Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child (OCC)

Operation Christmas Child is a program by Samaritan’s Purse in which folks in the US are able to assemble a “shoebox” full of gifts for a child somewhere in the world. From the Samaritan’s Purse website:

Samaritan’s Purse sends gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children in need around the world together with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love creating OCC shoeboxes. I enjoy always being on the lookout for items to include and by making it a year-round project, I can score bargains as they arise. I would encourage anyone interested to explore the Samaritan’s Purse website and view some of the videos from far off corners of the globe. I include a custom email address ([email protected]) in my boxes and get great thank-you notes from kids and their parents. And also a few beautiful photos of the kids with the shoeboxes I’ve packed.

When I first started packing boxes, I learned lots from folks who posted suggestions online. I’m making this page to return the favor. There’s no one right way to select items for a shoebox, but it’s always nice to see what others are doing and maybe improve on their ideas. With that in mind, here are a few ideas I’d like to share with the community. And, of course, be sure to view the lists of suggested items and prohibited items at Samaritan’s Purse.

Throughout this page I’ll be mentioning prices of some items. The shoeboxes we pack should be jam packed full of quality items. We don’t want to send junk that we wouldn’t give to our own kids. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look for good values, however. The way I see it, if I can find the stuff I’d like to include at half price by shopping carefully, that just means I can pack twice as many boxes. 😄 Also note that I pack boxes designated for boys to receive. I read somewhere that OCC tends to receive more boxes designated for girls, but my real reason is that it’s just so much fun shopping for things that I know I would have loved so many years ago. This web page is a work in progress. I welcome corrections, suggestions, tips, or other responses from visitors. It’s always a delight to share with other shoebox makers!

Marbles

(Depending on your browser, you should be able to click on any of the small rotating images to open a larger version if you’d like.)

A bag of marbles is an inexpensive addition to a shoebox, but one you can put a bit of yourself into making if you’re at all handy with a sewing machine. This certainly isn’t the main gift (“Wow” item in OCC parlance), but it easily fits into a corner of your box. The store “Five Below” has bags of 50 marbles for a buck. (Best price I’ve found anywhere.) The bag includes one shooter marble. I start with this mix, switch out some of the marbles for ones from other sources for more variety, and make sure that there are two shooter marbles so two can play or even take turns using the remaining shooter if one goes missing. I like to make a simple drawstring bag to keep the marbles secure. You can easily get three bags out of one fat square or 12 out of a yard of fabric. You could make all your bags out of the same material since they will be going to different kids in different places, but I like to use a variety of fabrics just to keep it interesting for me. I’ve made a small booklet to include with each set of marbles so the kids receiving it will know how to play. It’s in English, but hopefully includes enough pictures to give kids some ideas, even if they get the “official” rules wrong. You can download the PDF for the booklet and use it freely.

Lego-like Blocks

This old, retired art teacher wants kids to spend their time making things, not just consuming things. Lego compatible blocks are a favorite of mine. For under ten bucks, one can assemble a set of blocks in their own case that would cost five times as much if they were an authentic Lego set. A variety of blocks also inspires more creativity than a set designed just to build one thing. I usually build a couple of small vehicles myself for each set and include the directions folded up in the bottom of a section of the case. Then fill it up with as many additional blocks as will fit. You might want to add a layer of plastic wrap before putting the lid on. (I’ve watched videos on the Operation Christmas Child website with kids shaking and enthusiastically opening their boxes, so the plastic wrap may help the blocks from flying when the kids open the lids.) One photo is of a marble maze that I took to include in the “How To Play Marbles” booklet referenced above.

Personal Care Items

I like to keep the personal care items grouped together. For the older guys, Dollar Tree “men’s travel bags” work well. For the younger kids, I use a holiday zipper bag. Combs, toothbrushes, and fingernail clippers are best bought in bulk online. I’ve read suggestions on other OCC websites to buy the biggest, fluffiest washcloth one can because it may be the only washcloth a kid ever has. That’s a fair suggestion. OTOH, I go with thinner microfiber washcloths. Many boxes are going to end up in warm, damp climates, so it makes sense to me to go with something that will dry out quickly and not mildew as readily. Seems more practical for the guys at least. Another Dollar Tree item I really like are the locking “snack containers” that I use for bar soap. Most soap containers I’ve seen are pretty flimsy. I travel a lot and like a container that really seals. The snack containers do just that. They usually come in packs of two, but occasionally one can find bonus packs of three. And just for fun, I like to add a sticker to the top.

