With so many care package themes and ideas to send to the troops, I thought it would be nice to put them in one place for easy access.Take a look around, use the ideas to bring a smile to those who are deployed.( These ideas were compiled with the help of others at AdoptAPlatoon. Thank Everyone! )

(To your right) This is a care package cake I made for a cake show dedicated to those deployed and their families. Everything you see is edible, even the flashlight.

We are always looking for new ideas to fill the care packages, so if you know of a theme or something to add to the list, please e-mail me.

Something that has been suggested,when you send toiletries especially soaps and other strong scented items, send them seperately. Foods may pick up the scent and taste horrible.

A much requested item is insoles for their boots, being on their feet all day these will help those tired feet. :)

For Fun and Entertainment Batteries (AA, AAA, C), Blank Greeting Cards (for Soldiers to send home), Books, Magazines (Please see disallowed items list), Card games (Uno, Skip-bo, etc.), Colored pencils, Crossword Puzzle Books, Decks of cards, Dice, Disposable Cameras, DVD/CD cases with zippers, Bandannas, DVD’s and VHS Movies, Electronic hand held games (poker, blackjack, etc.), Flashlight with a red lens, Frisbee, Envelopes, Global phone cards (pre-paid), Hackie Sacks, Hand-held games, Jigsaw Puzzle Books, ,Jokes & comics, Journals, Jump ropes, Mini-fans, Music CDs, Nerf toys (small footballs, basketball, etc.), Paper / Stationary, Pencils (mechanical), Pens (Black ink only), Pocket size notebook ,Slinky’s, Softballs, Squirt guns, Travel games, Word Search Books, Wrap Around Sunglasses (Blaster Shield Style), Yo-yo’s, you could also use newspaper for packing material that way they could read it afterwards.

Food and Snack ItemsCrystal Lite Drink Mixes (Just add water) Beef Jerky, Beef Summer Sausage, Breakfast Cereal – Individual sizes, Cereal bars, Instant Cup of Soup (Just add Water), Cheese and Crackers, Chex Mix / Snack Mix, Instant coffee (various flavors), Chocolate, Coffee Singles (like a tea bag), Coffee-mate Non-Dairy Creamer (powder), Condiments (Fast food restaurant type packets), Cookies, Equal (packets), Fruit Cocktail / Applesauce Snack Packs, Gatorade (presweetened, powder), Granola Bars, Gum, Hard Candy, Hickory Farms Beef Stick, Homemade cookies / baked goods, Hostess Snack Cakes, Hot cocoa / Hot chocolate (Just add water), Hunt’s Snack Pack Puddings, Individually Wrapped Snack Items, Instant Grits (Just add water), Instant Oatmeal (Just add water), Jell-O Snack Packs, Kool-aid (presweetened, powder), Kraft Handi Snacks, ,Lemonade Mix (presweetened, just add water),Life Savers / Certs / Tic Tac’s, Little Debbie Snack Cakes / Treats, Malted Milk Mixes (Just add water), Maruchan Instant Lunch – Cup of soup/noodles, Milk & Cereal bars, Nacho dip, Peanut Butter and Crackers, Pop tarts / Pop tart sticks, Power bars, Pretzels (Regular, Yogurt dipped, etc.), Pringles snack size packs, Rice Krispies Treats, Salt / Pepper packets, Snack Crackers (Wheat thins, Ritz), Snack Size Chip Varieties, Sugar (packets), Tea Bags, Trail Mix, Tuna Snack Kits, Velveeta