Summer Care Packages

Ah, summer. School ends, and grandchildren race off to vacation, hop a bus to camp, start a summer job, or prep for college. Want to help them enjoy the season with practical or even wacky gifts? Assemble and ship one of these care packages. Each will bring a smile to grandchildren's faces, no matter what their summer plans involve.

Send kids an outfit made up of a red hat, white shirt, and blue shorts; a stars-and-stripes bathing suit and flip-flops; or a tie-dye T-shirt kit so they can create their own style. A set of water guns or a Velcro ball-toss game will add to the festive atmosphere. Young readers will soak up the adventures of Bethany Roberts's Fourth of July Mice (Clarion Books, 2004) between baseball games and fireworks shows, while older siblings will enjoy Barry Denenberg's The Journal of William Thomas Emerson, a Revolutionary War Patriot (Scholastic, 1998), the first-person narrative of a 12-year-old growing up in tumultuous 1774 Boston.

A do-it-yourself s'mores kit is a surefire way to turn a homesick grandchild into a happy camper: Pack graham crackers, marshmallows, and a few megabars of chocolate, and your youngster will instantly be the coolest kid in the cabin. Shadow puppets make scary nights fun, and a book like The Art of Hand Shadows (Dover, 2002) can show a young puppeteer the tricks of the trade. (Pack it with a sturdy flashlight — a useful camp tool in its own right — and spare batteries.) And Summer Camp Mad-Libs (Price Stern Sloan, 2005) are always fun after lights out. Cool PJs, a jump rope, a deck of cards, or water balloons could round out your package. You can even include some pre-stamped postcards so the kids can correspond with you during the long weeks away.

A first summer job is a big step for a teen, deserving of a care package. Tailor your choices to the type of job they're starting — polo shirts for a desk jockey, or sturdy boots and work gloves for a teen who'll be toiling in a park. Or help the new employee get up in the morning with a puzzle alarm clock — when the alarm goes off, four puzzle pieces flip into the air, and the buzzer won't stop until the riser puts them back together! A good watch is another option — there's no excuse for being late. Do they need a subway or bus pass to get to work? These aren't the most exciting gifts — but they'll be appreciated. Similarly, coupons for a favorite local pizza place or diner will help working boys or girls recharge on their lunch breaks.

A package for your favorite freshmen could include funky accessories to personalize their dorm rooms — lava lamps and bean-bag chairs are always popular, and a collapsible laundry hamper is an easy-to-ship essential. A gift certificate for Urban Outfitters could help underclassmen finish their furnishing. Students also need robes for trudging down the hall to the showers. Show your tech-savvy students that you're with the times by sending compact laptop lamps that plug right into USB ports and let them work on papers (or Facebook pages) while roommates doze. Many restaurants offer gift cards — a sure way to save kids money and guarantee a few decent meals. And will they travel home for the holidays? Add a voucher for airfare to the care package. It's a gift that will last for miles and miles.