SHOEBOX GIFT IDEAS (AGE 2-4)

SPECIAL ITEM: Something

to immediately capture the

child’s attention e.g. a cuddly

toy, large toy car or truck, a

rag doll, a brightly coloured

foam ball.

SHOEBOX GIFT IDEAS (AGE 2-4)

TOYS: Skipping rope; small foam ball or tennis

ball; large play bricks/building blocks; play people;

large animal gures; dinosaurs; foldable play mat

e.g. farm, zoo, city or racetrack; transport toys e.g.

car, train, plane, truck or boat; plastic doll; hand

or nger puppets; play dough (ideally with cookie

cutters and play tools); toy tools; slinky; interactive

toys that include push buttons, lights and noise

(include extra batteries).

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND CREATIVE

ACTIVITIES: Pencil case; crayons; chunky pens and

pencils; child friendly pencil sharpener; ruler; eraser;

glue stick (not liquid glue); notebook; picture book;

drawing pad; colouring book; solid paint palette and

paint brushes set; pre-inked stampers; large stickers.

MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTS:

Tambourine, shaker,

bells, sports whistle,

recorder, harmonica, slide

whistle, tin whistle, nger

drums, maracas, triangle,

mini xylophone, kazoo,

castanets.

A NOTE FROM YOU:

Christmas card, note

of greeting, photo of

yourself/your family.

GAMES: Snap cards,

simple puzzles with large

pieces, stacking games,

etc.

ACCESSORIES: Baseball cap; sunglasses; woolly hat, gloves, mittens,

scarf; hair ties, bows and dress-up headbands; small backpack, handbag

or drawstring bag; purse or wallet; reusable non-breakable containers e.g.

cup, water bottle, plate, bowl; small items of clothing e.g. socks, ip-ops,

T-shirt.

HYGIENE ITEMS:

Toothbrush, hairbrush,

comb, bar of soap,

annel, sponge,

washmitt, bath scrunchy,

rubber duck or bath toy.

DO NOT INCLUDE: Items with very small parts; toothpaste, sweets, lotions and liquids; used or damaged items; war-related items;

seeds, gum, chocolate or food items; religious or political literature; medicines, aerosol cans, sharp or fragile items.

Operation Christmas Child® is a project of Samaritan’s Purse®

Franklin Graham, President | 0870 011 2002 | samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

SPECIAL ITEM: Something to

immediately capture the child’s

attention e.g. a cuddly toy, large

toy car or truck, a rag doll, a

deated football and pump, a

solar-powered torch.

SHOEBOX GIFT IDEAS (AGE 5-9)

TOYS: Skipping rope; tennis ball; building bricks/Lego type kit; click

together model; glider kit (non-military); bead kit; play people; animal

gures; dinosaurs; foldable play mat e.g. farm, zoo, city or racetrack;

transport toys e.g. car, train, plane, truck or boat; plastic doll; hand or nger

puppets; play dough (ideally with cookie cutters and play tools); toy tools;

slinky; yo-yo; dominoes; spinning top; kaleidoscope; toy binoculars; nger

skateboard; wind-up or pull-back toy; bouncy ball;

inatable beach ball; small frisbee, small kite,

interactive toys that include push buttons, lights

and noise (include extra batteries).

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES: Pencil case;

crayons; writing pens and pencils; colouring pens and pencils; highlighters;

child friendly pencil sharpener; ruler; eraser; glue stick (not liquid glue);

safety scissors; small adhesive tape; notebook; drawing pad; colouring book;

solid paint palette and paint brushes set; pre-inked stampers; pavement

chalk; whiteboard and dry wipe pens; stencils; mini Spirograph kit; solar

calculator; stickers.

MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTS:

Tambourine, shaker,

bells, sports whistle,

recorder, harmonica, slide

whistle, tin whistle, nger

drums, maracas, triangle,

mini xylophone, kazoo,

castanets.

A NOTE FROM YOU:

Christmas card, note

of greeting, photo of

yourself/your family.

GAMES: Card games, small puzzles, puzzle cubes,

jacks, mini board games, etc.

