Dropping your child off at college is hard. Up until this point they relied on you for nearly everything. Now they get to learn to live on their own as they’re moving away from home for the first time. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t help them out a bit. Let’s be honest, you probably know your child better than they know themself. They’re favorite treats, the things they forget often, and items that cheer them up. Why not make a care package?
Sending a care package to your college student can be one of the best things you can do. As a parent, you’ll enjoy reminiscing on memories as you collect items you know your child enjoys. College life has its ups and downs between school and social life, a care package will make your day either way.
What to Put in a College Care Package
The contents of the care package is simply up to you and what your child enjoys. While there are pre-made care packages put together throughout the internet, you as a parent are the only one that can truly assemble a care package perfectly crafted for your child. Who else knows their wants and needs better than you do? Here are a few categories to consider when sending that college package:
Snacks
While you can’t send your son your incredible homemade lasagna in a care package, he’ll more than enjoy the peanut butter cookies you’ve made him since he was five. That’s what the care packages are all about. A reminder of home and a reminder from afar how much you care about them.
The snacks don’t need to be made unless you really want to. For the college care package think about treats that can actually be shipped. Try to create a balance of healthy and non-healthy options for the sake of parenting but making your child happy.
In the care package throw in a few of their favorite candies but be wary of chocolate going to a hot place in case it melts in transit. Don’t forget to mix the sweet with the savory. Think about your kid’s go-to road trip snack back when they were young. Popcorn, pretzels, beef jerky, things like that. Protein bars, which can be expensive for college student, are another great option for food.
Clothes
Has your daughter complained about her feet being cold because her roommates keep the dorm room too cold? Send her some fuzzy socks to fix the problem. Maybe your child didn’t head to college with a lot of school spirit, but now that they are on campus and want gear. Find a nice shirt and a sweatshirt to package up for them to wear during class or in the stands at football games.
A college care package should also include laundry supplies. As you would know this is probably the first time being responsible for washing their own clothes. You can help them out by including laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and fabric softener to save your loved one a trip to the store.
Small Gifts
There are countless gifts that can be included in your care package for your college student beyond food and clothes. Décor is a great idea to help them decorate their dorm room if they didn’t have enough decorations on move-in day. From hair ties for your daughter or a shaving kit for your son, these are other gifts to consider including in a college care package:
- Gift Cards
- Blanket
- Skincare Items
- Stress Relievers
- Chapstick
- Water Bottle
- Books
- Extra Phone Chargers
- Portable Charger
- Headphones
- Speaker
- Stickers
- Jewelry
- Personal Note
How to Send a Care Package for College Students
Much like you felt the need as a parent to protect your child, now you need to find the right box to protect the items you’re sending them. You’re going to need a box that is strong and can fit a good amount of stuff because we know parents tend to spend a lot for that first care package. The Signature Collegeboxes® Box is the best choice. The 24” x 16” x 18” box holds up to 106 lbs. and its double-walled corrugated cardboard makes it puncture-resistant during shipping.
When it comes to wrapping items, anything that is breakable should be secured with packing paper, bubble wrap, or even the clothing that you also include in the care package. If you’re sending food, leave it in its original packaging or double layer it in plastic bags because broken cookies just don’t taste the same.
Once everything is packed away, it’s time to tape it up. The “H-Tape Method” is one of the quickest ways to get the care package sealed away for shipping. For a more in-depth guide to taping a box, check out “How to Tape a Box: The Skill You Didn’t Know You Needed” from U-Haul.
Next comes the most complicated part, the actual shipping. But it doesn’t have to be. Don’t worry about heading to the post office or buying the right label or service. Use Direct Shipping through Collegeboxes instead. Your packages get from point A to point B while you manage the entire process from your phone. You pack, FedEx picks up your boxes from your home (or you can drop off at a FedEx shipping location) and ships to your destination as you can track the box every step of the way.
Collegeboxes is the No. 1 Student Storage and Shipping Provider. Along with Direct Shipping we provide other services like Ship to School and Storage and Shipping. We serve over 350 schools across the nation and international students as well. After we gain your trust with your college care package, come back and sign up for our other services today!
For more information on how Collegeboxes can help parents with college students, please visit our Parents page.
Other helpful Collegeboxes tips:
A Parent’s Guide to College Moving