This year, we helped our girls pack two shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse. Click on the links here to find out more about the project.
We've done this for the past few years, and each Chirstmas season the girls understand more and more about the project.
The idea is that a simple shoebox can be filled with Christmas joy for a child who needs it. It's in the spirit of St. Nicholas!
Saturday, I took our girls out to buy the contents for the boxes. You will also see that Miss A's frog, Froggy, and Miss G's stuffed dog, Scrufty, were helpful in packing the boxes, too. One shoebox is for a boy and one is for a girl.
The girls were super-helpful in choosing thoughtful gifts for a Little Boy and a Little Girl, who we would never meet. They were so excited about the idea of their box travelling on a plane to another country to help a little boy or little girl have a Merry Christmas.
Miss G was enthusiastic to help pack, but I had to assist to pack as efficiently as possible. I wanted to cram as much in one shoebox as possible!
In case you are getting inspired and think you might like to pack a shoebox, too, here is a list of the contents for our shoeboxes. This is the Little Boy's box:
Playdoh
Cars stickers
Cars undies
Slinky
Jumping Frog
Candy
5 Matchbox dinky cars
24 pack of markers
Notebook
Toothbrush
This is the Little Girl's box:
Squirrel t-shirt
Candy
Seal "Fur Real" toy
Tinkerbell stickers
Toothbrush
Playdoh
24 pack of markers
Notebook
Hair elastics
Hair clips
Slinky
Hair brush
Stencils
Now, online at Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child, you can pack a shoebox online with a donation, which is very thoughtful and helpful. I did check out the link for packing a shoebox online, and it is really easy and interactive, if you are considering that.
I just know that it was more meaningful for my girls at this age to go to a store to buy presents for a Little Boy and a Little Girl we will never meet, to pack them in a box and deliver them to the drop off spot (church). They were thoughtful and careful about each selection, and picked things I know they would have liked, too. They were so excited and proud to bring their shoeboxes of presents in!
3 comments:
Great idea! We will get Eleanor to do the same!!
Now that is what Xmas is all about...!!! what a wonderful way to teach the girls that it's not always about receiving... I am so proud of all of you, and the happy faces on them are priceless.!!! Mom xo.
Yes Shannon it's really good to teach little ones this kind of giving. We have been doing the Samaritan's purse for years and it's always fun to take Mary-Anne shopping and filling a shoe box with things that she would enjoy receiving herself. Last year we did something different and that is to buy a bed kit for a child in a third country. For thirty dollars they get a mattress, a blanket and a pillow. They actually send us a picture showing the child with his or her kit holding a sign with your name on it. We'll be doing the same this year.....love Carmelle
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