When your True North VBS adventure wraps up, you might find yourself with a few extra items—student books, decorations, t-shirts, or supplies that didn’t get used. Instead of letting them gather dust or rushing to return them, consider giving those leftovers a second life in ways that serve others and support ministry beyond your own walls.
Here are some thoughtful and practical ideas to spark inspiration:
1. Have extra student or Imagination Station supplies? Share with other churches!
This has been an incredible year! We have been blessed to see how many churches decided to use True North as their VBS program—it blew our socks right off. So much so that we have already, or expect to, run out of several essential supplies. So, rather than send them back to Group, please consider selling or gifting your leftover supplies to another church. This will get your leftovers into the hands that need them much faster than returning them to the Group warehouse to ship out again.
If you personally know a nearby church that’s planning to host True North VBS later—or didn’t have enough supplies to go around—you can bless them by donating or even offering your extras at a discount. Some churches may be running on tight budgets, and your generosity could make a huge difference in helping them complete their program.
2. Save items for Operation Christmas Child Boxes, Giving Trees, Missionaries, Trunk-or-Treat events and more!
- Floating Otters
- Crawly Crabs
- Kody Bears
- Moose Antlers
- Watch for God Wristbands
- Polar Pencils
- True North Music CDs
- True North Banduras
- True North Theme T-shirts
True North VBS items can bring joy to a child and reinforce the message of God’s love.
If you have any of these items leftover, they’re perfect for Operation Christmas Child, Giving Trees, missionaries, trunk-or-treat events, family welcome gifts, birthday gifts, door prizes at other church events, and more!
- Gospel of Matthew Bible books
- True North Bible Memory Buddies
- True North Buddy Packs
- Drawstring Moose backpacks
- True North VBS Skin decals
- Glow sticks
- Inflatable Globe
- Bible Memory Buddy stampers
- Husky plush
- True North Water Bottle and Stickers
- True North VBS Sticker Sheets
- True North VBS Buttons
3. Have extra decorations? Repurpose Them Creatively!
Don’t send those awesome unused decorating items back. Here’s some fun ways to use them to keep the True North memory alive!
- True North Christmas: Planning to use the True North Christmas event? Use fabric wall hangings, posters, and other easy-to-store decorations to create your wintery True North scene. Get more ideas on what to save for True North Christmas HERE.
- Sunday School or Children’s Church: Use to decorate classrooms and hallways.
- Bulletin Boards: Turn leftover visuals into engaging, themed bulletin boards that reinforce the True North message all year long.
- Photo Booths or Events: Repurpose backdrops for other kids’ events—Fall Festival, Back to School, or Christmas parties.
4. Build VBS Outreach Kits
Put together small “VBS Outreach Kits” with leftover books, buddies, craft items, and more (see list from #2 above) and deliver them to kids who weren’t able to attend. It’s a personal and loving way to let them know they were missed and are part of your church family. The True North Paper Boxes are perfect for these! Don’t have any? You can find them HERE.
By sharing your True North leftovers with intention and creativity, you’ll be multiplying the impact of your VBS beyond your own walls—and that’s a beautiful thing.
As always, THANK YOU for making a difference in the lives of kids! Whether it’s one or 100, what you do matters.
Planning to use Rainforest Falls for your VBS next year? Check out this article on what to save. You don’t want to be the one saying “oh, I should have kept that!” next year when you start planning your next VBS.
