<p>Just wondering if anyone has any especially fun care pkg ideas to share! Our daughter is trying to avoid the freshman 15, so don't want to send food. Anyone?</p>
<p>Bed Bath Beyond item—cute inexpensive ballet slipper type shoes in a pouch for when you go out dancing or wearing heels and want to slip into comfy shoes, 4.99, nail polish, mini bubbles key chain, fun neon color highlighters…</p>
<p>Have definitely been guilty of sending cookies… but some of the best care packages have been really fun things from Target. I make sure I send 3 or 4 of everything because her friends look forward to the packages i think almost more than she does! So, last fall for Christmas season I sent those tiny fiberoptic christmas trees you plug into your computer from Target. last halloween I sent 3 of those cute one dollar headbands with cat ears. one time i sent purple wigs for halloween. for easter i sent bunny head bands. basically i love target because they have this section at the entry of the store that has fun holiday/seasonal items for one dollar. i have sent funny themed socks. when we visited all the dorm kids came by to say they loved the stuff. really inexpensive and not readily available to them and just funny!</p>
<p>I sent a laundry-themed care package - a bleach pen, stain treatment, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and rolls of quarters. She’s a junior this year and was absolutely thrilled!</p>
<p>Also, suggest seasonal decorating items (Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.) to spruce up the room - if you have a D.</p>
<p>The best care package gift I ever got was a balloon animal kit from Wal Mart. My aunt sent it to me and me and my roomates had a blast inflating the ballons and making “animals” out of them. </p>
<p>PS she also sent a water balloon kit which ended up getting me and my normally quiet and reclusive roommate into some rather unscrupulous hi-jinks.</p>
<p>I had to send my daughter her contact lenses, but I also sent some chip clips (one thing we forgot to pack), some skeletons for Halloween from the dollar store, stuffed the package so it wouldn’t rattle around with individually wrapped rice krispie treats. Included a $20 bill and a picture her little sister drew.</p>
<p>Tacky holiday knick-knacks are always fun. For Halloween I sent her a cackling witch, Chanukah was a basket of dreidels with a “dreidel man” stuffed toy. Yesterday I just sent my junior daughter an Edible Arrangement and she was thrilled. Of course that only works if there’s someone to accept it when it arrives - love her new apartment!</p>
<p>I enjoy doing “theme” packages. Last one was “Princess for a Day” - a tiara (actually found it in her room after she left), Disney Princess plastic plate, bowl and utensils (Dollar Store), Cinderella notebook, nail polish, lotion, and “Tangled” fruit snacks. I’ve also done all the holidays - Halloween, Christmas, Mardi Gras, Easter, etc. A couple times a year I do a “Texas” care package, including all the foods she can’t get up North - salsa, queso, pure Cane sugar Dr. Pepper, as well as trinkets that we pick up at the State Fair. Magazines are also welcomed.</p>
<p>We always do cookies. They get shared among friends.</p>
<p>Big hit with a package to share of day-glow bracelets from Oriental Trading (the kind you snap and they work for one night).</p>
<p>During our D’s first semester, she wailed that “all of her friends” were getting care packages. We duly sent off a box packed with her favorite “treats”. She was pleased.</p>
<p>In subsequent semesters, we ordered “nutritious snack foods” to be delivered during exams. Again, she was pleased. (And we felt good about our “care package”.)</p>
<p>I love to go to the dollar store to find silly brain break stuff – bubbles, gum, brain games, room decorations for holidays. I’ve also been known to put a giftcard to Target or Starbucks (she loves tea) in a “no occasion” silly greeting card. I don’t think it really matters WHAT you send them…just that you remembered them on the occasion of “Tuesday!!”</p>
<p>Those are TERRIFIC ideas! I love the suggestion of sharing with friends - I appreciate you getting my head going! So far I sent her birthday balloons, crepe paper, and noisemakers, which she loved - thought if they got a tradition going now they would be treasured on their actual day. LOVE these suggestions - I did notice that the University has some companies that partner with them and the Student Center also has ideas, so those may be good resources too.</p>
<p>The swim team at DD1’s school had a regular fund raiser to deliver gift packages to students during exam weeks.</p>
<p>A stack of Betty and Veronica comic books.</p>
<p>Parent of daughter here who loved beauty stuff. We frequently sent things like nail polish, files, those things that hold your toes apart for a pedicure, quick dry. </p>
<p>I sent her holiday packages almost every year. They included a holiday garland (Big Lots have them for EVERY holiday), holiday socks, a plastic holiday jar filled with candy (to share), and some holiday knick knack. I usually sent a pair of socks for her roommates too. Sometimes I was able to find holiday pajama pants. I almost always tossed in a lip gloss or two. </p>
<p>For her birthday, I sent a “Birthday in a Box”…party hats, candles, microwave cake mix (at one point you could get them and they even included the pan), can of frosting, birthday banner, paper plates, napkins.</p>
<p>What I do is I have a box under my desk…whenever I see something that I think our daughter or son would like, I toss it into the box…when I have a box of “stuff” assembled, I send it (my kids are now college grads).</p>
<p>How about some ideas for a guy? I’m thinking food items (I don’t have to worry much about him gaining weight, he has the opposite problem), some money of a gift card. Not sure what else, as he isn’t into knick-knacks, etc.</p>
<p>for a guy maybe a sports magazine, frisbee, super balls, …</p>
<p>For a guy…quarters for the laundry, still those dollar store brain teasers/practical jokes/magic tricks to share with friends, balls…they’re still big kids, and sometimes need to cut loose and just PLAY. And they do love food…and money ;-)</p>
<p>I’m surprised no one has mentioned fresh fruit. I’ve had three kids now at college and most of what’s offered at the dining halls are boring and tasteless. I’ve enrolled my D in the smallest possible Harry & David Fruit of the Month Club, but they and others such as Fruit Basket have other inexpensive treats.</p>
<p>As well as cookies, chocolates, flavored popcorns etc etc.</p>