Operation Christmas Child Gift Ideas

History of OCC & FAQ
Keep a look out on the Facebook page for a OCC GIVEAWAY!!!!

Buying items for an Operation Christmas Child box does NOT have to be a budget breaker.

This has become an annual tradition in our house. Our preferred place to shop? The Dollar Tree!

For real. We have an average budget of ~$10 per child/box. Our 3 children get to go with us to the store and scavenge over the toy aisle finding the perfect gifts. This is of course after we've double checked any stash we may have had at home. We encourage the kids to work together in order to be able to provide more items in each box while keeping the spending low.

Packs of multiples as well as gender neutral items are a great idea. We always take everything out of the package that is possible to be able to cram as much into those tiny boxes as possible. Below are huge lists of possible items to get your creative juices flowing.

1. SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
   • pens
   • pencils and sharpeners
   • crayons
   • markers
   • stamps and ink pad sets
   • writing pads or paper
   • solar calculators
   • coloring and picture books
   • colored construction paper
   • small spiral notebook
   • stickers
   • foam shapes {with sticky backs}
   • scissors or hole punch
   • FAVORITE: boxes of crayons, markers, and other school supplies we stocked up on while they were on sale during "back-to-school sales}

    

2. TOYS:
   • miniature cars
   • miniature people/dolls/action figures {NO WEAPONS or WAR FIGURES}
   • balls
   • bouncy balls
   • dolls or stuffed animals
   • musical instruments: kazoos, harmonicas, clappers, whistles
   • yo-yos
   • jump ropes
   • small Etch A Sketch®
   • jacks
   • marbles
   • toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries)
   • Slinky,® etc.
   • Playdough{although, some children have been known to eat it not knowing what it was}
   • mini Frisbees
   • brand new kids' meals toys

    

3. HYGIENE ITEMS:
   • toothbrush and toothpaste
   • mild bar soap (in a plastic bag)
   • comb or brushes {preferably compact or fold-able to save space}
   • washcloth {consider those "growing" clothes to save space}
   • mirrors {reflective but better if not actual glass}
   • chapstick
   • FAVORITE: bar soaps from hotels, small toothbrushes/paste from the dentist

    

4. CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES:
   • t-shirts
   • socks
   • underwear {very hard to find in a lot of 3rd world countries}
   • loves
   • hats
   • sunglasses
   • hair clips
   • toy jewelry
   • watches

    

5. OTHER:
   
   • thick plastic cups
   • bowls
   • plastic shoebox {rather than cardboard} so they can repurpose it
   • flashlights (with extra batteries)
   • hard candy

   Here's a post that includes lots of handmade items!

    

6. A PERSONAL NOTE:
   You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back. Even if they don't, they would love to see the face and hear that someone is praying for them.

DO NOT INCLUDE:

Reminder: you can always fit more into a box if you remove things from their packages. That's totally legit & the kids will have no idea they used to be in one more layer of wrapping 😉