30 VBS Craft Ideas (Fun, Simple Ways to Engage Kids)
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Crafts are central to the summer VBS experience! Kids are overjoyed to proudly bring home their newly created wonder to their parents after their time away. These trinkets are tangible reminders of the Bible lessons they reviewed and the memories they made with their new friends and group leaders. For VBS, crafts are where it's at!
The first thing my kids do when I pick them up from VBS is show me exactly what they made and excitedly explain why they made it. They carefully display their new treasures on our refrigerator. These little reminders of the fun they are having help keep positive momentum going for the whole week of activities.
What Are the Best VBS Crafts for Kids?
Simple, memorable, and relevant crafts are best for VBS. Your VBS crafts need to catch their attention, be easy enough for all ages to complete, and remind them of the biblical truths your church is focusing on during VBS. Each craft must be quick to complete as time moves fast during VBS week.
Here is a list of some easy and fun VBS crafts that don’t require a lot of supplies:
- Paper Plate Animals
Are you focusing on God’s role in creation? Telling the story of Noah’s obedience and his massive Ark that was packed full of animals? Using paper plates, markers, and construction paper to create animals like lions, sheep, or birds helps bring the story to life! Add details like googly eyes, feathers, or a felt nose for extra fun.
- Rainbow as God’s Promise
Remind the kids that God is faithful! His promises are sure. Tell the story of how each rainbow is a promise to his people that he will care for them and not destroy them. Use colored paper strips or cereal pieces to make a rainbow shape on cardstock. Add cotton balls for clouds to complete the project.
- Cross Necklaces
Make something wearable that will serve as a reminder of God’s salvation and love for each kid! Use yarn or string, and provide each with a small cross and beads. Place the cross at the center of their necklace and decorate the remainder of the yarn with colorful beads.
- Fishers of Men Craft
Share the dramatic and memorable story of Jesus calling his disciples to become fishers of men after he miraculously provided for them with an actual boatload of fish! Cut out fish shapes, and decorate them using markers. Kids can make their own little collection of fish that remind them to share Jesus’ message with others.
- Small Scripture Booklets
Promote the memorization of scripture by helping kids make their own scripture booklet. Provide the kids with paper booklets with key scriptures printed throughout the pages. Spend time discussing these memory verses to help illustrate the Bible verse on the pages. At the end of the week, kids will have a reminder of all the important verses they learned that week.
- Armor of God Shields
We all need to be reminded that with God we have access to his holy armor, and kids love shields and swords! Take time to cut out shield shapes from cardboard and decorate them with foil. Add some stickers and label the shield with FAITH using a Sharpie. Remind the kids that their faith acts as a shield against the temptations the world offers them.
- Burning Bush Craft
Share the epic story of Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush with your kids. Cut a bush out of green construction paper, then glue red, orange, and yellow tissue paper to your bush so it looks like it is burning.
- King and Queen Crowns
Read about Ester and David, Kings and Queens of the Bible, who honored God with their lives. Use precut crowns that the kids can decorate with stickers, jewels, markers, and more.
- Lost Sheep Craft
Share the parable about the lost sheep (Matt. 18:12-14). The shepherd left the 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep because he loves each of us. Cut out a sheep shape from white construction paper. Add glued-on cotton balls and googly eyes to bring your sheep to life.
- Light of the World Lanterns
Jesus is the light of the world, and he invites you to shine your light too! Make a lantern with a plastic cup, add tissue paper to the cup, and tea lights to create glowing lanterns.
VBS Crafts for Different Age Groups
Preschool and Early Elementary (Ages 3-6)
Focus on hands-on, simple, and sensory-friendly crafts.
- Noah’s Ark Animal Puppet
Use popsicle sticks. Attached a printed animal to the sticks. Use your puppets for storytelling.
- Prayer Hands Craft
Trace the students' hands on construction paper. Print a small prayer, and pre-cut the prayers for the kids. Have them glue a short prayer to their hands.
- Jonah and the Whale Craft Cup
Decorate a blue cup with printed whales; this is your ocean. Inside, add a printed figure or small toy person to represent Jonah.
Elementary (Ages 7-11)
This age group can follow multi-step instructions and can follow a longer Bible lesson, so you can plan a longer craft.
- Fruit of the Spirit Mobile
Cut out printed fruit shapes and have the kids write a character trait on each one. Attach the shapes to a hanger with yarn. Review Ephesians 5 with your students.
- Jesus Calms the Storm Bottle
Offer each kid a water bottle. Add glitter and food coloring to your water. Kids can shake their bottles to make a storm. Share the story from Mark 4 with your students.
- Prayer Journal
Provide each student with a prayer journal. Allow them to personalize their journals with markers, stickers, and stencils.
Bible-Based VBS Crafts
- Creation Collage
Print out animals, photos of nature, and space. Use magazine photos, too, if they are available. Have the kids cut out items to represent land, animals, sky, and people to create a collage that represents God’s amazing creation. Bible reference is Genesis 1-2.
- Noah’s Ark Crafts
Create a paper plate ark. Cut the plate in half to represent the Ark. Color the ark brown. Add a top window to your Ark with brown construction paper. Bible reference is Genesis 6-9.
- Jesus Birth
Create the star of Bethlehem using yellow construction paper. Add glitter to the star to make it stand out. Bible reference is Luke 2.
- Miracles of Jesus
Create a basket like the one in the story of Jesus Feeding the Five Thousand by weaving together strips of brown paper, then glue the strips to your construction paper. Next, draw a handle for your basket. The Bible reference is John 6.
- Cross Necklace
Provide each student with materials to make their own cross necklace (string, clasp, and cross). Bible reference is Luke 23:26-43.
Mess-Free VBS Crafts for a No-Stress Week
- Sticker Scenes and Storyboards
Have students build scenes with pre-cut figures using construction paper or stickers. These are great for Creation, Noah’s Ark, the Nativity Scene, Jonah and the Whale, David and Goliath, and more.
- Scratch Art Crosses
Use scratch art paper for your students to make crosses from.
- Prayer Boxes
Decorate prayer boxes with markers and stickers. Have kids use this as a safe place to collect their written prayers.
- Faith Bookmarks
Use plain bookmarks to write on memory verses and decorate. Laminate the bookmarks so the kids can keep them.
Budget-Friendly VBS Craft Ideas for Any Church
1. Index Card Memory Verses
Use index cards to write out memory verses from the week.
2. Faith Rocks
Paint rocks to share as reminders of the fruits of the Spirit.
3. Bead Bracelets
Bulk beads can go a long way and are inexpensive! Have students make bracelets that remind them of Jesus’ love for them.
4. Brown Paper Bag Puppets
Use brown paper bags and markers to create puppets that match your Bible story.
5. Construction Paper Story Scenes
Have kids cut and paste the story onto construction paper.
Tips on Keeping VBS Craft Stations Organized
Organization is key when planning a seamless craft time for a large group of kids! Pre-cut and individually bag items whenever possible. Label all supplies and crafts in bins or bags for each day. Create crafting stations that the kids can easily move through so items don't get piled up. Invest in caddies that can easily hold supplies and crafting materials. Offer your volunteers and leaders example crafts and clear step-by-step directions on how to complete each project.
Crafts are a highlight of VBS. They are a great way to really help your students internalize the message or Bible story shared at VBS. Keep things simple and have a lot of fun sharing God’s love with the kids!
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Kharoll Mendoza
