Cute Kid Lunch Ideas to Make Heads Turn

Remember when kids’ lunches were—let’s be honest—a depressing bore? Today you have so many options for clever and creative lunchtime fun! And you don’t have to be a bento box-boss to incorporate cute ideas to add a little color and panache. We have a few super cute kid lunch ideas that will make your kid the envy of lunchtime!

Quick Cuts for Simple & Fun Food

Cookie Cutters & Stamps

• With a handful of cookie cutters, turn a traditional PB&J into an octopus or a princess crown.
  

  Courtesty: amummysview.com

• Look in the fridge and let your imagination go wild. Use colorful fruits and veggies to add health and flavor while creating a monster of a sandwich.
  

  Courtesy: Chocolate and Carrots
• Stamp a picture on your sandwich to create a memorable delicious moment for your child with these adorable bread stamps.

Super Simple Tools to Get

• Vegetable cutters shaped like animals! Come on, these are too cute!
  
• This unbelievably adorable mustache sandwich crust remover called…a crustache.
• These slightly quirky Japanese egg molds.
• These edible color marks to make any lunch automatically more magical!

Serving Suggestions & Good Wishes

• Use cupcake liners to serve fruits and veggies. They are colorful and make eating a whole lot more fun.
• Don’t forget a cute note even if your kid can’t read a smiley face goes a long way.

Safety Notes & Helpful Hints

• There are so many cute kid lunch ideas, but remember to be safe—cut grapes, hot dogs, and cherry tomatoes into small pieces.
• Avoid whole nuts, hard candies, and popcorn. Save those ideas for ages 6 and up.
• Always cut food into small digestible bites.
• Keep foods cold with a cold pack.
• Freeze juice boxes and use for cold packs.
• Pack lunches the night before to create a stress-free morning. A great time to make those lunches is right after dinner. Less mess and a one-time kitchen clean up.
• Pack things your kid will eat. Adult leftovers are usually a no go.
• Always clean out your kid’s lunch box after school. You don’t want any yucky surprises the next day.
• Place food in a container that kids can easily open themselves. Your child’s teacher will greatly appreciate it.
• Mix it up. Kids love new surprises in lunch boxes. However, if your kid only eats one thing and one thing go with it.

Protip: If your kid is a PB&J lover you can make them ahead and freeze them. Pop them in the lunch box and they will be perfect to eat at lunchtime. Be sure to check with your child’s school if they have a nut free policy.

Just a little effort and imagination will make lunch for your kids not only nutritious but fun too!

Need inspiration? Visit our Pinterest board of adorable ideas, or browse around for hundreds more.

What kind of cute kid lunch ideas are you cooking up for your child? Let us know in the comments!