I want to give you some ideas for your Christmas shoebox projects for Operation Christmas Child. It’s such a great opportunity for kids to learn about missions and service. The sooner our kids understand that they live in a big and needy world, the sooner they will learn to be others-focused, rather than self-focused, right? I’ve discovered that my kids learn best when they are having fun at the same time, so what better way to pack our shoeboxes than by making it a party? Invite several families to join you. Here’s a video of a party we had a couple of years ago.
**Please note this year’s date: Collection Week is November 18 – 25, 2013**
Operation Christmas Shoebox
Operation Christmas Shoebox? Well, LOL, I’ve noticed this ministry is called a lot of things, especially when kids are trying to explain it.
- Start your party by videotaping the kids as they arrive. Ask them questions about what they are doing, what the project is called, and why they are doing it. You’re sure to get some memorable, sweet answers.
- We took everyone’s donations and piled the table high with all the items for the boxes. Then we set up an assembly line dividing girls and boys items. The kids went to town filling their boxes.
- If you need ideas for what to put in your boxes, check out my list of 101 Items for your Christmas shoeboxes HERE.
- Together, we ended up filling around eleven boxes.
It’s a lot of fun for parents to see how excited their kids are about giving. In the pictures I have here of our party, you’ll notice that the kids were all really enthusiastic about packing a shoebox to send to a child overseas.
How better to teach our children than by learning through experience? Think of the things you learned and never forgot. My son and his friend are learning about teamwork, and how working together to accomplish something will result in much more than they could do alone.
My hope is that this opportunity to serve will plant a seed in my children, creating in them a heart to help others in need.
Samaritan’s Purse Free Resources
You’ll find lots of great shoebox coloring crafts for kids provided by Samaritan’s Purse. Free resources like these are perfect for printing off and distributing to your family or a group. As you color together, you can talk about ideas for the boxes and what Operation Christmas Child is all about.
Charities for Children
There are so many charities for children that are doing wonderful things to serve children in need. What I love about Operation Christmas Child is that everything they do, they do in the Name of Jesus. You can find the colorful green boxes that we used at our party at the drop-off locations, which are listed HERE.
:: Print off a free “About Me” page for your box HERE.