Stuffed Animals

I like to include a large stuffed animal as the “wow item” in boxes for 2–4 year olds and a smaller stuffed animal as a secondary item in boxes for 5–9 year olds. I’ve found the best value for large stuffed animals is at Five Below—but you have to be on the lookout year round. In my humble opinion, 99.99% of the stuffed animals there are cheap, weird, and downright ugly. I’d be concerned that any of the licensed characters that American kids might know from cartoons or movies would just be confusing to a kid in a remote area. I always stick to standard, well-known animals that someone would want to hug immediately. If you’re very picky, every once in awhile you can find a batch of nice $5 stuffed animals at Five Below that would be at least $20 at a regular toy store. I scoop up the entire batch when I find nice ones since stuffed animals keep.

Be sure to check stores like Walmart after Christmas, after Valentine’s Day, and after Easter. Their seasonal animals will be marked down 50%, then 75%, and finally 90%. Some of the seasonal animals might not be appropriate, but there’s nothing wrong with a teddy bear with a big, red heart leftover from Valentine’s Day.

So what to do if your animal is too big for a shoebox? I’ve tried squishing them down in plastic bags or tying them up, but both of those solutions were uncomfortable to look at and would not be a great presentation for a kid first opening the box. The solution I’ve landed on for condensing a large animal is to squish it into a soft lunch box. The Dollar Tree sells insulated soft lunch boxes just before the school year. Stuff a lion or tiger into the box, zip the box closed, and it will wait patiently for a child somewhere to unzip the box whereupon the animal will happily expand and jump out. With the added bonuses that the child also gets a soft lunch box that can be used for something or another even if he’s not school age and the zipped box is good protection for the stuffed animal. If you’ve watched any of the videos on the OCC website about how these shoeboxes are transported by canoe, or camel, or whatever to the ends of the earth, you’ll appreciate the extra protection the zipped bag would offer the stuffed animal in hazardous locations. A sequence of three photos in the group above shows (1) an oversized animal, (2) stuffing it into the lunch box, and (3) the lunch box fitting into a shoebox.

School & Art Supplies

The 97¢ school boxes from Walmart are hard to beat. That’s the regular year round price. IMHO, they are sturdier than much more expensive choices. There’s enough room for pencils, pens, colored pencils, chalk, pencil sharpeners, glue sticks, scissors, protractor & compass (for the older kids), stencils (for the younger kids), a calculator (older), and a small container of supplies—paperclips, binder clips, pencil top erasers, book rings, rubber bands, pencil grips, etc. Most rulers won’t fit in the shoebox, but consider adding a metric ruler slap bracelet. I sometimes decorate the top of the box and items like the pencil sharpener with appropriate stickers.

Wrapping

Wrapping a shoebox isn’t necessary, but some folks like to do it anyway. The first year I packed shoeboxes, I struggled with how to wrap a box so it could be opened for inspection. By the second year, I figured out a process that works for me. While the box is still flat, I cut a piece of wrapping paper slightly larger than the lid of the box including the various flaps. I then spray a light coat of spray adhesive to the back of the wrapping paper and cover the lid section of the box. Press the paper down and smooth out any wrinkles. Flip the box over so it’s on top of the paper and cut the excess paper off. Fold the box as usual and you’ll have a completed box with a fancy lid. I then use various types of tape on the lid to simulate ribbon. (Dollar Tree has some really cool holographic duct tape.) Avoid using decorative tape right down the middle of the lid since that will be covered with the OCC sealing tape once the box has been inspected. Next year, I’ll try to remember to take some photos of the process. It’s not especially hard and is just one more way of emphasizing that this is a special gift for a special recipient.

A few of My Favorite Things

Here are some notes on a few things you might want to include. Remember, there are no right answers! Hopefully, everyone packing boxes chooses just what is best for the children who will receive them.

You can save a bundle on pencils by shopping just after back-to-school. Walmart drastically reduces school supply prices in October. Twenty-four color pencil sets (with erasers!) that were originally $4.97 are just a buck. Twelve color sets are just 50¢ and boxes of eight number 2 pencils are just one thin dime. I fill my shopping cart. What I don’t use one year will keep for the next.

Flashlights are fun and very practical. I like the sturdy metal ones from Harbor Freight. I have some that I’ve used for years with no problem. These are pretty small, so they won’t take up a lot of unnecessary room. Just be sure to include securely wrapped extra batteries.

I found these magnetic numbers sets at Ollies. When folded in half, they fit nicely in the shoebox and take up virtually no space. I add these to boxes for the younger kids. Lots of potential for at least introducing kids to numbers even before they start school.

This is an 11.5 inch inflatable globe from Dollar Tree. (No, I really don’t own stock in them!) I include one of these in boxes for 5-9 year olds. Many (if not all) kids have a little trouble getting their heads wrapped around the idea that we’re standing on a giant sphere. Maybe their classroom has a globe. Maybe it doesn’t. But their home probably doesn’t have one to hold, turn around, and study. Growing up, I had both a large map of the world on my bedroom wall and a globe. I arrived in school with a much better understanding of the world than most of my peers. We can give that head start to shoebox recipients.

