Operation Christmas Cookies is underway in our home! 

This is a Christmas tradition we started when our children were little and has carried on throughout the years when possible.

Our children make a list of people and families they'd like to deliver cookies to.

Then they select cookies they'd like to bake.

Next family bakes cookies as many cookies as we need to check off everyone on our list.

We arrange cookies on plates, and deliver them with a card and family Christmas letter.

As a homeschooling family, we have learned that it's very hard to learn new things during the holiday season. Instead of working in our homeschool classroom, we dedicate time to life skills, like baking and so much more!

It is incredible how much learning can take place while baking at Christmas for every age!

Operation Christmas Cookies

How the Tradition of Operation Christmas Cookies was Born

When my husband, Jason, and I were first married, a woman in our church congregation spoke about a family tradition they had.  

Each year at Christmas, their family would make and deliver cookies to ALL of their neighbors.  

The woman in our church congregation shared experiences about how this tradition affected their family's relationship in the neighborhood for good, and how her kiddos learned to love and serve others. 

The very next year, Jason and I started this tradition with Dinomite.  

Neighbors who have lived on our street for several years, opened their door with big smiles and a thank you.  

Those who hadn't lived in our neighborhood long, were always so surprised that a neighbor would randomly give them homemade cookies and personally wish them a Merry Christmas. 

These cookie deliveries always led to fabulous relationships with neighbors we wouldn't otherwise have come to know.

As each of our kids became more excited about giving cookies to others, deliveries expanded beyond neighbors.

Family Christmas Tradition Ideas

If you'd like to learn about other Christmas traditions our family has, be sure to check out the resource above.

There are so many fun ideas you can incorporate into your holiday celebration!

How to Select Families, Individuals, and Organizations for Operation Christmas Cookies

Each year Operation Christmas Cookies looks a little different depending on what's going on in our lives and what has occurred throughout the year.

You can choose deliveries that make the most sense for your family. 

There's no right or wrong way to do this.

No matter who else we choose to deliver cookies to, the neighbors on our block or street are at the top of the list!

Once those deliveries are done, we expand to others.

When the kids were little, they loved delivering cookies to community helpers. Below you'll see a list of those we've delivered to in the past.

• Fire Fighters
• Police Officers
• Paramedics
• Doctor's Office
• Pharmacy
• Medical Specialist's Office
• Dentist's Office
• Library
• Post Office or Mail Carrier
• Sanitation Workers
• Construction Workers
• Sheriff's Department
• Car Repair Shop
• Physical Therapists Office
• Case Workers

Now that the kids are older and participate in extra curricular activities, they love distributing cookies to coaches and teachers.

They also enjoy giving cookies to teammates and classmates. 

Though we are homeschooling family, our teens have enjoyed co-ops over the years as well as an early morning religious class as teens.

Friends and church leaders are often on the list as well. 

When we lived close to extended family, they received cookies.

At Christmas time we also try to identify families in need, and deliver to them. 

As you can imagine our list of deliveries has grown quite large over the years. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes

Each of my kids choose what cookies they want to bake or make for Operation Christmas Cookies.

All of them have different tastes and preferences.

Once all the cookies are made, we have quite the variety.

Dinomite loves cinnamon and peppermint flavors.

Bulldozer loves all things chocolate.

Princess loves fruity flavors.

Here are our favorite Christmas cookie recipes from over the years.

• Chocolate Crinkles
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sugar Cookies (recipe origin unknown)
• Snickerdoodles
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Candy Bar Pretzel Bites
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Recipe created by a friend.)
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Chocolate Blossom Cookies
• No Bake Cookie Dough Truffles
• Italian Cookies
• Peanut Blossoms
• Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
• Chewy Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies
• Thumbprint Cookies
• Pinwheel Icebox Cookies
• Zesty Lime Cookies
• Chocolate-Dipped Vanilla Madeleines with Crushed Candy Canes

If you're looking for diet friendly cookies for someone in your life, be sure to check out our favorite cookies below!

10 Christmas Cookie Recipes: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Corn Free, and Refined Sugar Free

We have taste tested every single one of the cookies above and can attest they are absolutely delicious.

I love that these recipes make it possible for everyone to enjoy Christmas cookies!

Learning that Occurs while Operation Christmas Cookies

When we first started this tradition, I worried about taking too much time away from learning.

What we learned very quickly and continue to learn, even as our kids are now teens, is that SO MUCH LEARNING occurs during Operation Christmas Cookies.

If you need a list of all the learning that occurs, be sure to read through the one I've created below.

Language

• Letter Identification & Sounds
• Reading Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Vocabulary Words
• Grammar-Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs
• Sequencing Directions

Math

• Number Identification
• Counting
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Skip Counting
• Multiplication
• Sequencing/Ordinal Numbers
• Fractions
• Measurements
• Telling Time
• Spatial Reasoning
• Greater Than/Less Than

Science

• Temperature
• Solids vs. Liquids
• Solutions & Mixtures
• Chemistry Reactions

Health

• Nutrition
• Heat Safety
• Personal Hygiene

Art

• Shapes
• Colors
• Lines
• Texture
• Form
• Piping Frosting

Practical Life

• Washing
• Spreading
• Cutting
• Mixing
• Unwrapping
• Spooning Liquids & Solids
• Opening  & Closing Containers
• Scooping
• Transferring Liquids & Solids
• Cracking Eggs
• Using a Stove Top
• Using an Oven
• Making a Grocery List
• Grocery Shopping

Sensorial

• Smell
• Taste
• Sight
• Sound
• Touch

For those looking for speech and occupational therapy activities, baking is the ultimate task, requiring muscle coordination & strength, fine motor skills, sensory integration etc.  I could go on and on.  

Speech is incorporated in practicing delivery scenarios and then actually making deliveries, as well as so many other components of this project.

What I love most about Operation Christmas Cookies with Teens is that the project grows with them.

My teens are choosing cookie recipes that are more difficult.

Their skills are being refined.

They're participating in so many more aspects of the project like budgeting, planning, grocery shopping, etc.

I am barely in the kitchen, because they're able to work independently.

It's absolutely wonderful!

Our family has so much fun doing Operation Christmas Cookies every year that we're able!

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