Hi,
My daughter, who is 11 yrs old, is at summer camp (overnight) for 2 weeks. What are good items to include in a care package for her? I'm sending a few junk food items (licorice, gum, tic tacs). Any other suggestions? Thanks.
Thanks to everyone for all your great ideas. I've decided to only send a few snacks and send cards, mad libs, address book, light sticks. She already had self-addressed stamps postcards to send to people. Thanks again.
Some glow in the dark bracelets would be fun you could send a tube for the whole cabin and if they do a night time activity they would all have them.
Her favorite snacks and treats. Those little 'sleeves' that you add to water of pink lemonade, flavored teas, I think kool-aid has some, whatever she likes to drink. Disposale cameras. Some summer camps aren't like they used to be, I know many these days have computers, email, etc. If she doesn't have access to a computer w/email or a cell phome to text, then stamped and addressed post cards or envelopes..she can write you a quick note and drop it in outgoing mail. If she doesn't have a cell phone then address book so she can get the contact info for her new camp friends in case they want to stay in contact, address books for her to pass out to her new friends as well. Pictures of the family and pets.
any magazines she is into, maybe some flavored chap stick or lip gloss, some little games like cards or mad libs. I went to camp every year as a kid and just getting a letter was awesome so anything beyond that would have blown me away:)
I try to put notes in their trunks that the will find as they go through them during the weeks they are gone.
Send things she can share - magazines, puzzle books, a deck of cards, a small game even...
Whatever you send will be wonderful! The best part of camp is Mail Call!
YMMV
LBC
HMMM you may want to check camp rules first. I went to a summer camp that would not allow any outside food/candy/gum for one main reason - bugs:) It was always so sad when a person got a package and the whole thing was confiscated.
I do remember that fun stationary or stamp sets to design things were a hot commodity. Markers in fun colors too. Paint pens to decorate her footlocker or anything that allows her to make memories with her cabin mates (pillow case decorating kits, etc.) would be fun. Also, a new funky shirt or fun socks, etc were always a fun mid-term suprise. If your camp has a store, put some more $$ in her store account and let her know by sending a little "gift certificate" notice.
Assorted magazines or books (again if allowed) could be a nice reminder of home.
How fun! Camp is THE best experience.
Write short notes with blanks. ex: I am feeling_________
my favorite activity is________ and maybe 2 or 3 more questions. Pre address envelopes, and provide stamps so she can send them to you. A small note book so she can learn to journal if she wants. Perhaps a small bible. see if she needs to bring her own blanket & pillow. Pens & pencils.
A small amount of money if there is a place to get items. Maybe some family pictures, if this is her first time away and she is a little nervious. If she is allowed to bring 1 book and maybe a cross word/word search if she has any down time.
Hope this helps,
M.
I loved getting junk food. Caramel corn, twizzlers and other items that weren't available at the camp concession. Embroidery floss for friendship bracelets and hair braids was also fun. how about some arts and crafts type of stuff like puffy paints for decorating their skips? music and photos are also great pics.
Our camps never allowed food because of ants, etc... I sent comic books, deck of cards. T-shirts with their favorite bands, tv show, etc... Throw away camera. for a girl cute colorful socks might be nice. They tend to lose socks! Look in the game section in target where they have mini versions of games. Flashlights are fun.
How about those books called "Mad Libs" - see amazon.com. If not those, then how about joke books? Books that she could share with her friends at camp.
On a more sentimental level, how about photos of her family members, pets, living space, yard, etc., that she could share with her new friends at camp? A map that could help her explain to her new friends at camp where she lives so that maybe in the fall, they could come to visit?
For next year, you might want to probe - ask her questions after she gets home about what kind of stuff the other kids get sent from home, and which stuff is the most welcome.