ACCESSORIES: Baseball cap; sunglasses; woolly hat, gloves, mittens,

scarf; hair ties, bows and dress-up headbands; small backpack, handbag

or drawstring bag; purse or wallet; children’s jewellery, watch, reusable

non-breakable containers e.g cup, water bottle, plate, bowl; small items of

clothing e.g. socks, ip-ops, T-shirt.

DO NOT INCLUDE: Toothpaste, sweets, lotions and liquids; used or damaged items; war-related items; seeds, gum, chocolate or food

items; religious or political literature; medicines, aerosol cans, sharp or fragile items.

HYGIENE ITEMS:

Toothbrush, hairbrush,

comb, bar of soap,

annel, sponge,

washmitt, chapstick,

compact mirror (ensure

protected).

Operation Christmas Child® is a project of Samaritan’s Purse®

Franklin Graham, President | 0870 011 2002 | samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

SPECIAL ITEM:

Something to immediately

capture their attention

e.g. a cuddly toy, a

deated football and

pump, a solar-powered

torch.

SHOEBOX GIFT IDEAS (AGE 10-14)

TOYS: Skipping rope; tennis ball; building bricks/Lego type kit; click together model; glider

kit (non-military); bead kit; transport toys e.g. car, train, plane, truck, boat; plastic doll;

slinky; yo-yo; dominoes; spinning top; dget spinner; mini bowling set; kaleidoscope; toy

binoculars; nger skateboard; bouncy ball; inatable beach ball; large punch balloons and

pump; small frisbee; small kite; table tennis bats, ball and net; interactive toys that include

push buttons, lights and noise {include extra batteries).

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES: Pencil case; crayons;

writing pens and pencils; colouring pens and pencils; highlighters; pencil

sharpener; ruler; eraser; glue stick (not liquid glue); scissors; small adhesive tape;

notebook; colour by number or patterns colouring book; solid paint palette and

paint brushes set; whiteboard and dry wipe pens; stencils; mini Spirograph kit;

solar calculator; geometry set; compass (ensure sharp tip covered or in a box);

mini scraper foil kit; chalk or oil pastel art sets; sketch book.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:

Tambourine, shaker, bells,

sports whistle, recorder,

harmonica, slide whistle,

tin whistle, nger drums,

maracas, triangle, mini

xylophone, kazoo, castanets.

A NOTE FROM YOU:

Christmas card, note

of greeting, photo of

yourself/your family.

GAMES: Card games like

Uno and Snap (including

standard 4-suit playing

cards from 2021); small

puzzles; puzzle cube;

mini board games;

marbles; jacks; maze

game with balls; ball on

a string catching game;

Etch-a-sketch.

ACCESSORIES: Baseball cap; sunglasses; woolly hat, gloves, scarf;

jewellery; hair ties and grips; fashion scarf; small backpack, handbag or

drawstring bag; purse or wallet; football gloves; watch; keyring; magnets;

small 

shing kit; gardening kit with gloves and trowel (no seeds); brightly

coloured rope or twine; small tool kit with work gloves (no knives); small

sealed sewing kit; small bike repair kit; reusable non-breakable containers

e.g. cup, water bottle, plate, bowl; small items of clothing e.g. socks, ip-

ops, T-shirt.

HYGIENE ITEMS: Toothbrush,

hairbrush, comb, bar of soap,

annel, sponge, washmitt,

chapstick, compact mirror (ensure

protected), emery board, nail

clippers, push up deodorant stick

(not liquid or aerosol), wash bag.

DO NOT INCLUDE: Toothpaste, sweets, lotions and liquids; used or damaged items; war-related items;

seeds, gum, chocolate or food items; religious or political literature; medicines, aerosol cans, sharp or

fragile items.

Operation Christmas Child® is a project of Samaritan’s Purse®

Franklin Graham, President | 0870 011 2002 | samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

FURTHER INFORMATION

QUALITY CRAFTS: Including a homemade item is a

great way to personalise your shoebox gift and send an extra

special message of love.

