Operation Christmas Child

It's that time of year.  Time to make my list and check it twice.  Since we make a lot of our holiday gifts, it's important to get an early start.  But when it comes to choosing what gifts we're going to buy Little Crafter, well, things get a little tricky?  Why?

1. We have so. much. stuff.  Seriously.  He already has more toys than he can play with, more clothes than he can wear, and more stuffed animals than will fit in his bed.  See?

2. He's an only grandchild on both sides.  Imagine what his Christmas is like.  Yeah.  It's good to be Little Crafter.

But it's really important to me that in the midst of this season, he learns to recognize and appreciate the blessings he has.  And to realize that not all kids' lives are like his.  I want him to understand that there are children in other parts of the world {and in our own neighborhood} who may not get anything at all for Christmas and to see that we can use some of our abundance to help make the holiday a little brighter for them.  One of our favorite ways to do this is by participating in something called

Operation Christmas Child.

It's organized by a group called Samaritan's Purse and it's a fun and easy way to bring joy to a child in another country who doesn't have the things we take for granted.  What's it all about?  I'm glad you asked.  Here's how to participate.

1. Grab an empty shoebox or other small plastic container.

2. Choose a gender and age group for your recipient and print off a handy-dandy label.

{age groups are 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14}

3. My favorite part: GO SHOPPING!  Buy gifts to fill your box that will bring joy to a child.  Here's their list of ideas:

4. Include $7 to cover the cost of shipping and delivery.

5. Find a collection center near you and drop off your box!

It's that easy!  Then, the boxes will be personally delivered to children in Africa, in the Phillipines, and in other places around the world.  If you want to track what country your box goes to, there's even a way to do that on the website!

National Collection week is November 14-21.

We are going to do a few boxes, but we're shopping for them one at a time so that Little Crafter can really understand, participate, and focus on each one individually.  First, he wanted to shop for a little boy like himself, so this box is for a boy in the 2-4 age group.  We prepared by talking about things that he likes that he thought another boy might want to have.  We also talked about things little boys need, like socks and toothbrushes.  Then, we went to good ol' Target, and here's what he picked out {with very little help!}:

pencils and a pencil sharpener

markers

crayons

a small notebook

a toothbrush {Winnie the Pooh}

toddler toothpaste

sports ball and dinosaur stickers

a squishy blue ball

a fun green ball

Cars sunglasses

Lightning McQueen socks

a small toy car {Lightning, of course!}

a small stuffed Clifford {this was LC's favorite}

The next step was to pack it.  We like to use Daddy's shoeboxes when we can since he has big feet...heehee!  In this shot, he's actually packing the box we made for a 2-4 year old girl.  I'm loving the pink sock monkey!

And we wanted to send a special card along with a photo so that the little boy who gets these goodies can see the little boy who sent them. 

The last things we have to do are drop it off, along with any others we make, and pray for the children who will receive them.

If you're looking for a fun, easy way to get your children involved in helping others this holiday season {or just to do it yourself}, why not pack a shoebox or two?  You'll be blessed and so will the child who receives your gifts.

*DISCLAIMER: I am in no way affiliated with Samaritan's Purse nor am I receiving compensation for this post; they don't even know I'm posting this.  I just think it's a fantastic project and wanted to share it with you in case you want to participate!*