Once you send that first kid off to college, the next thought is how to help make sure they’re happy and safe there – and don’t get too homesick. Figuring out care package ideas to help with this is one of the most tangible ways to show someone you’re thinking about them.
College can be a scary time, and a care package that includes their favorite goodies, can help ease that transition. Sometimes it helps you as a parent just as much as the kid!
Some links in this article are affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
I remember when I was at camp and got creative care packages from my parents. That always brightened my day, and nothing has changed since.
While you may automatically think about college care packages, don’t forget them for those who are recovering from surgeries or other illnesses, friends who’ve recently gotten separated or divorced, friends and family who have moved away, and those special occasions from birthday to anniversaries and more.
These ideas make for perfect gifts for college students, but you can absolutely send them for other occasions, too.
How often should I send a care package?
Send care packages as often as you think the recipient needs something, and that will depend on who you send it to.
Someone recovering from surgery may just need one care package, and the same holds true for a birthday or anniversary. College students or those in the military may love them every month.
There is no right or wrong answer, so do what feels best for you and your budget. A subscription box that arrives every month or every other month may be perfect, but a one time gift of special food from home may also be what brightens someone’s day.
What do college kids want in care packages?
Food and money is typically the answer. That should come as no surprise to anyone.
Whether it’s food treats like favorite candy or bagels from a special bakery at home, college kids love care packages filled with food. You can also easily send gift cards to restaurants near your student.
That said, some of the best care packages get creative and include handwritten card from loved ones, a special memento from home, or necessities like aspirin or coffee pods. Know your recipient, and you’re sure to find a great fit.
I actually am so obsessed with college care packages that I started a whole new site dedicated to making the process easier for everyone. Care Package Love has everything you need to know from how to save on shipping costs to ideas for themed care packages and more.
Other fun items to include in a homemade care package are:
- Stress ball
- Lip balm
- Nail polishes
- Fuzzy socks (especially if you can find them with your school logo!)
- Favorite snacks (granola bars, chips, cookies, trail mix, etc)
- Microwaveable meals (ramen, mac and cheese, etc)
- Sleep mask
- Body scrubs
- Deck of cards (get the waterproof ones – they’ll last longer)
- Fun coloring books
What should never go in a care package?
Obviously, you never want to send anything in the mail that is perishable without proper packaging, and don’t send anything illegal. This list shares what the USPS does not allow through the mail.
The same holds true with those perishable items. Chocolate melts way too easily (unless it’s in cookies!), and the price to buy dry ice and then ship it if you aren’t a business doing this is astronomical.
Best Care Package Ideas for College Students
Goldbelly
No matter where you live, you have special food traditions, and those who live far from home no longer get to experience them as easily. I’m sorry, but if I go to Florida and have Chicago style pizza, it’s just not the same.
Goldbelly fixes all that, and I love their offerings. They have just about any favorite food you can imagine from New Orleans king cakes (from a variety of bakeries) to Chicago style hot dogs and New York bagels.
It isn’t just the big cities either, which makes Goldbelly more special. When you go on the site, it can be somewhat overwhelming, but have an idea in mind and search. You’ll find the perfect care package.
If you’ve never used Goldbelly before, now is the perfect time. You get $15 OFF your first $50 order with code GetInMyBELLY – and who doesn’t love discount codes?
Cookie Care Packages
When my son graduated high school, a neighbor gave him a postcard for a cookie care package on demand. All he had to do was fill it out and mail it to my neighbor.
This was, quite honestly, one of the best graduation gifts he received, and I immediately knew I would copy this idea. Every graduation party I go to now, I print out several of these postcards (more for those I’m closer to, fewer for those I know only tangentially), add a stamp, and place them in a card.
Every time, people are in awe.
On the postcard, I simply need to fill in my name and make sure to add the postcard stamp (slightly cheaper than a Forever stamp – though both work). The student then fills in their mailing information at college and the desired cookie type and drops it in the mail.
Once I receive it, I bake the cookies, package them up, and mail them.
When you mail cookies, be sure you let them cool fully, then stack them and bag them to help prevent breakage. You also want to ensure you fill in any open space in a box with newspaper scrunched up or extra bubble wrap.
Nothing in your box should rattle or move.
Depending on how many cookies you’re sending, first class mail (for under a pound) is your cheapest option followed by cubic weight priority mail for anything over a pound.
You can find this send me cookies postcard on Etsy with different cookie options on the back, depending on what works best for you. Simply print this file double sided, and each one makes four postcards.
