What to Put in Operation Christmas Child Shoebox and what NOT to!

This is such an incredible opportunity to give a really needy child a gift, maybe the first and last gift they will ever receive.i love that you are thinking of a way to make a lasting difference for the child’s family who receives your box( es)!! I love including a fishing kit( quality fishing like that will hold a 30 pound fish, several different sized fish hooks( a large pack can be shared in a couple of boxes) , a sinker so the light line will actually sink below the surface where fish swim, and a bobber/ marker. Walmart clearance sells these so that for about under a dollar fifty I can include a fishing kit in the 10-14 year old boxes. I also include good strong sewing thread, scissors,sewing needles of varying sizes, including needles for yarn, , darning, embroidery, and hand sewing needles, scissors, embroidery floss, pin cushion or handmade felt needle book, Pinterest has instructions, safety pins( like gold inareas where torn clothing is recycled from garbage dumps,or where no sewing kit thread is available anymore, to holld a wrap around skirt on, etc., various sized buttons- new or cut from discarded clothing- if off of clothing- sterilized in a bowl rubbing alcohol or bleach, rinsed, and dried, A sewing kit can be a source of family income if it is of good quality, with adequate supplies to start a seamstress off until items sold can replenish supplies. A tool kit with a sturdy hammer, level, a quantity of various sized nails, tape measure can help build a shelter or provide income. A sturdy steel bowl, mixing spoons, are handy to a family. IKEA sells quality plastic children’s dishes, at a bargain price. 6 of either cereal sized bowls, glasses, or 6 – 3 piece cutlery sets each ( 6 piece set) costs about $2.50. A clothes line, clothes pins and plastic makeup bag, etc to hold them and bar of laundry soap as well as pack of bath soap.
I try to make every bit of box space count, and try to fill the boxes with serviceable items, of the best quality I can afford. I scout thrift stores, yard sales for new items- some beautiful new clothing, with original store tags can be found for a dollar or less at these places.( parents pass on gifts received in sizes their children have outgrown, for instance), I shop clearance racks year round, following school sales( better 5 quality pencils than a pack of 20 whose leads break easily.and an eraser or two, pens, math set, sharpener, a few notebooks at $0.10, ) at an end of season sale last year, at an outlet store, I found jogging sets , priced at $44-$58 originally- for $1.00- one dollar- also dresses, tops, short sets, jeans, and $24 baby blankets etc at the same amazing price. Walmart had baskets of shoes, prices up to $40 originally- also for $1.00- many were tennis type kids, small teens shoes. With such bargains, and jump ropesfrom summer clearance, dolls I knit, balls, hotwheel cars, whistles, harmonicas, etc. I was able to fill over 200 boxes, spending my Shoebox $ carefully! I ask crafty friends if they might consider filling boxes, or contributing things like bars of soap, packs of wash cloths, hand towels, computer paper to copy coloring pages or fold for drawing paper, or making a doll, teddy bear, wooden cars, cloth picture books or a tic-tac-toe wooden or cloth game, sewing pillowcase dresses, shorts with a longer length and elastic waist, long or skirts with elastic bands and a longer length to accommodate growth… and the modest clothing worn in many countries, sorting huge jars of craft beads into portions for making a few necklaces or bracelets, I ask local businesses for donations ( tooth brushes from dentists, once for another charity 100 plus mini sports balls from a sports store, shoelaces from shoe stores, a real estate office donated 300 mini bears once from their to conference leftovers, or if they would like to fill a box. forbidden items get removed at the box inspection centers.. I have volunteered at a center. Seeds are banned, even between North American borders. Some seeds are poisonous… some seeds may carry plant diseases that could infect native plants… young siblings could eat them… especially if family does not know what they are. Scary toys or items are removed from boxes… super hero toys/ tee shirts may scare a child who never had a toy, tv, and lives in an area where there is much talk about evil spirits, etc.
Some items that I also saw removed were liquid items like shampoo, creams,etc- one lady told me she helped to distribute boxes… a pack of wax crayons is acceptable
and appreciated! BUT in a hot country, if not in a sealed, container, might melt over more than one box, ruining them. But even in very hot places like India, crayons are appreciated- with drawing paper-coloring pages are best if copied from Pinterest, etc. and the pictures are of universal things- i.e.- nature pictures like baby animals, zoo or farm animals, also things like children swinging, swimming, family, children playing ball, even pictures like ones found on ‘Raising Our Children’ coloring site, or other great sites for children, like National Geographic.
Marbles and tiny bouncy balls are liked by 10-14 year olds but 2-4 and even a 5 or 6 year old who never saw marbles or a ball, might put them in their mouths. I try to include a zip lock bag, plastic screw top container, or drawstring bag for marbles. All plastic bags and wrappings- cellophane toy bags, price labels, are removed before boxes are shipped out of the country.
Imagine hundreds of children, with no trash cans, tossing all this packaging on the ground, as, excitedly, they open their Shoebox gifts. Also, if the ones distributing boxes in any given area had to clean up packaging, it would take away time they have to spend with the children, showing them how to open a plastic container of craft beads or a sewing kit, how to inflate a soccer ball with the air pump that came with it, etc.
Stray animals might eat plastic or a toddler might- even staples might be ingested. A zip lock or screw top or safe container is a really considerate item to
include in a box with several pencils, erasers, pencil and wax
crayons, Lego bricks, hair ties, small parts. A small cotton or fleece baby blanket, or quality bath towel, rolls tightly, and is an awesome gift. A family shares these multi purpose items- a clean safe place to lie a baby, a sleeping mat for children, a wrap around skirt for a child without any clothing at all, agood quality really absorbent( some are pretty, but not too absorbent) large towel, to dry on, use as a privacy curtain in crowded quarters. Some kind person sent beautifully decorated glass egg in a box- sadly it had to be removed as broken glass might ruin a boxes or cut recipients or others if glass is tossed on the ground. There are really valid reasons why some items are banned. But with so many other items, filling a box can be such fun!
If you find yourself with extra items leftover from your box filling, pack them in a bag or cardboard box, label them Shoebox packing extras, or something similar, and hand them in with your filled box! At the box inspection center, boxes are not only checked for safety but to be sure they are adequately filled. A child receiving a box with a soccer ball and pump would probably be thrilled if that was all the box contained. But another child , opening a box beside them, that contained only a whistle from left over party favors( which are great to fill little empty spaces in boxes) and a washcloth, or a pencil and 1 crayon and several coloring pages might be happy, too. But I try to think of my children and fill boxes like I was packing theim the nicest gift I could get within my budget. I saw a few boxes under- packed . After all, the chance to send love and compassion to children who live in conditions we hope our children never have to experience( distributing boxes or care is different than living in underprivileged areas, full time! – and box recipients may have been born into extreme poverty, or are undergoing traumatic living circumstances due to flooding, earthquakes, war, etc. Extra leftover items sent with packed boxes allow the inspection center volunteers to finish filling boxes more adequately, and bring joy in the midst of heartache. And there are many untapped sources locally to help get fillers cheaply or free- and organizing a packing party with friends each bringing different items( 30 tee shirts from a $ 1 clearance rack, packs of mild bar soap, handmade toys/ clothing, flutes or paper cutout dolls( printed off Pinterest sites)