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10 Ideas for Bringing the Fun Back to Lunch

Shar Petit
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Published on: August 05, 2013

Whisk Paper Scissors

Chalk talk
Jazz up the inside of a lunchbox with some chalkboard contact paper and leave love notes for your kids. Or, take a cue from Whisk Paper Scissors and leave friendly reminders for the day.


Sarah Jane Studios

Lunch note printables
Did that extra punch of the snooze button rob you of your lunchbox creativity? Sarah Jane Studios makes a thoughtful lunch easy with these printable lunch box notes. With sayings like, "Today is your day" and "Stand up tall," who wouldn't be happy to find these midday encouragements?


A Boy and His Lunch

LEGO my lunch
Oh, LEGOs — the classic toy that spans the decades. If you've got a LEGO enthusiast at home, they'll be smitten with this LEGO-themed lunch by A Boy and His Lunch. Check out the candies on the sandwich that make it look like a cube, the DIY guide to making the cute Lego picks, and how all of the components fit together like Lego blocks.


Bowdabra

Push-pop snacks
Plastic baggies are boring, and push-pop containers are trending everywhere right now. Try this idea from the Bowdabra blog for packing tiny snacks into the containers for on-the-go eats. Top off with ribbons or bows with fun sayings for a fresh take on lunch.


Between the Lines

Upcycled lunch bag
Denim pant leg turned lunchbox? Yes, please! This DIY lunchbox tutorial by Between the Lines takes you through the steps to turn an old pair of jeans and belt into a durable and eco-friendly tote. Think of all the brown paper bags you'll save!


How Does She

Fun facts
There are so many neat ideas jammed into this lunchbox by How Does She — like creative wooden bag clips, printed jokes, quotes and facts. And we love the idea of making a smoothie as a main dish. It's perfect for those social butterflies too busy to sit down during the lunch hour.


Meet the Dubiens

Write it with food
Let the food do the talking with this idea for a pep-talk sandwich by Meet the Dubiens. Letters cut out from fruit leather spell out a fun note for the kids, and the entire lunch has a bright and sunny theme.


Popper and Mimi

No energy to pack?
When the mornings get away from you, sometimes it's just bound to be a hot lunch day. This idea by Popper and Mimi at least lets the kiddos store their lunch dollars in style. It's also a fun back-to-school project to have the kids design their own carriers from old Altoids tins.


Lunch Skins

Littlerless lunch
We've seen DIY versions of reusable lunch bags out there, but the lazy mom's guide gives two thumbs up to these for-purchase bags by Lunch Skins. They're relatively inexpensive, around $8 each, but check out the site for back-to-school deals like entire lunch kits for around $30 — you'll be on your way to a "litterless lunch" in no time.


Mom Advice

Select-a-lunch
Mom Advice has an idea that gets everyone involved in the morning routine — a DIY lunch station. The kids can pack their own lunches by choosing one item from each of the labeled drawers. You could even create a set of drawers for the fridge with the same select-a-lunch idea in mind. Could we make a grown-up version, too?

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