Go Fish Guys: Kickin' It Old School VBS Snacks

These are the daily themes that go along with each day of the Kickin’ It Old School VBS. You can also download the Day 1 Bible Lesson for FREE by visiting our website,eChurchDepot.com. We've written some snack ideas for each of these lessons. Feel free to modify them as you wish. Some of your creative volunteers may come up with additional snack ideas to reinforce each day's theme. Here are a few to get you started:
Day 1 - This Is My Father's World - God Is Our Creator
Serve fresh fruit and vegetable sticks with ranch dip or yogurt. Talk about how God planned for good foods to grow for us to eat. Let the children name some of God's other wonderful creations as they eat.

Day 2 - Before The Throne Of God - God Is Our King
Serve rice cereal and marshmallow treat bars. Cut each rectangular bar in half with a zig-zag to create a crown shape. Then let the children decorate their crown snacks with colorful candies or small pieces of colorful dried fruit. Talk about God as our King as the children eat.

Day 3 - I Love To Tell The Story - Jesus Is Our Savior
Cut cheese slices into cross shapes or use pretzel sticks stuck through a mini-marshmallow to let each child make a cross. (Make the crosses beforehand for your preschoolers. Use three pretzels for each cross. Break one pretzel in half for each of the cross beams. Break the top off another pretzel and eat the top. The whole pretzel will be the bottom section and the broken pretzel will be the top. Stick each section into the marshmallow to make the cross.) Let the children explain that Jesus died on a cross and came alive again to save us from sin.

Day 4 - I'm A Soldier In The Army Of The Lord - God Is Our Truth
Today's theme is God's power. So serve power bars or fruit bars along with power shakes (frozen fruit mixed with yogurt or ice cream in a blender). Talk about God's power and what it means to be a soldier in the army of God.

Day 5 - The Solid Rock - God Is Our Rock
For your final VBS day, let the children make edible cinnamon bread rocks. Prepare a mixture of one tablespoon cinnamon with one cup of granulated sugar. Stir until mixed well. In a separate bowl, melt one stick of butter or margarine. Give each child a small amount of bread dough on a piece of parchment paper. Have the child print his name on the paper. Let the child knead the dough, forming it into a rock shape. Have him dip the bread dough into the butter (or spray it with cooking spray) and then roll it in the cinnamon mixture and place it back on his parchment. Place all parchments on a cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 400º, then reduce heat to 350º and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, until bread is done. Let the rocks cook before eating. Let the children describe how God is our solid Rock while the bread cools.


TIP: Use registration cards when children sign up for your VBS to record any allergies they may have. See the VBS Registration Ideas post for registration cards you can print out for your VBS program. Include any allergy information on the child's name tag so all VBS helpers are aware of the allergy. You can substitute items or omit dairy products from the snacks if you have children who are allergic to milk or dairy.

Jesus in Nazareth VBS Snack Ideas

We've created some snack suggestions for your Nazareth VBS. Feel free to modify them as you wish. Some of your creative volunteers may come up with additional snack ideas. Here are a few to get you started:

Day 1

Serve fruit such as apples, grapes, figs, berries, and dates. Give each child a paper bowl and spoon. Let the child choose which fruits to add to his bowl. The fruit can be accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt (optional). Explain that these fruits are similar to those Jesus and his family may have eaten in Nazareth.

Day 2

Serve birthday cake and ice cream. Let the children sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus before you serve the cake. As the children eat, talk about what a special snack this is. Remind them that God planned for Jesus to be born and God gave Him the name "Jesus." Explain that each child was given a name when he was born, too. Talk about how special each person is in God's sight. Say the Bible verse (Isaiah 43:1) together.

Day 3

Prepare small pita pockets cut in half. Let each child fill the pocket with cheese, ham, or turkey (or have them already filled). You may want to provide olives, tomatoes, and lettuce for condiments. As the children eat, talk about how God gave Jesus a home. Explain that these foods are things Jesus may have eaten at his home. Let the children thank God for their homes before eating.

Day 4

Today’s story is about how Jesus went to the temple-church. Provide flatbread with tomato sauce and melted cheese on top (or serve flatbread cheese pizza cut into small pieces). As the children eat, talk about how they can go to church just as Jesus did. Include an invitation to your church services for each child to take home.

Day 5

Cut cheese slices into fun shapes. Serve with crackers and grapes. Talk about the memory verse (Galatians 5:13) as the children help put out napkins and cups. Let the children take turns serving others crackers, cheese, and grapes before they eat their own snacks. Compliment those children who serve cheerfully.

TIP: Use registration cards when children sign up for your VBS to record any allergies they may have. See the previous post for registration cards you can print out for your VBS program. Include any allergy information on the child's name tag so all VBS helpers are aware of the allergy. You can substitute items or omit dairy products from the snacks if you have children who are allergic to milk or dairy.

PandaMania VBS Snacks

Here are some fun snacks you can make for your PandaMania VBS. 

The Bible Point for Day 3 of PandaMania VBS is "God watches over you." The Bible story is about Jonah trying to run from God. Prepare your snack in clear plastic cups. Use blue gelatin and fill the cup about half way. Let the gelatin sit for 10-20 minutes. Then add gummy fish and cover with the rest of the gelatin. After the gelatin sets, serve the snacks. You may want to add a few goldfish crackers on top. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top for any children who would like their snack to look like the stormy waves in the water before Jonah was tossed overboard. Talk about the story of Jonah and the big fish as the children enjoy their snack.

For another fun snack, make your favorite cupcakes. Use green muffin liners, if you have them. Let the cupcakes cool completely. Then decorate them with green frosting. Place the frosting in a plastic bag, snip off the end, let out most of the air, and seal (or almost seal) the bag. Pipe onto the cupcake, lifting straight up to form grass-like strands of frosting. To make a Panda face, place a large marshmallow on top of the cupcake. Use white frosting to add two chocolate chips (upside down) for eyes and two pieces of a chocolate cookie for ears. Combine this sweet snack with pretzel sticks or fruit. 

SonSurf Beach Bash VBS Snack

Here's a fun snack to help your students remember the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15:11-24. This story is the theme for Day 4 of SonSurf VBS. Use this snack to help the children understand that Jesus can change people's lives. Let your students help you combine in a large bowl 20 ounces of crushed pineapple with one cup mini marshmallows and an 8-ounce tub of whipped topping. Pass around the bowl so each child can help stir the mixture.

As the children work, talk about how Jesus changes lives. Provide some examples from your own life. Let your students share their own examples. Now let the children help sprinkle a 3.4-ounce box of pistachio pudding mix over the top of the mixture and watch the white change to green as they stir it. If you use this snack with your preschool group, add just a small amount of the pudding mix at a time, letting the children stir it after each addition. (Pass around the bowl once more so each child can help stir the mixture.) Serve cookies, juice, and a small amount of "green surprise" to each child.

If you have students interested in learning more about how Jesus can change their lives, talk with them individually and explain the plan of salvation. For helpful tips on discussing salvation with children, see the blog post from February 8, 2010 on "Leading a Child to Christ."