My favorite VBS crafts

 Gavin made this junk mobile at GADGET VBS. I LOVE using found items to create something.

 Maleah made this cross hanging from dried beans and peas. I love it when the kids can make their own designs and there is not a follow the lines diagram.

 baby jar tea lights...Addison made this one, she was so proud

 Faith bamboo - doesn't need dirt just water and rocks. The most fun was had picking these rocks for this project. The original container was a painted soup can embellished by the children.

 You can never go wrong with a frame. Never. Parents will not throw away a photo of their munchkin.

 These smashed can pandas were fun. The cans were smashed so the kids had to decide how to put feet and legs and arms on the can. Some were sitting, some were on all fours. All of them were adorable, this was at Pandamania VBS.

 I love having free art for the littles. Nora was so content painting this. She told me it was a deer when she was done.

 More frames. This year I put each child's frame on their bedroom door. They love it and so do I.

 Gavin's bean art is a baseball :)

 Rain sticks. These were fun. Take something that makes noise (we used beans) and put 'em in a holder. We used a recycled paper towel holder. Parents can help collect these items and it make a cheap or free craft for one night.

 Shake, rattle and roll. Admittedly this one is probably the first to be trashed but wasn't it going there already? We just extended it's life for a bit.

I do really like themed things, that is the old teacher in me. Kits and toys are fun. But, my favorite crafts are the ones that reuse junk and that allow creative expression of the kids.