Last year I hosted a big Operation Christmas Child party. It was super fun, but also a super big deal. This year, we went low-key and did an Operation Christmas Child playdate. My friend Vanessa from Silly Eagle Books came over with her two cuties and we packed shoeboxes all morning!
Of course, when I woke up that morning, I realized, “We don’t have any shoeboxes!” Last year, I had the fold-able red and green boxes from OCC and it did not even cross my mind to gather actual SHOEBOXES to pack this year.
So, thirty minutes before Vanessa got to our house, the kids and I ran to the Dollar Tree and bought 20 plastic shoeboxes. Vanessa beat us home. So, that’s always some nice hospitality.
Between forgetting boxes and not paying for shipping, I know Operation Christmas Child is grateful I’m blogging for them!
First we let the kids sort all the gifts. I think that might classify as homeschooling, don’t you? Sorting? Definitely, math. (And although that picture doesn’t look like it, they were sorted. I promise.)
After sorting, we started packing. We made sure every box got toothpaste, toothbrush, socks, notebook and pencils. Everything else was a free for all.
The kids were so cute packing them up and choosing what could go inside. I love to see their little hearts and minds work out the gifts.
Once we hit the end of polite-children-packing-shoeboxes and hit crazy-kids-running-around-the-house we stopped for lunch and a coloring sheet. Lydia loves filling out this sheet every year–it’s an easy way to send something personalized to a kid around the world.
In all we packed 22 boxes. That’s 22 kids who will get a Christmas gift this year!
It’s National Packing Week for Operation Christmas Child which is another way of saying PACK A BOX AND DROP IT OFF! You will be surprised at how many drop-off locations are near your home. (Five within 25 miles of me!) Our church is one of the drop off sites and our goal is to collect 15,000 shoeboxes (it’s a big church). It makes me excited thinking about all the boxes being packed this week because one box equals one child!
Oh, and don’t forget to follow the 100 Millionth Shoe Box tour on Facebook. Super fun!
Have you packed a shoebox this year?
