This Grandma planned summer camp packages for grandchildren in sleep away camp months ahead. I collected items, created items, boxed them, and was ready to post them in intervals before their parents’ had packed their trunks. I then prepared letters for every other day, and preordered www.greetingcarduniverse.com cards to be automatically posted for the inbetween days. If Grandpa and I were going on a vacation, I printed pictures off the Internet of places we were going to visit, with something about what we were going to see, again for them to receive every day of our trip. I sent postcards while we were gone. I sent packages, cards and postcards to younger siblings at home in day camp so they would not be left out.
My grandchildren tell me they win the award at camp for the most mail every year. My grandchildren told me they used to also win the award for biggest and most packages. I think that I am the single cause of this prohibition against sending packages anymore. Grandpa says because I never had grandparents, I do not realize this is over the top. I call it fun. Over the years, I have written blogs about my finds. A few years ago, after my grandchildren’s camps outlawed packages I had to get clever. I have written blogs about these efforts, too. Here are previous camp posts:
Summer Camp Mail For Those Grandchildren At Sleep Away Camp and Those Not
New Summer Camp Rules for Care Packages Requires Grandma To Plan Ahead and Grandchildren to be More Selective
What is Grandma to Do When Camp no Longer Allows Mailing Packages?
Grandma’s Best Camp Package for 2013. . . .Or Best Anytime Gifts for Grandchildren
Inadvertently, I came upon the absolute best thing to send your grandchildren at camp now that packages are forbidden. The camps publish daily photographs on their website for the parents. The mothers of our grandchildren send Grandpa and me copies of photographs in which our grandchildren appear. For the group pictures, I make enough copies for the entire bunk and counselors or group and send them off for our grandchildren to hand out from beginning to end of camp, trying for at least two a week. The grandchildren love having the photographs during camp and love having enough copies to hand out to their bunkmates, friends and counselors. They hang the photographs in their bunk. Remember, they have no electronics to take and keep photographs, and although they are posing for photographs at camp, they do not get to see them.
This is so easy to do. Shutterfly allows you to upload photographs and order them on line. So does Walgreens and you can pick the photographs up at your nearest Walgreens. Shutterfly has the option of pickup at CVS and Walgreens close to you instead of the delay in receiving the photos by mail. Retailmenot.com always has discount coupons, and so do the websites themselves.
Of course, I pick the photographs up and send them out immediately. I still make extra copies for the grandchildren’s annual photo album of their year as things get lost at camp. I do this for the grandchildren in day camp too.
The photographs fit into a regular size envelope. No package here. Postage is greater when you are sending fourteen photographs so one stamp will not do.
My grandchildren tell me this is my absolute best idea for mail to send them at summer camp. I cannot help myself and continue to send them lots of other mail too. I guess they will win the award for most camp mail again this summer.
Joy,
Mema
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