With everyone going back to college, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about sending them a care package! These college care package ideas are the cutest way to give your favorite college student something special while they are away!
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College care packages are such a cute way to stay close and connected to whoever’s going off to college. Whether it’s a parent or family member sending to a college student or a student sending to another friend, they are absolutely perfect!
Plus, receiving one of these packages is so much fun! Especially if it has some of your favorites and is decorated super cute, they are such a fun treat when you are away at college and missing home.
This post is all about college care package ideas!
What to include in a college care package?
If you are looking to put together your own original college care package, here are 63 ideas of things that you can include. You can include everything from one of these categories, or pick a few from each section!
Homemade treats
Depending on the distance of the school, some homemade treats will usually stay fresh for a few days while shipping them to the student. As long as they are packaged well in an air tight bag or container, they should be delicious when they arrive!
1. Brownies
2. Cookies
3. Rice krispie treats
4. Cake pops
Snacks
Snacks are another addition to these packages that every student loves to receive. Who wouldn’t want some fun snacks to eat while lying around in their dorm or walking around campus?
If you know the students favorites, try to include all of those in the care package. Any comfort foods are also perfect to put in in case they are missing home while away at school.
5. Trail mix
6. Granola bars
7. Protein bars
8. Microwave oatmeal
9. Microwave mac n cheese
10. Candy
11. Microwave popcorn
12. Fruit snacks
13. Pretzels
14. Nuts
15. Gum
16. Mints
Drinks
Drinks and drink mixes are another perfect item to put in your college care package. If you are paying to ship your box by weight, I would suggest only include drink mixes and powders so the box isn’t too heavy.
17. Reusable bottle
18. Coffee pods
19. Tea bags
20. Lemonade/iced tea packets
21. Energy drinks
22. Hot cocoa mix
23. Coffee mug
Dorm decor
Dorm decor is super cute to put in a college care package for the student to add some new decorations to their room as the school year goes on!
24. String lights
25. Seasonal holiday decor
26. Photos from home
27. Letter board or light box
28. Fake plants
29. Tapestry
30. Fun knick-knacks
Tech essentials
If you don’t mind spending a little bit more on certain items in your box, throw a few tech essentials into the package. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy pricey or super fancy, just little stuff that you think the student might need or want.
31. Extra long charger
32. Headphones
33. Speaker
34. Phone case
Comfort items
It never hurts to add some comfort items into your care package to make the student feel more comfortable. Especially for someone who isn’t used to being away from home, these are the perfect items to make them feel better!
35. Slippers
36. Weighted/heated blanket
37. Books
38. Sweats
SELF CARE
You can never add enough self care items into a care package! Pick some of the student’s favorite products (if you know them) or try out some new stuff.
39. Diffuser
40. Scrunchies & hair ties
41. Face masks
42. Nail polish
43. Stress ball
44. Adult coloring book
45. Hair mask
Hygiene essentials
Although it’s not quite as fun as some of the other stuff on this list, hygiene essentials are still important to include in the care package if you know the student is running low on some stuff. Even if it’s not exciting, it’s practical, which your student will be thankful for in the long run.
46. Deodarant
47. Sunscreen
48. Chapstick
49. Makeup wipes
50. Makeup
Cleaning essentials
Again, not the most exciting of items, but if they need some cleaning supplies, throw ’em in there. Don’t include anything too heavy or big (because who wants a whole care package filled with only cleaning supplies), just little items you can stick in there.
51. Hand sanitizer
52. Wrinkle release spray
53. Tide-to-go
54. Wet wipes
55. Air freshener
School supplies
Fun school supplies make a super cute addition to your college care package. They are super useful for classes and can also be fun if you get cute products.
56. Colorful pens
57. Highlighters
58. Fun sticky notes
59. Sharpies
60. Mechanical pencils
Money
And of course, no one would ever complain if they received some money in their care package!
61. Cash
62. Gift cards
63. Scratch off lottery tickets
College care package themes
If you don’t want to throw a mish-mash of stuff in your package, use some of these themes as college care package ideas! These are a super cute way to make sure that everything in the bin matches.
Plus, everything can usually be adjusted to who you are sending the package to, so you can still make sure to include their favorite items while also staying on theme.
Seasonal theme
Try coordinating everything in your package to match the season that you are sending it in. For fall, include fall colored items and fake leaves. Winter can be hot chocolate themed. If you’re sending in spring, include everything in pastel colors and throw in some fake flowers.
coffee
For all the coffee-addicts out there, try sending a coffee themed package with all their favorites!
finals survival guide
If you are sending near the time of finals, send a finals survival guide package. You can use different finals puns like the picture below and attach each to the candy or food item.
holiday themed
When sending around holidays like Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s day, Easter, and more, theme the package according to the holiday. This makes such a cute treat around the holiday season!
color theme
If you are just sending the student a random care package and don’t want to match it to the time of year, try picking a color and theming the box around that instead.
You can decorate the sides of the box with the color, and buy everything that has the matching color packaging.
ice cream sundae
For another cute and unique college care package idea, try a “just add ice cream” package! In this box, include everything you would need for an ice cream sundae except the ice cream. Then, all the student needs to get is ice cream and they will have everything else they need!
Just add water
Similarly, you can also make a just add water box. In this one, you would put a bunch of food and drinks products that are ready to eat once you add water to them. Most of these will need to be microwaved, so make sure to only send this type of box if you know the student has access to a microwave.
Favorite snacks
If the student is a fan of a few specific snacks, theme the box around that. In the picture, everything included is cheesy snacks, with a pun to match. You can do the same type of thing with candy too!
Pre-made snack boxes
You can also find pre-made care packages with different types of snacks and candy. These are super easy and all you have to do is order it online! If you don’t feel like shopping for stuff and decorating a box, this is the way to go to send a care package!
This post was all about college care package ideas!
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