How to Pack Your Child's School Lunchbox and Make it Fun

The same old sandwich in the same old lunchbox can become boring for any child. So how do you make it interesting? I have some ideas that I think will help keep their lunchbox from becoming boring.

When my eldest was in early elementary I used to include simple word searches, funny jokes, and comic strips in her lunch box. I now do this with my second and they both loved this idea. It keeps them entertained while still allowing them to eat their lunch. By including these items it transforms your child's lunchbox from ordinary to extraordinary with little effort or time. If your child loves riddles you can include one for them to read and think about and save the answer for when they get home from school.

Plastic sandwich bags aren't very economical and aren't good for the environment. This can give you the excuse to buy or create interesting and fun containers for your child's sandwiches, soups, and snacks. Ordinary containers may do the job but they can be boring. You can easily find fun character or colorful containers at specialty stores that will do the job just fine. While they may cost a little more than ordinary containers they help make lunchtime fun for your child. When it is close to the holidays you will usually find holiday themed containers for sale that would make for fun containers for your child's school lunchbox.

Assembling your child's lunch may seem like a chore to you but it can be fun for them. Letting them help you pack and prepare their school lunch box can make the lunch appear more appetizing. You can also pack a lunch that allows them to assemble before eating. Homemade lunchables can be made with crackers, sandwich meat, and cheese and makes for a fun lunch. Or you can include a hot dog bun, hot dog, and condiment packets in their lunch box for them to assemble and eat at lunch. Or what about a celery stick with peanut butter and a small box of raisins to create their own ants on a log? You can even include salad mix, a small container of dressing, a small container of croutons, and a container of vegetable and protein toppers. Sliced boiled eggs, cubes of ham or chicken, and strips of steak make great choices for filling toppers for their lunchbox salad.

When packing a fun lunch for your child let them have some input into what goes into their lunchbox. This helps avoid argument and food waste and makes the child feel like they have some control over what they eat.