We have gathered the best kids lunch box ideas for school made from simple ingredients that you probably already have in the fridge and pantry. Kids will be excited to help you pack their bento style lunch once they see the cookie cutters and kabob skewers, too! Get creative together and make memories while creating delicious and nutritious lunchbox lunches. From fresh and crispy veggie and fruit shapes, to fancy cheese and fruit kabobs, and mini chocolate chip cookies! 

Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School - several bento lunch boxes shown filled with brightly colored healthy food for school lunchboxes
Let’s make a healthy lunch box lunch together!

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Non-Sandwich Lunch Box Ideas

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

Related: Add lunch box notes for fun and Homemade Frushi Rolls: Fresh Fruit Sushi Recipe Kids Love

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

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!

Related: Looking for cute lunch boxes?

Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas for School Lunch Boxes

These Lunch Box Ideas

  • Serves: 3
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Lunch Box Idea #1 - Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School
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
Lunch Box Idea #2 - Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School
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
Sandwich with peanut butter and jelly String cheese Kabobs with strawberries, cheese and grapes Granola bar  Circus animal crackers Pretzels Mini Lunch Box #3 - Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School
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 for 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! 

Step 1 - lunch box instructions
Cut cheese with mini cookie cutters.

Step 1

First, cut cheese with mini cookie cutters.

Step 2 - cut meat and bread with large 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.

Step 3 - roll lunch meat
Roll lunch meat–not only does it look fancy, it takes up less room!

Step 3

Then, roll lunch meat.

Step 4 - use kabob sticks to keep food together
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.

Step 5 - prewash and pre slice lunch food for easier lunch box packing
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! 

Finished Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School
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!
Yield: Serves 3

Easy Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School

Best Kids Lunch Box Ideas For School

Break out of the sandwich rut and give kids something to look forward to every day with the best kids lunch box ideas for school!

Prep Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

  • Box #1
  • Sandwich with Lunch Meat
  • Kabobs with strawberries and cheese
  • Cheese
  • Cucumbers
  • Baby carrots
  • Pretzels
  • Mini chocolate chip cookies
  • 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
  • Box #3
  • Lunch meat
  • Baby carrots
  • Cucumbers
  • Clementines
  • Hard boiled egg
  • Banana
  • Cheese

Instructions

    1. Cut cheese with mini cookie cutters.
    2. Cut bread for sandwiches with cookie cutters.
    3. Roll lunch meat.
    4. Thread fruit and cheese on straws for kabobs.
    5. Cut fruit and vegetables.

More Kids Lunch Ideas from Kids Activities Blog

Psst… Check out this article if your kid moves slowly when getting ready in the morning!

What is your favorite kids lunch box idea for school? Did we miss something that works well for your student?



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