Sending your kids off to college can be a stressful time for everyone in the family, especially if the college of choice is far away from the comforts of home.
It’s exciting, too, as your child starts a new chapter in their life, one that will set them up for adulthood, but no doubt, they will feel apprehensive.
Today, I’ve put a few ideas together for a college care package that you can send with your child to show them you support them on the next step in their life journey.
At Skip to My Lou, we have a range of care package ideas for various occasions, including Crafting the Ultimate Exam Care Package, Summer Camp Care Package Idea, and Feel Better Soon Care Package to Send Get Well Wishes.
College Care Package Ideas
I’ve thought a lot about how to build the ultimate college care package, and I am going to share some of those ideas with you today.
These practical ideas are a sure way to help your child settle into college life and, of course, show your support for their new endeavor. I’ve broken these ideas down into specific sections, and depending on what your child already has, you can decide which items you’d like to include.
Clothing
Make sure they have clothing options for all seasons. Of course, they will pack clothing to take with them, but a few extra items won’t hurt, right?
Items to consider include:
- T-shirts
- Shorts
- Shoes (sneakers are perhaps the best idea as you can wear them rain or shine, but don’t forget slippers!)
- Jeans
- Hoodies
- Sweatpants
- Jackets (light and heavy)
- Pajamas
- Swimwear
- Winter wear (raincoat, hat, scarf, gloves)
These items are a general idea of what clothing items you can include, and you may have some additional items you’d like to pack too.
Health and Hygiene
With your child away from home, make sure to add health and hygiene essentials to any college care package.
Items to consider include:
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Body wash or soap
- Hand sanitizer
- Deodorant
- Face masks and skincare products
- Tissues and wet wipes
- First aid kit
- Any necessary medication they may need (including painkillers)
- Vitamins and supplements
Study materials and supplies
Study materials and supplies are a must for any college care package.
They should include:
- Planner or calendar
- Pens, pencils, and highlighters
- Notebooks
- A journal
- Scissors
- Tape
- Sticky notes
- Stapler and staples
- Paper clips and binder clips
- USB flash drive
Comfort items
- Their favorite blanket
- Pillow and pillowcases
- Laundry bag or hamper
- Air freshener
- Room decorations (photos of the family, posters of things they love)
- Easy to care for plants (succulents are the best)
Gadgets
No doubt they will take their laptop with them to college, it’s indispensable.
But you can include the following gadgets to help them during their college stay:
- Desk lamp
- Phone charger
- USB cables
- Headphones
- Bluetooth speaker
- Laptop case
- Mouse
Food/snacks
While you won’t be there to cook hearty meals for your child, you can make sure to pack some food and snacks for them.
This can include:
- Trail mix
- Nuts
- Crackers
- Instant noodles
- Instant soups
- Instant oatmeal
- Popcorn (microwavable is best)
- Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate
- Energy drinks
- Granola bars
- Protein bars
- Candy
- Chocolate
- Dried Fruit
Fun items
While studying is serious business, make sure to include some fun items for their downtime.
You could include:
- Their favorite books
- Magazines about their interests
- Board games
- Their gaming console with games
Miscellaneous
Lastly, here are a few miscellaneous ideas to consider.
- Gift cards (from local stores and restaurants in their area, Starbucks, or Amazon)
- Letters from family and friends
- Inspirational quotes (we have so many beautiful quotes on Skip to my Lou, be sure to check them out). Check out these printable quote gift tags too.
Other Care Package Ideas
- Camp Care Packages
- Student-Approved Care Packages for Test Taking & Finals
- Good Vibes Care Package
- Care package printable gift tags
- Crafting the Ultimate Exam Care Package
- Caring Cancer Care Package Ideas
I would love to keep you fully stocked with creative ideas, yummy recipes, fun crafts, and loads of free printables.ย Subscribe to Skip to my Louย to get new ideas delivered to your inbox. Follow me onย Facebook,ย Pinterest,ย Twitter, andย Instagramย for all my latest updates.
