Thanksgiving Care Package Ideas For College Students
Whether your college student will be home for Thanksgiving or not, they will appreciate a festive Thanksgiving Care Package to kick off the Holiday Season!
We showed you How To Send College Care Packages The Smart Way and now we’re ready to share Printables and Ideas for a Thanksgiving Care Package!
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Supplies
- Printer
- Card Stock
- Adhesive Applicator
- Thanksgiving Box Printables – found below
- 1/8″ Hole Punch
- Jute – for Gobble Banner
- Scissors
- Box with 3-1/2″ or 5″ box flaps
- Click-N-Ship Single Labels
- Scale
- Stuff to put in your Thanksgiving Care Package – ideas listed below
What To Put In A Thanksgiving Care Package
It was fun to figure out what to put in my daughter’s Thanksgiving Box. You can send variations of a Thanksgiving meal without dry ice and lightning-speed shipping! Listed below are ideas to get your creative juices flowing. These are the things I sent to my college freshman.
- Turkey Jerky – Because it isn’t Thanksgiving without the turkey unless you’re a vegetarian like me, then it is Thanksgiving without the turkey.
- Microwavable Mashed Potatoes – I might have bought three of these because they just sound so good! Plus, it’s perfect for your college kid to make in their microwave.
- Turkey Gravy – Because you can’t have mashed potatoes without gravy unless you’re the aforementioned vegetarian.
- Craisins – Cranberries seem to be a thing at Thanksgiving so dried cranberries are a perfect fit.
- Sparkling Cider – Special occasions are the time for Sparkling Cider! Just be sure to wrap it well with bubble wrap.
- Trail Mix – Individual Packs – A little trail mix snack is perfect for a Thanksgiving care package!
- Pumpkin Fig Bars – A fun breakfast or snack idea for your college student to enjoy before heading off to class!
- Thanksgiving Word Search – There’s something about a word search or crossword puzzle that draws you to it! Add this free Thanksgiving word search to a Thanksgiving box to give your college student a festive activity to do. There is a Thanksgiving Activity Sheet included in the Thanksgiving Care Package Printables found below.
- Thanksgiving Coloring Page – My college freshman asked for coloring pages to help her de-stress. I’m all about helping her to have less stress so I’m including a Thanksgiving Coloring Page in her box (included in the Thanksgiving printables pack, found below).
- Thanksgiving Note – One thing my daughter suggested for an Advent Calendar was a handwritten note! That made me realize we should write a little something in each care package we send and I made a printable to write it on (included in the Thanksgiving printables pack, found below). You could also download one of these Printable Thanksgiving Cards to write a little message in.
- Thanksgiving Popcorn – Microwave popcorn is a fast and easy snack for college students! They like popcorn, too! Use this Thanksgiving microwave popcorn tag to transform a regular snack into a festive experience (included in the Thanksgiving printables pack, found below).
- Pumpkin Decor – You could include a mini pumpkin you purchase from the store, a homemade Sweater Pumpkin, or even a small 4 X 4 Pumpkin.
How To Use The Thanksgiving Box Printables
- Print the Thanksgiving Care Package Printables on card stock. There are 2 options for box décor – 1 for large 5″ box flaps and 1 for small 3-1/2″ box flaps.
- Cut the Thanksgiving Care Package box décor.
- Punch two holes at the top of each banner flag and thread jute or yarn through them to create a gobble banner.
- Use an adhesive applicator to adhere the box décor to the inside flaps of your box.
- Place the Thanksgiving Coloring Page, Thanksgiving Activity Sheet, and the Turkey in the bottom of your box.
- Attach Thanksgiving Popcorn Tags to microwave popcorn, using jute.
- Fill your Thanksgiving Care Package with everything that makes you think Thanksgiving. Make sure it is packed well so items don’t shift.
- Write a note on the Happy Thanksgiving Note and place it in your box.
- Seal and send your Thanksgiving Care Package to your student to make their day!
You now have a festive Thanksgiving Care Package to send to your college student. They can even remove the printables from the box and use them to decorate their dorm room!
I told my daughter I was working on a Thanksgiving Care Package in hopes the anticipation of it would put a smile on her face and something to look forward to! She asked if there would be a turkey in it. Little does she know.
The ideas for College Care Packages are amazing. Some even wrap the inside of the box. Totally cool!
Frequently Asked Questions
Hi! I’m Bridget!
I create printables and DIYs to help you get organized and celebrate special occasions! It’s my mission to inspire you to get creative and find joy in the everyday!