Fill in your information, add a postcard stamp, and give it to your favorite college student.
Cookies By Design
If you don’t want to make your own cookies or risk them getting broken, Cookies by Design is my favorite gift item. Their cookies taste delicious, and they look great.
I love that they have so many different occasions, so you can choose what fits best for your care package recipient, whether it’s a birthday or a holiday or just something fun to cheer someone up.
They offer already decorated cookies as well as cookie kits that your college student can decorate with their roommates and friends. This is a great icebreaker activity and something kids can enjoy together.
Many of their items offer same day delivery. If you have a location near your college student, that location delivers to them. If not, they send packages by FedEx to ensure they arrive fresh and ready to enjoy.
We’ve gotten these cookies several times and always been pleased by the freshness – even if we don’t enjoy them right away – and by the fact that they actually taste good. Too often, decorated cookies look great then taste meh, but not these.
Scone Baskets
I know breakfast is often hard for college kids who struggle to wake up in time to get to the dining hall before their first class. Sending them scones from Seven Sisters Scones is the perfect solution.
Best of all, Seven Sisters Scones has gluten free options, so your celiac kid isn’t left out. There are also vegan options, which is something hard to find in many bakeries.
And yes, the vegan and gluten free versions taste GOOD. You know so often they just aren’t quite the same.
So yes, their scones are delicious and come in a variety of flavors, and you can send just a little (a 12 mini scone sampler) or a lot (12 large scones). They also have subscription boxes where you can send scones monthly (all the way down to just twice a year) so you know your college student is getting breakfast.
If you’ve never tried these, make sure to order some for yourself, too. They. Are. Amazing.
I love the variety of flavors from savory choices like bacon, cheddar, and chive to sweet options like butterbeer and cranberry orange and so many more. They have well over 20 different varieties, and you can choose your flavors or go with a chef’s choice sampler to make it easier to decide on the perfect gift.
This is a perfect care package idea for finals week when everyone is stressed or for a student who may not love the dining hall food.
If you order by December 31, 2022, you can use the discount code SISTER to get 10% off your order.
Coffee Gifts
While my son’s college is one of the few that doesn’t allow even a Keurig in the dorm rooms, they do have a coffee maker available in the common room.
Why? Because they know that college kids run on coffee.
They aren’t wrong.
Yes, kids can get coffee from the dining hall or buy it at a coffee shop around campus, but you know they want to make their own coffee when they want it – whether that’s when they first wake up or whether they’re studying late at night.
If they have a Keurig, send them an assortment of fun pod flavors they can enjoy. Whether they love all the fun flavored coffees or prefer more traditional coffee blends, you can find a variety that works well.
If your student has a traditional coffee brewer, there are tons of options, too. I love finding the unique coffee blends that really taste good. Send a brick of high quality ground coffee, and your college student will be over the moon!
Themed Snack Baskets
Themed foods always go over well, and it’s nice when you can buy a box that has everything you want already in it to save you time and energy.
My kids absolutely love some of the international snack boxes I’ve purchased for them. It lets them try different flavored foods than what they can easily find locally, and it makes for a great conversation with roommates and others as they all share them.
Some of our favorites include:
- Crave Box traditional snack favorites
- Ultimate cookies, chips, and candies box
- Korean snacks box
- Japanese snacks box
- Smoked sausage box
- European chocolates and candies
- Snack size breakfast cereal box
Local college care packages
Look at what your school offers both through the school and in the surrounding area. Some universities use care packages as a fundraiser for various activities, which can be a fun way to support your school.
My college did a finals week package sponsored by a student organization that was their fundraiser and was always a hit each year. However, my son’s current school has a company that sent a letter to all families saying they were a fundraiser, but the school later confirmed that they have never heard of the company nor received a penny from them.
Make sure you know who you are supporting!
Also check into your dining halls. Our school has the ability to send cakes, cupcakes, cookies, Rice Krispy Treats, cookie cakes, and fruit to students at very reasonable prices, and I’m already planning to take advantage of that for my son’s birthday.
Many college towns have businesses that cater to the local schools and offer similar packages. If you look at your college parent groups, experienced parents often have suggestions for which of those businesses to patronize and which – if any – to avoid.
What other college care package ideas do you have?
I will have students in college for the next five (at least) years, and while I’ve done my research, I always welcome more ideas.
Whatever you do, make sure you know the process to get packages to your student and make sure you order with plenty of time to spare.
