Creative Activities for Your Crocodile-Themed VBS

Your crocodile themed Vacation Bible School is sure to be a swamp stompin’ good time, and you can make it extra fun with some bayou-themed activities. Read on for a few ‘gator-good ideas!

Map it Out
To get started, create a map of a swamp or pond, and label each stopping point with a different activity.

Label your Stations
Use crocodile station signs for some swamp style, or have students make them. Help students brainstorm a list of swamp-themed creatures and plants (fireflies, turtles, frogs, plus cypress and tupelo trees are just a few) they can either name the stations after or draw on the signs.

Get Geared Up
Kids can make their own tackle boxes for your bayou adventure, and use them to store their pencils, crayons and other art supplies they’ll need throughout the week. Have each child bring in a cardboard pencil box, paint it green or brown and decorate with fishing lures that have all sharp points removed.

Get Adventurous
If you’re planning an outdoor session or field trip as part of your VBS, make it a bayou swamp adventure. Plan a walk to a nearby park or playground. Decorate the park with stand up cutouts of crocodiles, a dock and turtles — the kids will be delighted! A fun way to finish the trek is a game of crocodile ring toss and snacks afterwards.

Look the Part
Dressing up for your bayou trek will make the activity extra fun. You can decorate your own canvas hats, water bottle holders and tote bags, then complete your outfit with a pair of swamp-wading rubber boots!

Wrap it Up
Wrap up the week’s activities with a special keepsake for kids to take home. Take a picture of each child, then have kids create crocodile-themed photo frame magnets to display the photos. They’ll remember the fun they had at VBS every time they see their photo frame magnet on the fridge!

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

Super Swamp Snacks

Try these easy and inexpensive ideas for Vacation Bible School snack time! Healthy snacks will keep kids going strong all day long. Make it fun by providing snacks that will enhance your Crocodile-themed VBS events. Have some fun down on the Bayou and serve all your yummy creations on coordinating tableware!

Mud Cups
...a sweet treat from the swamp

Ingredients:
Pudding cups
Chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
Realistic Gummy Bugs

Directions:
Open each pudding cup. Top with crushed sandwich cookies and then plant one bug right on top. It’s a little bit of “Ew!” and a lot of “Yum!”

Croc Chomper Cookies
…bite into these chompers!

Ingredients:
Small sugar cookies
Vanilla frosting
Food coloring
Mini marshmallows

Directions:
Add green food coloring to frosting and mix. Repeat in a separate bowl with red. Sandwich red frosting between two cookies. Top the cookie sandwich with green frosting. Place four “teeth” marshmallows along the exposed red frosting. An instant gator mouth!

Swamp Sips
…a creepy, crawly, delightful drink

Ingredients:
Green juice or drink-mix
Gummy worms

Directions:
Place gummy worms into ice cube trays. Fill with juice or water and freeze until solid, approx. 2-3 hours. Pour green juice into disposable clear cups and add a few wormy ice cubes.

Pretzel Snakes
…fast and fun snack

Ingredients:
Pretzel rods
Apple fruit leather or fruit roll-ups
Peanut butter
Raisins

Directions:
Unwrap fruit rolls and slice in half. Wrap around the pretzel rods. Dip the end of each rod into peanut butter and add two raisin “eyes”.

Spanish Moss Wraps
…a swampy treat that is easy to make

Ingredients:
Tortillas
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Shredded lettuce

Directions:
Sprinkle shredded cheese onto each tortilla. Microwave 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Immediately roll up. Before serving, top with a thin layer of sour cream and lots of “Spanish Moss” (shredded lettuce).

Stage the Perfect VBS Crocodile Swamp

Use these easy ideas to help students bring the swamps of the bayou to the stage, classroom or any VBS activity!  Through a crocodile swamp theme you can demonstrate God’s love is everywhere.

Having kids put on a play is a fun, engaging way to reinforce your VBS curriculum.  Put together a short, but informative script that teaches kids the importance of all God’s creatures and how He’s acting in our everyday lives. Teach them that He can be found anywhere and everywhere - sometimes in the most unexpected places. Use your imagination! Have a crocodile who is misunderstood and all the creatures are afraid of. Show how the other creatures learn to accept him through the guidance and love of God and have them happily welcome him to play in all their wetland games.

Create a steamy, realistic-looking swamp that will be sure to grab everyone’s attention. Build a dock and put all of God’s little critters frolicking near the water. Have frogs, crocodiles and maybe even some fireflies and ‘possums along the way. Then use rope lights to make your bayou glow and a fog machine to recreate the swampy marsh. Have the kids decorate a large background with tall cypress trees and even some hazy waters below.

Make sure each child in the audience gets a flashlight to light the way through the swampy marsh, just as God lights the way for the animals in your story. Get them excited with some sounds of the boiling bog. Record your own mix of croaking frogs, crickets, splashing water, hoot owls and hissing snakes. You can also search online for free sound files to download for your CD to bring the bayou to life.

Afterward, have all the students sit in a circle and talk about what they learned and how they would have felt if they were the crocodile. You could also have each child pick an animal and discuss how he or she would have handled the situation.

This activity can also be used in the classroom. Short on time?  Instead of having students perform, just read the script aloud and discuss afterward.You can also involve all the students and put on a VBS grand finale for parents so the students can show what they’ve learned. Whatever the case, everyone will be sure to have a smashingly swampy time.

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