IDEAS FOR QUALITY CRAFTS:

Knitted or crocheted hats, gloves, bags, purses, pencils

cases, soft toys or puppets; cross stitched bookmarks;

wooden toys; felt play boards; simple games e.g. noughts

and crosses or magnetic shing; friendship bracelets (woven

with yarn or embroidery thread); fabric tote bags; handmade

jewellery, hair clips or headbands; fabric covered notebooks

and handmade cards. For more shoebox craft ideas visit:

samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ-quality-crafts.

Please note: any stufng used needs to be proper toy stufng

and not dried beans or newspaper, etc. Materials must be

new or look new and not be worn, marked or damaged.

Toys made from recycled wood are ne but crafts which are

obviously made from recycled waste items such as bottle

tops cannot be sent.

WHY WE PROCESS SHOEBOX GIFTS AND HOW WE PROTECT THE INTEGRITY

OF YOUR SHOEBOX WHILST PROCESSING IT:

Every year, at processing centres around the UK, teams of trained seasonal volunteers check

the contents of each shoebox before it is sent to a child in need. Their aim is to keep each

shoebox exactly as it was packed, by you, our generous supporters, while checking each item

against a number of important criteria, such as:

• to make sure we comply with customs requirements of the countries we are sending to

• to make sure we respect the cultural and religious contexts of the communities we are

sending to

• to ensure that the items packed are in a clean and safe condition for the child who will

receive them.

Occasionally, we might need to remove an item that does not match one of these criteria.

Boxes are not split or shared out and if your box does not include anything from the ‘do not

include’ list and ticks all the above, it will be sent just as it was packed.

Where possible, any items that need to be removed are donated to other charities.

Specially sourced ller items are added where a box is low on items or if something had to be

removed.

Operation Christmas Child® is a project of Samaritan’s Purse®

Franklin Graham, President | 0870 011 2002 | samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW ABOUT LITTLE TOYS LIKE SPIDERS,

BUGS, SNAKES, ETC.? These items are allowed

unless they are extremely life-like and could

frighten a child.

CAN WE INCLUDE A TOOLKIT WITH

NAILS, SCREWS, SCREWDRIVERS, AND

HAMMERS? Yes, for shoeboxes in the 10-

14 age category. The only tools that cannot be

included are saws or pocket-knives. Please ensure

anything that is loose or sharp is wrapped so as

not to harm the child when they put their hands in

the shoebox.

ARE WATER PISTOLS ALLOWED? We do

not allow anything that resembles or could be

mistaken for a weapon.

CAN GLOW STICKS GO IN A SHOEBOX

GIFT? No, we are not able to send liquids of any

kind.

CAN ITEMS WITH CAMOUFLAGE BE

INCLUDED? If the child can wear or use the

items without looking like a soldier, they are OK

to include in your shoebox gift. Pink or coloured

camouage is safe as are pencils or wallets.

CAN RUBBER BALLS BE INCLUDED IF

THEY HAVE LIQUID GLITTER INSIDE? No,

these would be considered inappropriate because

of the liquid.

IS LIP GLOSS OK TO PACK IN A SHOEBOX

GIFT? Lip gloss is a liquid and can’t be included.

However, a chapstick or lipstick can go!

CAN I INCLUDE TOOTHPASTE AND

SWEETS IN MY SHOEBOX? Toothpaste and

sweets are no longer considered appropriate

items, as more exacting import regulations are

starting to be implemented within the countries

that receive UK shoeboxes. Detailed evidence of

ingredients and expiry dates, which logistically

cannot be supplied, will soon be a requirement.

By removing sweets and toothpaste, we hope to

prevent potential barriers and maintain the access

to reach children in all receiving countries.

DO I NEED TO LEAVE LABELS AND

PACKAGING ON MY ITEMS? Feel free

to remove packaging as long as it does not

contain information that is needed e.g. building

instructions. We would also suggest leaving

packaging on hygiene items e.g. toothbrushes and

bars of soap.

