This came to me a few days ago as I was watching a video on youtube about a girl's packing experience (yes, that is what I do in my free time...) and she pulled out one of the Recycled Paper Bible Coloring books that I had gotten before for my boxes. I was so excited to see that but in the comments, some people were wondering where she got it and where they could order them. So that got me thinking about giving you guys a post of all the Bible-related items that I could find at Dollar Tree that could go in your boxes. I tend to buy those items because I like to include a good amount of the Holy Book as possible without overwhelming the child with too much English language, especially if it isn't their first language. With that, I hope you guys like what I found and think about using some of them for your boxes.
The first thing I saw, and have previously posted about before are these great Bible playing cards. They are mostly memory games or match games so the concept of having to know the rules is mute. I also recommend getting these because even if they don't know how to play or they don't want to play, they also have people of the Bible on there so if a girl doesn't want to play with the cards as cards, she could also use them as dolls. I know, I don't really think that is a great use of Moses and Noah as they go to the mall with Barbie and Ken but still, this could be a really nice gift for either age and gives a fun way to learn about the Bible.
Like I had said earlier about the Bible coloring book, I found one at the Dollar Tree today. These are almost always there and will hopefully be there as long as OCC continues. I like this for all ages as they get to color the characters and learn about the Bible and God along the way. I will say that the inside of this coloring book is a bit more advanced so it may be more along the lines for a 10-14 year old rather than a 2-4 year old. If you find the recycled paper brand, those coloring books are more age appropriate for any age on the spectrum. Another thing I like about this is that it includes little stories at the bottom of the pages so if the child doesn't finish the Greatest Journey or loses their Bible, there are still stories from the Bible down below that they can learn to interpret in their own language.
A teacher was filling a box and she included beginning reader books for children of the older age as they could be just learning the English language and this could be a way to help them. I love that these books come in levels 1 and 2 and they have 3 stories of the Bible in them. These are the only ones that were available but if you are packing for older boys, these would be great additions and they are thin enough to fit into the boxes.
This book is quite English language heavy so I don't recommend this entirely but it is also a nice little book full of prayers for another person in time of distress, happiness, loneliness etc. It has over 15 pages full of long prayers for another person and you know how most of us hear, "You're in our prayers" but you don't fully believe them? This could be another way to convince the children that they truly are in your prayers and these ones written down express a small part of how much you pray for them. It is a small book despite the picture and it can be a great addition for an older child, you never know, they might be really good at reading English.
Now, I don't do this but I know of some packers out there that do and they include magnets for the middle and older age groups so that they can use them at home if they have a refrigerator or use them as a decoration piece at their home. Whatever they use them for, magnets can be included in your boxes. I have collected some of these for my own home because they are true and of pretty nice quality. All of them have some form of scripture on them and could be a nice pocket reminder to the children of God's great love.
I haven't included anything too text heavy in my boxes for the sole reason that these children might not know English or don't know how to read at all for that matter because of a possible lack of education. However, I also think that basic word searches, although they are text heavy, can help a student learn some basic words and possibly open up their world to the English language which would be quite beneficial if they move to the United States or another English speaking country. I saw that a few ladies have included word searches like this before so I think this would be a great addition and as they look up basic Bible words, they recognize the Bible words and stories along the way.
I LOVE these! These are perfectly small books and they are some of the "My First Book of..." brand books so they are perfect for young readers and it isn't too text heavy. Not only that, the books are in the shape of praying hands and they are about prayers for thank you's, friendships, bedtimes and mealtimes. I absolutely love these and recommend them hands down for any 2-4 year old boxes. Seriously, what a great find.
This was the last thing that I was able to find and I haven't done this myself but I can see how it can benefit for the older age group or for those who want to possibly get a letter sent back. This is a note card set and some people will leave a note with an envelope, sometimes addressed to their own homes, in hopes that the child will respond to them and write a letter back. Not all children do this and after three years, I can tell you that not many do but still there is that opportunity. Also, this is a perfect little card that can fit into a frame or be propped up so that they see this message every day. If not for a letter to send back to you, it could be that poster in their room or the only reminder of God's graces and good that they have. This is a nice little idea and you can get 8 for a dollar, that isn't too bad.
Well, Packers, this was all that I could find that would be OK to put into a shoe box gift. I hope you guys take these items into consideration and put a lot of prayer into your boxes.
Happy Packing!
No comments:
Post a Comment