If you have a friend or family member serving overseas during the holiday season, it's the perfect time to prepare a Christmas care package to brighten their spirits. It's also a chance to bring friends and family together — pooling items into one box your service member can share with the people around them.
We put this list together with input from the MotherProud community — moms who've packed these boxes themselves, year after year. Below are 15 tried-and-true gifts to send your service member for Christmas.
1. Christmas Candy
Particularly chocolate, since it travels well this time of year and holds up fine in transit.
2. Baked Goods
Send cookies and bars — they're more resilient in transit than a full cake.
3. Individual Drink Mix
Makes lukewarm water more bearable for service members stationed far from home. Individual packets are easy to carry while on duty.
4. Beef Jerky
A high-protein snack that's popular among service members, especially out on patrol.
5. Nuts
A nutritious, protein-rich snack that holds up well in a shipped box.
6. Individual Snacks
Consider your service member's own preferences, but protein bars, granola, and small pop-top fruit cans are generally well received.
7. Handwritten Cards and Letters
Encourage friends and family to write short, heartfelt notes. Handmade cards from kids add a special touch no store-bought item can match.
8. Digital Gift Cards
iTunes/Apple, Google Play, or Amazon gift cards give your service member access to music, audiobooks, shows, and movies during downtime — and they take up zero space in the box.
9. Pictures
Digital photos can be emailed, but a physical picture they can hold in their hand means something different when they're stationed far from home during the holidays.
10. Socks
For service members in combat uniforms, durable socks in black, brown, or dark green are always appreciated.
11. Batteries
A constant need for powering everyday gear. One thing to check first: standard alkaline batteries ship fine, but loose lithium batteries have shipping restrictions through USPS — see our guide on what not to send before you pack them.
12. Toiletries
Travel-sized soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and the like. Double-bag these in zip-top plastic if they're shipping alongside food, to prevent cross-contamination.
13. Wet Wipes
Versatile and useful for more purposes than you'd expect during deployment.
14. Playing Cards and Frisbees
Simple ways to fight boredom on base.
15. Books, Magazines, and Puzzle Books
Something to read and something to do during off-duty hours goes a long way.
Don't Forget to Pack a Little Pride, Too
Alongside the snacks and the socks, a lot of MotherProud moms tuck in something that says who's thinking of them — a keepsake ornament, a photo mug, or a small military-mom keepsake the whole family chipped in on. It doesn't take up much room, and it's often the thing they keep long after the candy is gone.
Planning Ahead? A Few More Guides That Might Help
- How to Send a Military Care Package — APO/FPO addressing, shipping deadlines, and packing tips so your box actually arrives before Christmas.
- What Not to Send in a Military Care Package — the restricted and risky items worth checking before you pack.
- Care Package Shipping Calculator — estimate cost and delivery time before you head to the post office.
These items are frequently collected and shipped by MotherProud moms every year. Add your own personal touches, and let us know in the comments what you'd include on this list.