Operation Christmas Child Boxes 2019

With Collection week starting on the 11th November. I thought I'd put this post up as soon as I could. If you feel you'd like to do this but don't have the time, check out the links below for a way to do it all online.

What It's All About

Operation Christmas Child is an initiative by Samaritan's Purse. The premise is to fill a shoebox with hygiene products, school supplies and small toys to send to children in less fortunate situations. 
I've been filling shoeboxes for almost 10 years now and I do find it hard to obtain different pieces each time so you may find this post very similar to previous years. There is so much more to Operation Christmas Child than the simple explanation I wrote above so click here and it will take you to the website hosting all the information. 

Where I Find My Pieces

Finding toys to fit into a shoebox can be difficult but the people at Toys For A Pound and Pound Toy are always so helpful when I email asking for dimensions. They are also very affordable and you can pick up a smaller haul of toys for the same price as buying one. I prefer to do a smaller haul as you don't know where the shoe boxes will go. Most do go to children's homes and schools and I like the idea of putting in toys that can be shared amongst the children. I always go to Tesco for the toiletries. They have a wide range of different multipacks which makes it easier buying for 6 shoeboxes. When it comes to school supplies, The Range & The Works are always my go to. I love that The Range have the 10 piece math sets. Even though the younger children won't use it for a few years, it'll come in handy. The Works also do multipack offers on stationery which is again great for packing multiple shoeboxes. 

This Years Haul

(There were multiples of the items above but I couldn't fit it all in the photo).

For Toys; The Globe Soft Balls, Recorders, Cars, Plastic Car Mat, Table Tennis and Soft Toys. 

For School Supplies; Notebook, Pencil Case, Pencils, Pens, Math Set (Which included sharpener, rubber and ruler) and a Water Bottle.

For Hygiene Products; Toothbrush, Flanel, Soap and Comb.

Getting Them All Packed Up

Once all packed up you can either put the £5 donation in to help shipping or you can pay it online and print a barcode. Once scanned and sent, Operation Christmas Child will send you an email in the new year letting you know where your box(es) went. For 3 years I've opted to know where my boxes have gone and it's not only nice to know but interesting to see how far they travel.  

All Ready To Go

Here they are all ready to go. I always pack 6 shoe boxes. One for each gender and age category they have. If you are able to do one, I do know that every year they are short on shoe boxes for older girls and boys aged 10-14. 

Previous Shoeboxes & Helpful Links 

Here are the previous years I've blogged about Operation Christmas Child Boxes; 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018. Hopefully this can give you an idea for some items. 
With the deadline fast approaching I thought to share some useful links if you want to put one together or get some information for next year! There's even a link about how to pack and send a box online in a few easy clicks. 
Website Link; Click Here
Pack A Shoe Box Online; Click Here
How To Pack A Shoebox; Click Here
Restricted Items; Click Here
Make The Donation To Track Your Shoebox; Click Here
Drop Off Locations; Click Here

As always, thanks for reading...