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It can be a drag to provide packed lunches that:
- you feel good about,
- your kidswill actually eat, and
- you have time to prepare.
Read below for a few tricks that our crew uses to make sack lunches a bit less daunting. After all, figuring out how to avoid a mealtime battleground is a problem that all parents have faced at one time or another.
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Love Notes
Tucking a love note in your kiddo’s lunchbox can be as simple as a message scrawled on a napkin. However, taking it up a notch is simple thanks to free printable lunchbox notes or jokes available online. Older kids might enjoy a Sudoku puzzle along with a little pencil.
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Sandwich Surprises
Cookie cutters are my go to tool for getting my little guy to eat. “You don’t like sandwiches today? How about a Batman sandwich?” Works like a charm. Keep a few of your child’s favorite characters on hand to make lunch options more exciting.
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Butterfly Lunch BaggieTurn a clothespin into a butterfly clip for sandwich baggies. The clip can be used again and again in lunchboxes to separate little snacks.
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Fruity FacesBananas and oranges are terrific mediums for making funny faces. With a sharpie or some stickers, you can make a silly face that is sure to elicit lunch-table giggles.
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Food Face PlacematI saw a “face plate” for sale, intended to encourage kids to play with and then gobble up their food. I instantly wanted to buy it for my picky eater, but the frugal mom in me decided I could make a placemat with the same impact. After you draw a silly face on blank paper, take it to a copy store to have it laminated. You can even scale the placemat to fit inside a lunchbox.
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Next: Giving BackSetting up a piggy bank that teaches kids how to save, spend and donate money is one small way to illustrate the idea of giving back. But making the world a brighter place doesn’t need to cost a penny. Stay tuned for a list of ideas for kids with big hearts to get involved in their community.
