Gift packages have been banned at most sleep away camps. For crazy grandmothers, all that did was make us try to find ways to circumvent the restrictions. And, there are. Here are Grandma’s best four tips:
GIFTS AND PACKAGES IN THE CAMPER’S BACKPACK TO CAMP OR GIVE THEM TO PARENTS FOR VISITING DAY
My grandchildren are with me. They want candy and gifts for camp. They were the ones who came up with this idea. There are two times when camps do not inspect what the campers have: the backpacks they come with and visiting day. My grandchildren and I loaded up with candy, snacks, small games and toys and we put them in a separate smaller day pack within their backpacks.
Before their parents go up for visiting day weekend, this Grandma will load up on more candy and items for their parents to bring to them from their grandparents on visiting day.
SEND A 4 X 6 PHOTO ALBUM WITH THEM TO CAMP AND SEND PHOTOS OF THEM AT CAMP TO PUT IN THE ALBUM
Before our granddaughter went to camp, she wanted a 4 X 6 photo album that held 100 pictures. Before camp, we went to CVS and she taught me that you can download photos in your I Phone and make immediate copies. We made photos of her family, of our trip to Israel with her, and of her home friends, which she put in the album, on which she printed in marker: “CAMP 2019.”
She reminded me to send her photos the camp posts on their website. Every camp posts daily photos of the campers. The best camps do facial recognition and identify your camper. Our granddaughter’s camp does. Our grandson’s camp does not. Then you need a great mother of your grandchild who identifies your grandchild from the hundreds of photos posted each day of camp. If you hold the picture on your tablet, you can save it in images, and then make copies at the drug store to put in envelopes to send to your camper. PopPop put the envelope on the scale, and found that about 11 photos with a sticky note is a 70 cent stamp.
Best extra tip: When your camper is in a photo with his or her best camp friend, send two copies of the photo, one of the camper and one of the best friend for the camper to share.
SPORTS SERIES CARDS
Our grandchildren love to receive packs of sports series cards. Our granddaughter’s favorite are basketball cards. Our grandson’s favorite are hockey cards. They are the best size to put in a regular envelope with a sticky note. Three packs and a sticky note is a 70 cent stamp.
Best of all, this is no work for the grandparent. My grandson went on Amazon and picked his 2018-19 Upper Deck Hockey Cards Series Two. I would have never known which to get him but it was a win-win with him picking the ones he wants and giving me a gift that will get through the camp inspectors.
GREETING CARD UNIVERSE
This Grandma found the website for Greeting Card Universe that has literally dozens and dozens of camp greeting cards to send campers.
There are new varieties each year. The beauty of these cards is
(1) you can personalize the cards with the camper’s name.
(2) you can write letters right on the card.
(3) you can pick a date to mail the card to the camper. I had the cards mailed every other day.
(4) you can do as many as you want in one sitting and get this work done at one time.
(5) you can have the cards mailed directly to the camper, so no stamp cost or mailing effort.
(6) THERE ARE DISCOUNT CODES WHERE YOU CAN GET BATCHES OF CARDS FOR CHEAPER THAN BUYING THEM IN A STORE AND MAILING THEM YOURSELF. Check out this Grandma’s favorite website of discount codes for everything:
(7) Do not limit yourself to only camp cards. I send Fourth of July cards, I Miss You cards, Thinking of you cards. Be creative. Also. Perfect if your camper has a birthday while at camp.
THE SNEAKIEST TIP OF THEM ALL
I wish I could take credit for this. My granddaughter thought of it. There are hollow secret compartments inside certain books that people use as safes on their library shelf. The inside is just the right size for a package of candy. My granddaughter picked a 6 ounce package of her favorite Air Heads Strips that fit perfectly inside such a book that looks really realistic. After all, kids at camp have reading they must do. Check out “Alice in Wonderland Safe – Secret Compartment Inside Look-Alike Alice in Wonderland Book (Includes Keys) – Book Safe,” which we thought was the best as it was the most realistic with real outside pages. Buy at Amazon:
PopPop sent it book rate which takes 6 days and costs about $3. It has not arrived in camp yet, so we do not know if it will make it past camp inspectors. Yes, this is more money than the candy inside, but for a soon to be teen, it will come in handy when she gets home to stash items in her room on her own book shelf. And, we have it again for sleep away camp next year!
It just takes a little ingenuity to figure out how to make your grandchildren sleep away campers happy. It is as much fun figuring out the plans and buying everything together as their receiving the secret items. The best is that the ideas will mostly come from them!
Joy,
Mema
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