If kids use this as a kickball, it probably won’t last very long, but the one I’ve had inflated and sitting on a shelf for years is still in good shape. It rolls up and takes very little space in a shoebox. Is it perfectly round? Not quite. Is it perfectly printed? Nope. I’ve seen lots of other inflatable globes offered online, but have not tried ordering any of them. If you happen to know of a better choice, please let me know.

Another light-up toy. I found packages of helicopters at Five Below containing 12 helicopters and six launchers. I put two helicopters, one launcher, a photocopy of the directions, and an extra rubber band into each of six plastic bags to get stocking stuffers for six boxes from one store package.

You can find these stencil sets in the party favors section of Walmart. For 97¢ you get two sets of five stencils. As a former art teacher, stencils aren’t exactly my most favorite thing, but they may have a place in a box for a child who has never had the opportunity to draw and isn’t sure where to start. And they’re colorful and make the box look less like just stuff for schoolwork.

OK, this one is a bit weird. I really like using magnifying glasses with elementary students because it encourages them to observe carefully. However, I haven’t found any that I like for shoeboxes—good glass lenses can break and plastic lenses distort badly. I’ve settled on including a magnifying sheet from Dollar Tree. It doesn’t distort any worse than a plastic lens, it’s much larger, and it takes up absolutely no space. It fits perfectly in the bottom of a shoebox. It’s also more useful than a regular magnifying glass since it can enlarge a whole page at once. It may not make much of an impact for most kids other than the novelty of a flat fresnel lens, but for a kid (or parent or grandparent) with an uncorrected vision impairment, it might be a godsend until corrective lenses can be obtained. YMMV

OK, I realize that most boxes are not delivered by December 25, but that’s no reason to avoid Christmas themes. In my experience in the US and sponsoring kids in other countries, kids seem to have a universal attraction to stickers. In addition to decorating school boxes and items with stickers, I usually include sheets of stickers for the kids to use—trucks, cars, spaceships, etc., for my guys. But I also like to include this set of nativity stickers—just one more way to tell the story. These and the Best Gift stickers mentioned above are from christianbook.com and probably other retailers as well.

I’ve never met a ten-year-old boy who could resist playing with a retractable tape measure—especially one that makes a cool clickity-clack ratchet sound. I used to include a tool kit with a tape measure in the boxes for older boys, but entire kits are no longer recommended according to the Samaritan’s Purse website. However, they also say, “Most standalone tools are OK to include, with the exception of knives, saws, or razor blades.” Tape measures are fun and practical. These include a metric scale—it is on the bottom edge rather than on the top edge, but it’s still there. The black cased version that came out in 2024 is much sturdier than the older yellow version Dollar Tree previously carried, and it has a better locking/unlocking mechanism. And did I mention the cool sound? 😉

You can find slap bracelet rulers online. They’ll fit flat or coiled in a school box. Just be sure to get ones that include metric measurements.

You can find these online. Each sheet has five “Jesus is the Best Gift” stickers plus a bunch of smaller stickers that you can decorate your shoebox with. Six sheets to a pack equals 30 stickers with the message. I like to put the Best Gift sticker on the envelope that includes my message and photo. If kids keep the envelope with my note and photo, it’s just a nice ongoing reminder of what’s most important after the excitement of the physical gifts fades.

I put these number balls in the shoeboxes for ages 2–4. Kids are going to play with balls—they may as well get familiar with numerals at the same time. (The child at the top of the page seems to be happy with it.) These appear at Dollar Tree a couple of times a year and I scoop up whatever I can find when they are available.

Once I get all the “important” things in a box, I fill every bit of remaining space with what I think of as stocking stuffers. This one is also a 97¢ find in the party supplies section of Walmart. The miniature football lights up whenever it’s jarred. (I had to drop it on the floor to get it to light up for the photo.) My guess is that the non-replaceable batteries would last a reasonable amount of time since it only lights up for a few seconds at a time when dropped or caught. Since the rest of the world thinks “football” is something to be played with a round ball and feet, kids might not even realize what this is supposed to be, but I’m sure that they’ll quickly discover that it’s something to throw around and watch light up anyway.

As much as I like to load boxes up with pens, pencils, and crayons, I realize that paper might well be a scarce commodity for many kids who will receive our boxes. That’s why I also like to include chalk that can be used on many different surfaces and then erased. I buy the chalk in bulk and then make sets in plastic bags to include in the boxes. The 2–4 year olds get the fat sidewalk chalk. The older kids get a set of regular sized chalkboard chalk.

I’ll update this page from time to time as I find new items I think appropriate to include. I welcome any feedback or suggestions. You can reach me at [email protected]. Last update: 12/01/2024

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