Camp-Themed VBS Graduation Guide

You’ve packed a lot of fun into your Vacation Bible School week. Now it’s time to top it off with a camp-themed graduation! Incorporate a few simple activities into your ceremony that show parents what their children have learned.

Planning is Key
Include your graduation time and date in your registration materials so parents know when to attend. When VBS starts, remind students that graduation is a fun day when their parents will be coming to visit their “camp”. Make sure to send a reminder home to parents during your VBS week. Get kids involved with making decorations, painting a forest mural or acting as camp guides to welcome parents on the big day. Have each student make nametags for their family members to wear. Leaf shapes are easy to cutout and decorate. 

Graduation Surprises
Try a few fun ideas to involve kids and make your graduation ceremony extra special:

Have a sing-along! Along with your favorite inspirational and worship songs, have the kids perform traditional campfire songs they’ve learned during the week. Parents love seeing kids sing solos, too.

Put on a skit! Put together a faith-based story for kids to act out for parents. Incorporate a forest theme such as a talking tree, a wise owl or students discovering a field of flowers that bloom Bible verses.

Make an art wall! Using paper cut into tent shapes, have each student draw their family’s “camp”. Display all the camps together on graduation day as “Our VBS Camp Family”.

Ceremony Essentials
To make graduation extra special, have students dress up in child-sized caps and gowns. Award VBS completion certificates, ribbons, trophies or other mementos that students can keep to remember their faith-filled week.

Don’t forget graduation gifts to hand out with the awards! Try plush forest animals, camp-themed pencils or VBS wallet prayer cards.

Ring the Dinner Bell
Check out our camp-themed VBS snack article for some fun food ideas. Don’t forget color-coordinated cups, plates and table covers.

If you’re hosting an evening event, a potluck supper can be a great way for families to share favorite recipes, try new dishes and share students’ accomplishments. Give your dinner a camp-themed name and create colorful signs for the event. Try “Camp VBS Café” or “Campers’ Cafeteria”.

For an extra fun dinner, enlist the help of parents and grill hot dogs for your own camp-worthy weenie roast!

Wondering where to find all the supplies you need for a crocodile-themed VBS?   Start shopping.

Clever VBS Camp Crafts & Activities

Whether you’re spending Vacation Bible School under the stars or setting up camp indoors, every VBS needs some special crafts and fun activities. Try these simple ideas to bring the forest to life and begin a journey filled with learning and excitement.

Kick off the Fun
Making nametags is a great way to get to know each other on the first day of VBS. Have each child pick a partner and make each other’s nametags. Be creative and make nametags on necklaces with arrowhead shapes and beads in outdoor colors. Have some leaves available for kids to string, too. Let them use their imaginations to make their nametags unique. After everyone is done, it’s time for introductions.  Then you’re ready to start the fun.

Get Outdoors
Everyone enjoys a great hike, so make yours more than a typical stroll through the woods. Start by giving kids plastic compasses as a reminder that God is always there to lead them in the right direction. Let each child decorate a tote bag to bring on the walk. Not only can they carry their Bible in it, they can collect things along the way. When the walk is over, sit down and discuss why God might have created the things they found and what purpose they serve.

Continue learning by doing some bug catching. Everyone can make his or her own little shelters. Use cleaned out jelly jars or empty boxes. Poke little holes in aluminum foil and use it as a lid. Catch lots of tiny creatures including butterflies, worms, ladybugs, ants or even fireflies. Since each child will bring back something different, have them share their collections as you begin a discussion about diversity. Talk about the uniqueness of each creature and that God loves everyone.

Strike up a Sing-Along
No camp is complete without some good old campfire songs. Gather kids around a pretend campfire the students can create themselves. See our Staging a Camp VBS article for scenery ideas, including a paper campfire. You can use the sing-along as an opportunity to talk about God’s burning desire to be a part of their lives. Let kids choose their favorite songs or take a traditional camp song and make it your own. For example, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” can be sung as “If You Love God and You Know It” Or, have students sing “This Little Light of Mine” and hold lanterns they made from a craft kit. Explain how the lanterns symbolize the way God lights the way in our lives.

