Thoughtful and Practical College Care Packages: Sending Love and Essentials to Your Student's Dorm Room!
Let’s talk college care packages! My second is off to college in just a few short weeks, and I am already thinking about all the things that I want to send her. My first loved getting her care packages and really appreciated a part of home coming her way. Although they want to be super independent, they can’t wait to be on their own; trust me, they miss you!!! And I am sure you ultimately miss them too.
Care packages do not have to be just for freshmen; they can be for a student at any age. So go ahead and spoil your kiddo a bit with a full-packed package. Here are some ideas of what I have sent and what I plan to send as college care packages this year.
Snacks
LOTS of them! Pick out their favorite snacks and send them away. Yes, they have a meal plan or their own kitchen, but let me tell you how happy my firstborn was when she got a package full of her favorite snacks! You can include:
· Chips
· Candy
· Chocolate
· Granola Bars
These are some of the ones that were winners for me. You can also throw in jerky, ramen noodles, cereal, and crackers; just get something you know they love. Bonus, throw in some home-baked cookies, and you will be the hall’s favorite parent!
Gift Cards
Ok, I know, you might as well send them money, but how fun is it to get a gift card to your favorite coffee shop, food place, or delivery service. They will think you are the best for remembering what they love and then actually funding them. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount or many of them, but just throw one or two in there for good measure, and you will surely get a loving phone call (well, maybe a text).
Coffee and a Personal Coffee Maker
I would get many phone calls about much-needed coffee and how there was no time to run to the dining hall. Or how the dining hall is closed, and she just needs to stay up to study. Or, in my daughter’s case, it is below zero, and please, mom, what is one to do when they need coffee. So, I splurged and got her a personal K-Cup coffee machine and a bunch of pods. Don’t forget to sneak in some of their favorite fixings in there, like sugar and creamer. If your college student doesn’t drink coffee, then I suggest tea, hot cocoa, and a plug-in water boiler.
Self Care Products
College is stressful and expensive. Students run out of personal care and self-care products all the time. One time I sent a box full of things I knew my college kid would love not to have to buy. So, I packed soaps, shampoo, conditioner, razors, deodorant, and a couple fresh towels with the scent of home. It’s the little things in life that count. She was so excited to get these and not have to spend a cent. You know your kiddo best, so pick products they like and send them away.
Dorm Extras
I know you thought you got them everything they needed before they left, but I’ll bet that every parent forgot something that their college student could use. I indeed did not get some things, and I will eventually get to writing a blog about what to buy and not to buy for the dorm room; however, for now, I will just let you know what I sent.
· Extra pillowcase
· Extra sheets
· A comfy blanket
· Air fresheners
· Extra mugs
· Extra charging cables
· Self-stick hanging hooks
· A stick vacuum
· Dish soap
· Cleaners and sponges
I also paid for a box to be returned to me with things that the dorm room really didn’t need. This doesn’t sound like an exciting care package, so throw in some treats that you know they will love. It was not a fun package, but I was thanked up and down for sending all this stuff.
Homemade Food
Dining hall food can get boring, and we all have favorite homemade foods that we know our kids love. For us, it was dad’s spaghetti sauce. So we made a fresh batch, canned it, and sent it out. I surprised her with a microwavable container that cooked her pasta in the dorm to top off the treat. Get creative about how you send it out, and if it’s something perishable, splurge on the fast delivery.
Things They Hint About
College students want to be super independent and won’t necessarily tell you when they would really love to get in a care package, but they do hint about it. Many times, I would get a phone call with, “oh mom, my screen protector broke, what a bummer right?” or “did you hear about this really cool food/item/clothing, shoes, or thing that everyone is talking about, it’s cool right”? I take notes, and I will get those items and send them out when I can. This shows them you listen, and it really surprises them that you went out of your way to get them what they talked about.
Board Games/Games
College is stressful, and students need some downtime. Send some board games they can enjoy with friends while hanging out. There are plenty to choose from, so pick and send.
College Merch
You might not know how to buy things your child will wear, but you can not go wrong with college merch. A nice sweatshirt, t-shirt, or hat. All these will be appreciated. Throw in a take-along water bottle or coffee mug, and you will have a solid win!
A Personal Note
I like to stuff a little note from the siblings or me to put in each package. I know that in this day and age of technology, we don’t do this often enough, but college students really love this! My littles will throw in a picture, a funny saying, or a story about something they want to do with her when she returns home. She loves getting these notes, and I encourage all of you to do this.
One tip: Send one the moment you drop them off so they can get it in the first week/weeks of school. They will be missing a part of home, so send something, anything, but send it.
Most importantly, don’t stress about it. Send when you have a chance and what you can. You don’t have to make the care package uniform. You can mix and match these items as you see fit. The point of a care package is to let them know you miss them and that you care. So be creative. Let me know if I missed something that you did for your college student that I could add to the list or complete another one.
