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June Item of the Month for OCC Shoeboxes ~ Toys

Samaritan's Purse has suggested items of the month for packing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, and for June, that's toys!  These are such fun items to pick out and pack in a shoebox!!!  I often, in my mind try to sort toys between active/moving ones like jump ropes to work off energy with, and quieter ones like a BB maze they can use to play with in quite times-and send at least one of each.   

While it's easy to think of toys as sheer frivolous fun items.  I recently read a couple articles about the importance of toys to the development of children.  One was about the improvement of the school environment in a school in India.   Another was in The Guardian about a study that showed children learn best though 8 years old by play.  So, while we often view toys as unnecessary or just fun, they may actually help the child develop...and be fun! 😀  As my mom used to say, "Play is a child's work."  

Here are some great stories of how much toys meant to some children who received shoeboxes.




Photos Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.

If you want some ideas of toys, here's what we collected in 2018:


If you would like advertise for toy donations, check out  our: Toys for Shoeboxes Collection Poster

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi- I was wondering where you found the Floatie Boats, and I couldn't hear where you said the little footballs came from.

I like to pick up the balls that come 3 in a package from Dollar Tree when they have them. They look like small baseballs, gold balls, basketballs, soccer balls, etc. More recently they are selling some with just 2 in a package, but I only pick them up when I can find 3 for $1. I found Rumple Buddies, currently for 71 cents each from Kole Imports www.koleimports.com Kole Imports also has great deals on soccer balls and ball pumps. I buy size 4 and find them to be of very good quality.

Thank you for all of your great ideas... and for the WANTED posters!

Sarah said...

I got the boats on clearance at CVS a couple years ago. The footballs were from Oriental Trading (http://www.orientaltrading.com/snowman-football-assortment-a2-4_3071.fltr) There were a number of designs, but snowmen were on sale-haha! Thanks for sharing about your ball sources.

You're welcome! Hope they help!


             
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