Shoebox Ideas

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Choosing gifts to put in your shoebox is a fun part of getting involved in Operation Christmas Child. There is something rewarding about giving to a child you will probably never meet in this world – especially when you know your simple act of kindness will be felt and appreciated in more ways than you can imagine.

Once you have decided whether your shoebox is for a boy or girl and what age group, you need to think carefully about gifts that will be most appropriate for the age group you've selected.

P.S. Before you spend all your money on great shoebox gifts, don't forget to put £2.50 aside for the shoebox donation for every shoebox you donate.

Don't forget, you can also choose your gifts when doing a shoebox online which we then make up and send out to a child in need. Click here to do an online shoebox at Shoebox World.

Yes Please! We’d love you to choose from each of these 4 categories:

Toys:  Bear, soft toy, tennis ball, finger puppet, jigsaw, yo-yo, building blocks, small musical instrument. For boys; trucks and cars, for girls; dolls, clip on earrings, etc. Educational Supplies: Felt pens, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, colouring book, notepad, picture or puzzle book, chalk, pencil case, stickers, etc. Hygiene Items: Toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, comb, hair clips, bar of soap, flannel, etc. Other Items:  Sweets (sell-by date to be at least March of the following year), gloves, scarf, sunglasses, cap, hat, bangles, necklaces etc. All gifts should be new, please include items from each category.

 

No Thanks! Please note the items we do not wish to be included in the shoeboxes:

No Food  especially chocolate - non-chocolate sweets are allowed No medicine  or vitamins of any kind No war related items  toy guns, soldiers or knives of any kind No clothing  other than listed above No fragile items  glass containers, mirrors. No liquids  including blow bubbles, shampoo, bubble bath, toiletry sets or aerosols. No dangerous items  sharp objects, scissors or razors No novels Nothing of a political nature No hand-knitted stuffed toys without a CE mark  (knitted items we can accept)

IMPORTANT! READING THE SMALL PRINT SAVES TIME AND PROTECTS LIVES

Due to import regulations, all gifts should be new and comply with the conditions listed above. Please make sure your gifts are age appropriate and that you do not send any items in a shoebox (intended for a small child), which might be swallowed or mistaken for sweets.

Should you inadvertently include any item that is not suitable or might be regarded as dangerous for the intended child, Samaritan’s Purse reserves the right to remove that item and use it for the benefit of the charity. Occasionally we have to change the contents to meet specific country requirements or change the shoebox to meet our approximate dimensions.