<p>I’m looking for suggestions on what to buy for 8 kids going to college in the fall. Our church has 8 laundry baskets one for each kid that is starting college in the fall. We can put a treat or something they will need for their dorm room or studies in the baskets.</p>
<p>Given there are so many I would like to keep it under $15 for each kid…so far someone has put in a waste basket and a first aid kit. Thanks</p>
<p>Energy bars/non-perishable food on the go would be nice-- especially for students who may not have a lunch break every day.</p>
<p>Laundry detergent, school supplies (paper, pens, pencils, highlighters, post-it notes, etc.), Kleenex, those hooks that attach with adhesive so no nails are required (I forget what the brand name is but I think 3M makes some of them), towels and/or washcloths, shower caddy, toothpaste, dental floss, body wash, and snacks with a long shelf life–like Goldfish and granola bars and microwave popcorn. </p>
<p>I don’t know if you’d want to do this for random kids but I send my kids with cold medicine, Advil, Tums, etc. so they can treat themselves if needed.</p>
<p>Assorted sizes of batteries.
Flashlights
Power strips
Emergency sewing kit
Combination locking cables
Book lights
Ear buds</p>
<p>Screwdriver
Toiletries
Lined paper
Ear plugs
Pens/Pencils</p>
<p>Well, I guess the 2 I added didn’t show up:</p>
<p>Earbuds (you can always use more earbuds)
Book lights</p>
<p></p>
<p>How about a cute, (local?) coffee mug filled with Hershey’s Kisses, and a box of hot cocoa mix to go with?</p>
<p>If you have a local-type store, a photo of some kind of a local attraction might be nice. Even a postcard of a nearby lake at sunset–something to remind them of home.</p>
<p>Duct tape
Snacks
Deck of cards
Starbucks gift cards
Command hooks (someone already suggested them–that’s what they’re called)
poster putty–holds posters to cinderblock walls</p>
<p>A flashdrive is a really useful gift, and it’s pretty easy to find relatively inexpensive ones.</p>
<p>Small tool kit, you can find inexpensive ones at most hardware/home supply stores. Good for setting up dorm beds, decorating room, small repairs, etc.</p>
<p>Stapler, power cords, flashlight, umbrella, laundry detergent, BOUNCE</p>
<p>Given that this is for youth from the church, how about a small bible?</p>
<p>One of the most useful things my d took to college was a foot stool
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<p>She is short and used it to help climb into her lofted bed. I threw it in the cart when we were dorm shopping and it was one of our best buys!</p>
<p>sleep mask, room deodorizers (renuzits?), nutella, those thin hangers, barnes and noble gift card (or amazon) to buy textbooks</p>
<p>stapler! At my d’s school many professors require that papers be stapled…and easy thing, but many times not thought of.</p>
<p>The 3M command strips so they can hang posters, hooks etc. Most dorms do not allow any holes to be put into the walls.</p>
<p>Those inexpensive shower flip-flops in basic sizes. My younger son actually went through a few pairs last school year.</p>
<p>This might be a large school/SEC thing but when my daughter was a freshman, the school sponsored different theme parties so the kids could get to know each other. Take a trip to the dollar store for things like Hawaiian leis, sombreros, bandanas, pirate eye patches, nerd glasses, etc.</p>
<p>A Tervis tumbler would probably fall within your budget and can be picked up @ BBB.</p>
<p>I would say snacks as others suggested. Or maybe a Starbucks or Target gift card, so they can buy coffee or odds and ends that they might need.</p>
<p>DDs top ones: umbrella, stapler, tool kit, microfiber cloth, small stepping stool. All mentioned above, but worth repeating.</p>