Nothing can brighten a kid’s day more than a fun and yummy lunch, packed with love by Mom or Dad! We have gathered the best kids lunch box ideas for school, made from simple ingredients you probably already have in the fridge and pantry.

Kids will be excited to help you pack their lunch once they see the cookie cutters and kabob skewers, too!

Get creative together and make memories while creating delicious and nutritious lunches. From fresh and crispy veggie and fruit shapes, to fancy cheese and fruit kabobs, and mini chocolate chip cookies! 

You might even want to pack one of these tasty and healthy lunches for yourself! 

Add some fun to the school day with quirky lunchbox ideas that kids love!

Non-Sandwich Lunch Box Ideas

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Break that sandwich rut and treat your kids to something different!

There are so many fun and healthy options that aren’t sandwiches, if you find your kids are getting sick of them, and half the sandwich comes home in their lunch box–ugh!

• Make pita sandwiches, or pack cut up pieces of pita with hummus and veggies.
• Use either flour tortillas or iceberg lettuce to make yummy wraps with cheese, veggies, and meat.
• Fill a small container with taco dip and send along a baggie full of corn chips.
• No child will turn their nose up at leftover pizza!
• Make a delicious salad from their favorite fruits and veggies. 
• Make a charcuterie themed lunch box, with their favorite deli meats, rolled up, along with cheese, olives, crackers, and veggies. Better yet, make this one for yourself! {giggle} 
• Fill a small thermos with soup, and pack goldfish crackers on the side! 

Lunch Packing Essentials

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Packing your kid’s lunch doesn’t have to be a chore! Here are some of our favorite lunch prep tools and supplies to get the job done the fun way! 

• Bento boxes are a MUST! I love the little compartments, and how they keep the different food separated. This is super helpful for picky eaters!
• I use silicone baking cups to hold anything from crackers to berries inside the lunch box compartments. Not only does it add a pop of color and whimsy, it helps hold all those little pieces in place!
• Hydro flask bottles have been all the rage the past couple of years for a reason! They truly keep beverages cold and refreshing, AND you can put stickers on them to decorate and help your kids keep track of their own bottle so it doesn’t get mixed up with someone else’s!
• Hydro flask also makes cute lunch boxes! 
• I love these planet box lunch boxes! They are extremely well made stainless steel bento boxes that come with adorable cloth bags, and silicon storage containers that fit inside of the compartments. They come in all different sizes, too! 
• How cute is this lunchbox notes/ jokes book? it is full of notes and jokes you can tear out of the book and pack in your kiddo’s lunches as a fun surprise!
• Don’t forget a cute little thermos for soup and hot chocolate! It will keep them toasty all fall and winter long!
• Stock up on mini cookie cutters to cut veggies, cheese, and fruit into fun shapes!

Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School Lunch Boxes for Kids 

These Lunch Box Ideas: 

• Serves: 3

• Prep Time: 15 minutes

Use a cookie cutter to cut bread and meat into a pretty flower, and then add fruit and cheese kabobs, grapes, pretzels, cheese (shaped with a mini cookie cutter), cookies, and fresh veggies for a yummy lunch box option!

Ingredients: Lunch Box Ideas – Box #1

• Sandwich with Lunch Meat
• Kabobs with strawberries and cheese 
• Cheese
• Cucumbers
• Baby carrots
• Pretzels
• Mini chocolate chip cookies

Kids will LOVE this fun lunchbox complete with flower-shaped PB&J, gummy worms, sandwich cookies, pretzels, animal crackers, string cheese, fruit and cheese kabobs, and peanut butter Ritz sandwich crackers.

Ingredients: Lunch Box Ideas – Box #2

• Sandwich with peanut butter and jelly
• String cheese
• Kabobs with strawberries, cheese and grapes
• Granola bar 
• Circus animal crackers
• Pretzels
• Mini crackers with cheese 
• Gummy Worms

Looking for a healthier lunch box idea? Roll lunch meat, cut cheese with a fun mini cookie cutter, and then add some sliced fruit and veggies, and a hardboiled egg (that you cut into slices for safety).

Ingredients: Lunch Box Ideas – Box #3

• Lunch meat
• Baby carrots
• Cucumbers 
• Clementines
• Hard boiled egg
• Banana
• Cheese 

Instructions – Lunch Box Ideas For Kids 

These lunch box ideas for kids are SO easy that they can help make their own lunch! It’s a great way to take a little bit off of your own To-Do list, while spending time with them, and teaching them all about responsibility, planning, and cooking! 

Cut cheese with mini cookie cutters.

Step 1

First, cut cheese with mini cookie cutters.

Use full size cookie cutters to shape sandwiches into fun patterns and designs.

Step 2

Next, cut bread for sandwiches with cookie cutters. 

Roll lunch meat–not only does it look fancy, it takes up less room!

Step 3

Then, roll lunch meat.

Have your kids help with threading the fruit and cheese onto kabob sticks so they can practice working with patterns!

Step 4

Thread fruit and cheese on straws for kabobs.

Save time–wash and pre-slice your fruits and veggies after you do your grocery shopping!

Step 5

Finally, cut fruit and vegetables–and you’re finished! 

Kids will be so excited to open their lunch box every day to see what surprises await– and you can rest assured, knowing they are eating a healthy, balanced lunch that will keep their interest!

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Back To School Recipes, Tips, & Activities

• There is SO much white noise when it comes to what kids actually need for a successful school year. Check out our must-have back to school essentials guide!
• Good to know! Here’s why teachers are asking parents to get 16 count Crayola crayons instead of the 24 count…
• Kids are ravenous when they get off the bus! Be prepared with 5 easy back to school afternoon snack ideas!
• Label those supplies with a DIY back to school backpack tag. It only takes 5 minutes!
• Charge your phone and camera the night before they start school so that you can try 15 creative and cute ideas for adorable first day of school pictures!

Which lunch box idea for kids are you going to try first?!