Having fun can work up an appetite, but you can keep kids fully fueled with some healthy, inexpensive camp-themed snacks.  Click here for some easy menu ideas. 
Wondering where to find all the supplies you need for a crocodile-themed VBS?   Start shopping.

Simple VBS Camp Theme Set-up

Bring the outdoors inside! Even if you’re holding your camp-themed Vacation Bible School indoors this year, you can still make students feel like they’re exploring the great outdoors with these easy decorating ideas.

Setting The Scene

•    Small pup tents, sleeping bags and camp chairs can lend a camp out look to any room. If you like, you can decorate the interiors of the tents with streamers, balloons and other party decorations. Be sure to place a battery-operated lantern or flashlight in each tent. Make them reading rooms!

•    Create an indoor campfire. (It’s safer than it sounds!) Draw and cut out different-sized flame shapes on red, orange and yellow construction paper for the fire, and use empty paper towel tubes for logs. Tape or glue the ends of the flames to the tubes in alternating patterns, and ring your campfire with small rocks to make a pretend fire pit.

•    Try placing a giant piece of black fabric or paper behind white Christmas lights to make the ceiling look like a night sky!

•    Add some realistic-looking frogs, owls, raccoons, birds and other creatures in your scene. Invite students to bring their favorite plush animal to camp!

Terrific Tables
Picnic tables are perfect for setting a camp mood, but if those aren’t on hand, regular tables work just as well with a little sprucing up:

•    Try table covers, cups, plates and other tableware in shades of brown and green.

•    Scatter toy bugs on the tables for a creepy crawly decoration and fun favor for students.

•    You could also scatter small pebbles. Opt for store-bought decorative rocks to avoid dirt and germs.

Get Your Gear Together!
Students will feel like true outdoor explorers with camp-themed party favors and prizes. Try these!

•    Mini flashlights
•    Tote Bags
•    Toy canteens
•    Bucket Hats
•    Anything glow-in-the-dark

Wondering where to find all the supplies you need for a camp-themed VBS?   Start shopping.

Creative Camp Snacks

These easy and inexpensive ideas are perfect for your snack time at your camp-themed Vacation Bible School! Make it fun by providing snacks that will enhance your camping theme. Simple, fresh ingredients will make each of these camp side treats a hit with your VBS students, and healthy snacks will keep kids going strong all day long.  

Celery Forests
…serve with a box of raisins on the side

Ingredients:
Celery stalks, with tops
Peanut butter

Directions:
Wash celery stalks, leaving the leafy tops attached so they look like trees. Fill each stalk with peanut butter. Prop them in a large bowl, leaves up, to create a yummy forest of treats!

Simple S’Mores
…the classic camp treat, without the campfire

Ingredients:
Graham crackers
Chocolate frosting
Marshmallow cream

Directions:
Break graham crackers in half. Frost one side with chocolate frosting and frost the other with marshmallow fluff. Sandwich the sides together and enjoy!

Trail Mix
…sometimes called GORP (Good ol’ Raisins and Peanuts)

Ingredients:
Peanuts
Raisins
Candy-coated chocolate pieces

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and dig in! Make it more fun by serving this simple treat in individual bandanna pouches!

Rain Water Freezes
…the perfect after-hike refreshment

Ingredients:
Fruit-flavored vitamin water

Directions:
Pour vitamin water into paper cups and freeze until solid, about 2-3 hours. Kids can peel the paper cup and enjoy the frozen treat. Serve with watermelon or other fruits.

Dirt Dessert
…bugs and muck are always a hit with little campers

Ingredients:
Chocolate chips
Chow mien noodles
Gummy worms

Directions:
Microwave chocolate chips in a large bowl until melted. Add in chow mien noodles. Mix until each piece is coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and top each with a gummy worm. Allow to cool, then serve.

Ready to wrap up VBS week?  Get simple tips for hosting your Camp-themed VBS graduation here.