Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, "All authority had been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ~ Matthew 28:18-20
We are all on a shoebox journey learning and growing. We continue to learn about the cultures where shoeboxes are delivered with a desire to pack shoeboxes that will bless children with an understanding that different cultures have different social norms. We offer ideas here that have helped us in our journey. Please join our Facebook Group to share more ideas.
The resources on this page offer a range of helpful tips for packing your shoeboxes. Let us all be selfless in giving.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~ 3 John 1:4
Please include a stuffed animal or plush in every shoebox. Every child needs something soft to cuddle.
We encourage you to not include food toys in your shoeboxes. Be mindful that the idea of play food is not joyful for children who face hunger. Let us be respectful and recognize that many cultures consider food sacred and separate from all other activities.
A few statistics to keep in mind while you shop and build your OCC shoeboxes.
The toddlers and the 10-14 year old age groups receive the fewest shoeboxes and boys receive fewer shoeboxes than girls. In 2022 the total number of shoeboxes packed and donated for:
We are all on a shoebox journey learning and growing. We continue to learn about the cultures where shoeboxes are delivered with a desire to pack shoeboxes that will bless children with an understanding that different cultures have different social norms. We offer ideas here that have helped us in our journey. Please join our Facebook Group to share more ideas.
The resources on this page offer a range of helpful tips for packing your shoeboxes. Let us all be selfless in giving.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~ 3 John 1:4
Please include a stuffed animal or plush in every shoebox. Every child needs something soft to cuddle.
We encourage you to not include food toys in your shoeboxes. Be mindful that the idea of play food is not joyful for children who face hunger. Let us be respectful and recognize that many cultures consider food sacred and separate from all other activities.
A few statistics to keep in mind while you shop and build your OCC shoeboxes.
The toddlers and the 10-14 year old age groups receive the fewest shoeboxes and boys receive fewer shoeboxes than girls. In 2022 the total number of shoeboxes packed and donated for:
- boys ages 2-4 was 9.95% and girls ages 2-4 was 11.58%
- boys ages 5-9 was 21.75% and girls ages 5-9 was 24.60%
- boys ages 10-14 was 15.31% and girls ages 10-14 was 16.81%
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Check out the Global and Historical Distribution Maps to discover how many Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts have been sent and the countries that received them. |
Shoebox Packing Checklists to Stay Organized
A shoebox checklists may help you stay organized when packing your shoeboxes. It is especially helpful if you are making several shoeboxes. There are multiple downloads for you to choose from if you pack for all children or focus on a specific gender and/or age group. You can easily edit these to meet your specific ideas.
Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys and Girls All Ages
Shoebox Packing Checklist Girls Ages 2-4 Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys Ages 2-4
Shoebox Packing Checklist Girls Ages 5-9 Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys Ages 5-9
Shoebox Packing Checklist Girls Ages 10-14 Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys Ages 10-14
A shoebox checklists may help you stay organized when packing your shoeboxes. It is especially helpful if you are making several shoeboxes. There are multiple downloads for you to choose from if you pack for all children or focus on a specific gender and/or age group. You can easily edit these to meet your specific ideas.
Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys and Girls All Ages
Shoebox Packing Checklist Girls Ages 2-4 Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys Ages 2-4
Shoebox Packing Checklist Girls Ages 5-9 Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys Ages 5-9
Shoebox Packing Checklist Girls Ages 10-14 Shoebox Packing Checklist Boys Ages 10-14
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Clothing, Underwear, Shoes, and Socks Sizing Chart
This chart shows size recommendations for clothing, underwear, shoes, and socks to include in your Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes based on OCC age groups. We want the receiving children to enjoy everything they receive in their shoebox gifts so we chose the largest size for each age group because a child can grow into clothing and shoes if they’re too large. |
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Pencil Pouch Checklist for Our Shoeboxes
Pencil Pouch Checklist for Fillers All items are prioritized suggestions of items that we include in our pencil pouches. Please let us know if you have additional items that you include. We want our pencil packs to be small educational gifts so the receiving children have all the necessary school supplies they need to attend school. These are educational items that we include in our shoeboxes as well as the pencil pouch fillers that we send to the processing center to try to ensure that every child receives some school supplies. |
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Creative and Imaginative Play: Sending Filler Toys and Including Toys in Your OCC Shoeboxes
Please Include a Stuffed Animal or Plush in Every Shoebox
Please Include a Stuffed Animal or Plush in Every Shoebox
- Many OCC shoebox recipients are children in need who live in dire straights (orphanages, poverty, homeless) so a stuffed animal can provide comfort and help ease stress and anxiety helping them cope with their environment.
- Everyone needs something soft to cuddle. Stuffed animals or plush toys can provide comfort and inspire imaginative play for children of all ages.
- Please consider joining our Plush Fillers Project.
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What Makes a GREAT Operation Christmas Child Shoebox? (Article)
How Operation Christmas Child Began in 1993 (Article) Interview With an OCC Processing Center Coordinator (Article)
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Personalize Your Shoebox by writing a letter to include in every shoebox. Writing a letter makes a difference. Your words can give children hope.
Please include a photo and a heartfelt letter in your shoebox. Many children say receiving a letter was their favorite gift. Both Christy and Michelle have received letters from children including one from the beautiful girl in the photo who received a shoebox that Christy packed. Her sister wrote this note: "Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We hope that by the grace of God this mail gets to you in good condition. We just want to show our appreciation for the gifts you packed in the box, luckily it got to our little sister and she loves them so much. We say may God richly bless you. Thank you." Remember the most important item you include in your shoebox is prayer. |
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We love because He first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19
These simple steps can help you easily pack more items in your shoebox and take advantage of the space that a shoebox offers.
Ideas We've Implemented to Make More Shoeboxes (Article)
How to Pack More Items in an OCC Shoebox (Article)
These simple steps can help you easily pack more items in your shoebox and take advantage of the space that a shoebox offers.
Ideas We've Implemented to Make More Shoeboxes (Article)
How to Pack More Items in an OCC Shoebox (Article)
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Personal Care Hygiene Items Including personal care hygiene items that may seem basic and boring for many of us but they are often the most appreciated items a child receives. Samaritan's Purse OCC recommendations include:
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Why We Include a Ball in Every Box
Balls improve children's hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and along with stuffed animals, soccer balls are a "wow" item that Samaritan's Purse suggest including in your OCC shoebox. Once a child has a soccer ball (and pump) they can play a game. You can buy them in bulk at a bargain price, especially when they are on sale. Order deflated balls to save space and make sure you include a good pump with extra needles. The ball is useless to a child if the child doesn't have a pump.
Balls improve children's hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and along with stuffed animals, soccer balls are a "wow" item that Samaritan's Purse suggest including in your OCC shoebox. Once a child has a soccer ball (and pump) they can play a game. You can buy them in bulk at a bargain price, especially when they are on sale. Order deflated balls to save space and make sure you include a good pump with extra needles. The ball is useless to a child if the child doesn't have a pump.
How to Safely Pack Batteries in Your Shoeboxes
- It is essential to properly wrap extra batteries that you include in your shoeboxes.
- Protect all terminals against short circuits that can result in fires by insulting them with non-conductive material. Use electrical tape or duct tape and completely cover the ends.
- It is also important to ensure that you make sure that any items you include in your shoebox that has batteries will not turn on during processing. Secure the on/off switch with electrical tape.
Best OCC Shoebox Packing Tips
- We created a video series for packing OCC shoeboxes based on our experiences and information shared with us throughout the years.
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