The printable version of Care Package Ideas to send and the questionnaire for the pen pal to fill out in Word document form.
If you send something individually packed, take it out of the original box and put into a zip lock bag. You don't have to pay for the weight of the box and you can get it to fit into the box you are packing better.
Always use flat rate boxes if you can. Sometimes it is cheaper to send a regular box but the flat rate ones are free from post office and cost $10.95(price increase as of May 12th) to ship regardless of what they weigh. If I am sending something like trail mix I always use them. (If you buy five 1 pound sacks of candy...you have 5 pounds right there.)
Gum will make everything in the box smell like gum...put in zip lock bag.
Soap will do the same.
Chips send best if you buy Pringles.
Small sacks of things like pretzels or cookies that they can put into their pocket and go are a good item to send.
You can get individual brownie and cake mixes that use about 2 teaspoons of water and a microwave. A good way to send chocolate something during summer. Chocolate melts April to September.
Hard candies individually wrapped are good to fill in holes in the box. I like to send Jolly Ranchers.
Instant oatmeal is good during winter.
A lot of them like the power bars or granola bars; cereal bars that have the "milk" in the middle are good too. These fit in between other things really well.
Once you think you have the box full...shake it ...hard...the post offices will when moving so if you "settle" it first you usually can get one or two more things in.
Snack pack puddings are another way to send chocolate but please remember to put in a zip lock bag.
My rule is if it can break open or spill zip lock it.
One thing I always do is pretend I am sending to one of my kids. Very often dollar store shampoo is a lot cheaper but would my child rather have name brand?
Nancy's experience evolved into the suggestion of: Please remember that when you write and send packages to you pen pal that many are working 14 plus hours a day. They do appreciate the mail. One thing I have found helpful is that when I send a package I enclose a self addressed postcard and ask the service person to just drop that card back in the mail to me and that way will acknowledge receipt of the package. I have found it works pretty well. Just keep the mail going to them it really means alot.