How to Send a Care Package
14 August 2025 | Editor's Pick | Most Popular | Packaging Guides | Tips and Guides
Author: Parcel2Go.com
This guide will give you all of the tips for sending the perfect care package, to university students or anyone that might be in need.
What Is a Care Package?
A care package is a great opportunity to show love and consideration from a distance. Whether you’re missing a friend from afar, or feeling disconnected from your child at university, a care package is a thoughtful gift for anyone. They’re often filled with the receivers favourite snacks, necessities they might be missing out on, and usually something fun too!
What is a Uni Care Package?
A uni care package is designed specifically for students that are living away from home during their studies. This might be something that you send up with them when they first move, but they can also be a great gift to send at the start of a new term, during exam season, or just to show you care when you’ve been apart for a while!
What Should I Send in a Care Package?
It can be hard to know exactly what to get for your student, so we’ve put together a few care package ideas to help you get started.
The Essentials
Starting fresh at university means that you don’t have the household-essentials that you’re used to, and sometimes those things can be the most expensive! One of the best ways to help your student get on their feet is to send up a few necessities.
These could be:
Non-perishable food
Cleaning items (as allowed by your chosen courier)
Hair bobbles and pins – we all know how often these go missing…
… And on the topic of things that go missing - socks!
No Place Like Home
It’s not uncommon to feel a little homesick at uni. Sometimes you want your family, home-friends, pets, or even just the bedroom you used to sleep in! There’s not a lot that can be done about these feelings, but there are a few things to include in a care package to remind your student of home.
These could be:
A family photo
Pyjamas that match the rest of the family
Something homemade – everyone loves brownies in a jar!
A recipe book with all of their favourite meals from home
Nights In
Sure, some of the best parts of uni are the nights out – bars, clubs and social events – but sometimes all you really need is a cosy night in. Students often don’t prepare for those times when they just need to cuddle under a blanket and watch a good film! So when you’re putting together your student’s care package, it’s important to think about those nights too.
Here are things you could include:
A cosy blanket
Microwave popcorn/non-perishable sweets and snacks
Face masks
Many student homes don’t allow candles, so we recommend including a diffuser to achieve that same calming feel!
Books
From Family to Friends
Moving to university means making new friends, and one of the best way to help your student settle is to give them the tools to connect with the new people in their lives!
Here are a few things you could pop into your care package:
Board games – these offer a great opportunity for your student to bond with their flatmates and new friends over a fun night in!
Craft kit – this is something your student and their friends can do together, anything from making bookmarks to friendship bracelets!
A checklist of things to do around their new city
Sending to International Students
The distance to another city is one thing, but at Parcel2Go we appreciate that some students will be moving a lot further than across the country. Luckily, we’ve still got plenty of easy and affordable ways for you to ship a care package to your international student. They might be far from home, but we can deliver a piece of home in a little cardboard box!
Checkout our International Shipping page to get a quote for your parcel.
We’ve even written some helpful guides for shipping to specific countries, like the USA or Spain!
How Do I Send a Care Package?
So you’ve picked out your items, got your student’s address and you’re feeling ready to get this care package sent. What comes next? We’ve put together a few tips for safe packaging and cheap shipping.
Shipping and Cost
At Parcel2Go we can offer exclusively low prices to make shipping your care package a stress-free experience. With costs starting as low as £5.40 exc. VAT, you can get a quick quote to know exactly how much you’ll need to spend!
Packaging Tips
There are a few things to consider when packaging your care package. Our couriers will take great care with your parcel, but there are always extra measures you can take to keep your items safe:
Choose a sturdy box, like a corrugated cardboard box
Pick a box that is slightly larger than your items, this way you can fill the gaps with packing materials to keep things safe
Use a packing material like bubble wrap or packing paper – stuff this between and around your items to prevent anything from moving around and breaking
Make sure to secure your parcel with strong packing tape – don’t forget to tape the sides and the bottom!
And, for a personal touch, you could wrap a few of your more sentimental items in nice wrapping paper – you could even include a note!
For more information, you can check out our advice on how to send a parcel!
Prohibited Items
Each courier and each country will have their own list of prohibited items, and you can check these items here! Simply enter the country you’re sending to, and the courier service you’ve chosen, and our website will return the information you need.
Other Uses for a Care Package
So you’ve sent your first care package, maybe you loved putting it together so much that you’re looking for a chance to send another!
As it turns out, there might be a lot more people in your life that could benefit from a care package than you’d realised:
New parents
The best way to help a new parent isn’t always clear, especially because each parent, and each child, is different! One thing you can do is send a care package with the essentials – diapers, parent’s favourite snack, a cuddly toy to keep the little one occupied. There’s an endless list of things that a new parent might wish they could have, but make sure you double check with them first!
Small Business
There are plenty of small businesses on marketplaces such as Etsy that specialise in care packages. If you enjoyed putting yours together, and you’re looking for a new gig, or just something to make a little extra cash, making your own online shop can be a great opportunity. Parcel2Go has so many tools to make the shipping side easy, such as our Smart Send service, so all you have to think about is designing the perfect care package!
Friend in Need
Often, one of the best uses for a care package is simply for someone in need. If someone in your life is ill, or going through a hard time, a care package can be a nice way to show them support. Include things like their favourite non-perishable snacks and something to cheer them up. If they’re feeling ill you can pop in a hot water bottle and some cosy slippers – there are plenty of things that someone in need would appreciate, and a care package is a great way to reach them!