Operation Christmas Child® is a project of Samaritan’s Purse®

Franklin Graham, President | 0870 011 2002 | samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

CAN COMPACT MIRRORS GO IN A

SHOEBOX GIFT? Yes. Compact mirrors can be

included because if the glass shatters, it will be

contained.

CAN I INCLUDE A SEWING KIT? Yes, for the

10-14 category. Please ensure anything that is

loose or sharp is wrapped so as not to harm the

child when they put their hands in the shoebox.

CAN MY NOTE INCLUDE MY ADDRESS?

It’s a personal choice really. Putting your own

address in can sometimes leading to begging

letters but on rare occasions can also lead to

personal thank you messages. One alternative,

if you are concerned, might be to use a neutral

address such as a church or school. Whatever you

do decide, photos of who sent the box always go

down well and are often kept for years.

CAN WE INCLUDE REUSABLE SANITARY

PADS? It’s OK to include sanitary items (e.g.

reusable pads) in shoeboxes for 10-14 year old

girls if you would like to. Please do bear in mind

that shoebox gifts are often opened in public

settings where boys and girls are together. To

minimise any potential embarrassment, we would

suggest placing these at the bottom of the box.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Still got questions?

Get in touch at occ@samaritans-purse.org.uk or call 020 8559 1180

IS CLOTHING OR FOOTWEAR ALLOWED

IN MY SHOEBOX? Small items like hats, gloves,

socks, ip-ops or a T-shirt are ne to pack. We

do not recommend that you add particularly large

items of clothing or footwear to your shoebox, as

they can take up a lot of room. Ideally, we want

the child to receive a gift that has a good variety

of items that they can love, learn from and play

with.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT CLIMATE TO PACK

FOR? Unfortunately, we are not able to tell you

where your shoebox will be sent before you send

it. However, it is our experience that items like

hats and gloves are enjoyed in a range of climates.

In fact, putting on these items is often the rst

thing a child does upon opening their shoebox

gift. If you do have concerns, we suggest packing

items that can be enjoyed wherever the box is

sent.

Operation Christmas Child® is a project of Samaritan’s Purse®

Franklin Graham, President | 0870 011 2002 | samaritans-purse.org.uk/occ

IS PLAY DOUGH OK TO PACK IN A

SHOEBOX GIFT? Yes, play dough can be

included in your shoebox gift. However, some

children might think it is edible, so it is best

packed with cutters or as part of a kit.

WHY CAN’T WE SEND RELIGIOUS

LITERATURE? We do not send political or

religious literature in shoeboxes as the gift itself

should be simple and uncontentious in nature.

This also allows the local church to manage

sensitively the relations with their communities.

Literature that comes from the donor’s context

and in the donor’s language – including Christian

content – can confuse and mislead the children.

Instead Operation Christmas Child works hard

to support the overseas churches to share the

Christmas story of new life in Jesus in a child-

friendly way both verbally and through The

Greatest Gift and The Greatest Journey materials

in the local language. Where local partners assess

it’s not appropriate to offer these materials, they

don’t do so.

CAN WE SEND SECOND HAND ITEMS?

We cannot send obviously used items as most

customs regulations require items to be new. Also,

many children are more worldly wise than we

realise and would be aware of the difference

between someone’s unwanted items and a box of

brand new gifts bought just for them. We feel that

as the children have so little they deserve the best

we can offer.

ARE HANDMADE AND KNITTED ITEMS

SUITABLE FOR SHOEBOXES? Yes, high

quality handmade items such as hats, gloves,

scarves, bags, purses, pencil cases, puppets and

toys can all be packed, providing any stufng

used is proper toy stufng and not dried beans or

newspaper etc. Toys made from recycled wood are

also great gifts to pack, but crafts obviously made

from waste items such as bottle tops cannot be

sent.

CAN WE PACK PLAYING CARDS?

From 2021, 4-suit playing cards can be packed as

well as other card games such as Snap or Uno.

CAN WE SEND CHILDREN’S BOOKS? Yes,

books are allowed but please bear in mind that

the children may not be able to read English so

books with lots of pictures are best.