Everything Fabulous: School Lunch Fun

Soon the kids will be heading back to school. And with them will go school lunches. Whether your child is a lunchroom veteran or a newbie, you can start the lunch period off on the right foot by making it fun. We found some Fabulous school lunch products that will put a smile on your child's face (and hopefully food in their mouths).

Michelle has been searching high and low for the PERFECT lunchbox.  She wanted something that was easy to wash and kept the food organized in nice little containers.  And she found it!  The Lunchbox - made by Oots! is the perfect eco-friendly lunchbox that is made of BPA-free and phthalate-free polypropylene plastic.  We love the "stacked design" that keeps food where it belongs while eliminating the need for plastic bags. $35.00 Cdn

Forget those standard triangle sandwiches in the school lunchbox. How about a sandwich puzzle or a butterfly shaped sandwich? The Lunch Punch trims off the crust without loosing too much actual bread while cutting a shape into your bread and it's thick enough to cut through 2 stacked slices. It's dishwasher safe and safe enough for even a child to use. $16.99 Cdn

More schools are moving toward litterless lunches, bringing home everything that isn't eaten. Replace those non-environmentally friendly sandwich baggies with these reusable sandwich wraps from Wrap-n-Mat . The plastic coating inside makes it easy for clean-up and keeping food fresher longer during the day, while the outside is a nice cotton blend. Fold the flaps to wrap your sandwich and when you unfold them the wrap becomes a placemat for eating on. $9.95 Cdn

You may not be there to give you child a message of love or encourage but a lunchbox note might be the next best thing. Lunchbox Notes from Say Please are credit card sized notes that fit in your child's lunchbox. Each kit includes 10 double-sided cards containing an inspirational message on one side and a little bit of trivia on the back. They're a nice way to start and end a lunch when mom can't be there. Also a great way for beginner readers to practice their skills in a fun way. $3.99 US (available online)

Taking lunch to school in a Goodbyn lunch box is sort of like taking a friend. The box shape is designed like an animal and kids can customize it just for them with the stickers provided. It has a built in handle at the top and the ears make the lid easy enough for a child to open. The inside is designed with 5 sections designed to hold all the things your kids will need at lunch, from sandwich to fruit to crackers to the afternoon snack, plus a reusable drink container with a build-in spot. When the day is done, just toss in the dishwasher to clean-up. $34.99 Cdn

No worries about your child's lunch bag getting lost in the crowd with this fun, brightly coloured bag crafted from eco-sponge. The insolating bag retains the temperature of the food while being tough enough to handle your child's rough and tumble school day. The bag contains two inner pockets and an outer zipper pocket and it's designed to stand-up making it easy to put things in and take them out. No need to worry about clean-up when you can just toss it into the machine to wash. $36.00 Cdn

WIN: Enter to win your own Neoprene-Like Lunch Bag.

Forget those plain, boring, drinking straws for lunch. Inspire your child's creativity with Strawz from Nuop Designs. Each 36-piece kit includes straight pieces at 2 different lengths and well as a variety of connector pieces. After your child makes their own crazy straw design, they can test it on their lunch drink or share their drink with a friend without actually sharing the same drinking end of the straw. Available in blue, lime and pink. $13.00 Cdn.

For the ultimate in customizable lunch containers, Laptop Bento Boxes are the way to go. Each lunch box contains 5 inner compartments (2 large, 1 with a lid; 2 medium containers; 1 small container with lid ideal for dips or dressing). Inner containers fit nicely together in the outer liner but you can pick and choose which elements you want to include in case you need to make room for, say, a banana. All items are dishwasher safe (top rack) and the containers are microwave safe. $29.97 Cdn

Keep things chilled in your child's lunch bag a little longer with these Fun Shape ice packs from Munchkin. These ice pacs can be reused over and over again, just toss them in the freezer the night before for the next day's lunch. Seven different shapes are available: princess tiara, bulldog, soccer ball, flower, truck and basketball.

About the Author Managing Partner and Editor-in-Chief at one of the best social networking and lifestyle sites for moms, EverythingMom.com. Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 8), while building my business, working at EverythingMom.com and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier? Posted by Carrie Anne in School Lunch Ideas on August 03, 2010 More from this author  |  Author Website Follow Carrie Anne on:  |  |  |