn/vbsmain.html

Vacation Bible School Forum by Delphi Forums
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=VBSinfo

A VBS Overflowing with Love
http://www.gbod.org/evangelism/programs/offeringchrist/vbs.html

Vacation Bible School; Then and Now
http://www.skypoint.com/members/dbc/VACATIONBIBLESCHOOL.html

Vacation Bible School Tips
http://sschool.com/content/vbs.htm

.

.

Vacation Bible School Craft Kits

Scratch Art Craft Kit for Vacation Bible School

Cross Craft Kit #CE4403 from S&S Worldwide