Kids are heading back to school soon, so moms everywhere are trying to come up with creative lunch ideas for kids because let’s be honest packing a lunch from home is way cheaper than having them buy it every day. Make school lunch fun for kids with these fun ideas to spice up the brown bag lunch.
Make School Lunches Fun with these Great Finds for Lunch Boxes
Bento-Style Lunch Box
I love this lunch box by Boon with an optional segmented insert and reusable ice pack. It’s perfect for the snack lover who’d forgo a PB&J in favor of a feast of finger foods. The stretchy silicone exterior also allows you to secure silverware, a napkin, or even a fun note.
Ice Pop Molds (for Smoothies!)
Nopro makes silicone ice pop molds that are perfect for smoothies. I recommend making a batch, freezing them, and pulling one out of the freezer the morning of; they’re thawed perfectly by lunch time and will still be nice and cold.
Major bonus: these are dishwasher safe and BPA-free.
Chocolate Banana Smoothies are a surefire way to give your kids a tasty treat that has fruits and vegetables.
Sandwich and Veggie Cutters
Everything is cuter in miniature, and cutting fruits, veggies, and sandwiches into whimsical shapes – from bunnies and dinosaurs to trains and stars – will make any lunch a bit more fun. Go Fresh offers this 20-piece set that’ll get your creative juices flowing.
Additional reading: More School Lunch Recipes!
Hot/Cold Thermos
Multipurpose items tend to give you the best bang for your buck, which makes a thermos a must-have item for school lunches from home. This version, FOOGO by THERMOS, is great for foods and drinks. Designed with food safety in mind, it keeps warm items warm for five hours and cold ones cold for seven.
From spaghetti to macaroni and cheese, soups/stews, chicken nuggets, mini corn dogs, Frito chili pie (my oldest daughter’s favorite), quesadillas, pasta salad, yogurt with granola… the sky’s the limit.
Silicone Cupcake Liners
Reusable cupcake liners are another great way to up your school lunch game. I put these in a plastic, square food storage container (like Ziploc’s) to create a customizable segmented container. The liners reach to the top of the lid, so they’re ideal for holding things like almonds, grape tomatoes, cubes of cheese, and chopped veggies. Sauces and dips are a no-go with this setup, but otherwise, the possibilities are endless.
There you have it! 5 ways to make school lunch more fun for kids! What do you do to make lunches fun? Share in the comments!