16 Creative Back to School Lunchbox Ideas

The days of summer are dwindling down and it’s almost time for the kids to head back to school. That means the daunting task of making school lunches is almost upon us.

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It can be quite a task to create a lunch that kids will actually want to eat, especially when your kids are picky eaters.

Here is a list of some innovative and creative lunches that are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

See Also

• Pack something they love with this The Best Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe.
• Snag these free back to school lunch notes!
• Dog Ice Cream

1. Southwest Turkey Wrap

From Thrify Jinxy

Spice things up in your school lunches with this delicious Southwest Turkey Wrap Recipe with a tangy homemade sauce. If you don’t like things spicy, you can always leave out the chipotle chile and these wraps will still be full of flavor. Smoked turkey, pepper jack cheese, leafy lettuce, and the homemade chipotle sauce are all wrapped up in a soft corn tortilla. What a tasty way to beat boring lunches.

2. DIY Homemade Uncrustable Sandwiches

From Mission to Save

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are always a winning lunch, and now you can make them even better with this recipe for homemade uncrustables! Save some cash with this budget friendly DIY lunch that makes school lunches extra special. After making the super easy sandwiches they are ready to eat or freeze for later.

3. Puppy Themed Bento Box

From Two Little Cavaliers

You will have such fun making this creative puppy themed school lunch and your kids will have even more fun eating it. Bento Boxes are all the rage right now, and this exciting variation is sure to be a hit. On the menu are dog bone sandwiches and string cheese, carrot collars, and apple slice Frisbees. It’s a well-rounded lunch filled with nutritious snacks that your kids will surely go crazy for.

4. Homemade Lunchables

From Family Finds Fun

What kid doesn’t love those pre-packaged lunchables? Now you can make them yourself with this budget friendly and healthy homemade version. Cut your child’s favourite cheese and lunch meat to the same size as round crackers, then place them in plastic lunch baggies so each component stays fresh and crisp. Add a fresh apple for a balanced lunch you can feel good about sending your kids to school with.

5. Organized School Lunch Station

From 

6. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Lunch

From Frugal Coupon Living

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Turn the favorite children’s storybook into the cutest and most creative lunch ever with this super fun tutorial. Whether you have a toddler, preschooler, or kindergartener they will love seeking out letters in this lunch box. The tree trunk is a PB&J sandwich made with Texas Toast and branches are made from celery stalks with grape coconuts. Finish with a side of Alpha-Bits cereal to keep the theme going!

7. Bug Themed Lunch

From Frugal Coupon Living

Your little one will go buggy for this sweet and silly lunchbox. Make a PB&J sandwich a little more special using a cute butterfly sandwich cutter and a few easy, on theme snacks. Baby Bell cheese makes the perfect little lady bug, blueberries on a skewer makes an adorable caterpillar, and dirt dessert complete with a gummy worm is the best themed dessert. My little guy would love opening his lunchbox to find this buggy feast.

8. Camping Themed Lunch

From Frugal Coupon Living

Give your kids a little extra spark in their school day with this wonderful camping themed lunch box. They can imagine that they are roughing it in the wild while sitting right in the cafeteria! Hot dogs on a stick are nestled next to a cheddar cheese and pretzel stick campfire, with a side of baked beans and sticky dessert. You just can’t have a campfire without a sticky sweet s’mores sandwich.

9. School Days Themed Lunch

From Frugal Coupon Living

Celebrate back to school with this school days themed Bento Box from Frugal Coupon Living. To recreate this fun themed lunch use a basic set of alphabet cookie cutters to create ABC’s or your child’s name. They take a typical lunch time sandwich to the next level! Chocolate graham crackers with white icing make the cutest chalk board desserts, and a healthy side of chopped fruit is the perfect finishing touch.

10. PB&J Sushi Lunch

From A Mitten Full of Savings

Sometimes we just have to put a new spin on a classic lunch. My kids love when their favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich is made into delicious PB&J Sushi Bites. The best thing about these tasty morsels is that they are bite sized and don’t have to be refrigerated. That means that they are easy peasy to pack for school lunches and super fun for the kids to eat.

11. Easy Lunchbox Kabobs

From A Mitten Full of Savings

Add some variety to the usual sandwich and chips routine that has become so common in the school cafeterias with this easy lunch box kabobs. The recipe calls for cubes of cheddar cheese, cubed ham, and red grapes, but you could easily swap out ingredients to suit your taste. A piece of each ingredients gets skewered with a pretzel stick for a sweet and salty lunch. Each skewer features meat, cheese, and a veggie or fruit for a well-rounded meal.

12. Peanut Butter and Fruit Pizza

From Clever Pink Pirate

Lunch recipes are made even better when your kids can help out in the kitchen. This tasty recipe for peanut butter and fruit pizzas is a fun twist on the classic PB&J that the kids can help with and older kids can even make themselves. Top a soft flour tortilla with a healthy serving of peanut butter and fresh sliced bananas or apples. It’s as easy as that! Plus, this easy meal contains three food groups, making it a healthy option.

13. Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls

From Mission to Save

Help your kids refuel with this easy and delicious recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls! They are chock full of nutritious ingredients like oatmeal, flax seed, creamy peanut butter and natural honey. Simply mix all of the ingredients together, roll them into balls, and keep refrigerated until you are ready to enjoy. The recipe also calls for sugar, but it is completely optional if you want to make them even healthier.

14. Shark Week Themed Lunch

From Frugal Coupon Living

Just in time for Shark Week, this fun and ferocious lunchbox will have your little ones squealing in delight, not fear. Check out that shark rising from the whitecaps and ready to be eaten! The homemade shark pizza quesadilla is nestled in a sea of popcorn and decorated with black olive eyes. For additional snacks, shark fruit snacks and goldfish cracker shark bait continues on the theme.

15. Back to School Snack Organization

From Blooming Homestead

With all those other things that come along with school keeping you busy, it is very helpful to keep your snacks ready and organized to grab on the go. This snack organization system lays out all of your healthy lunch options so your kids can even help make their school lunches. This blogger was sure to include granola bars, fruit roll ups, yogurt, string cheese, and more. Being prepared will save you so much time on bust school mornings!

16. Back to School Dinner

From Occasionally Crafty

Back to school means coming up with new and creative lunch ideas for the kids, but it also means a whole new line up for dinner recipes! Start a new tradition in your home and celebrate back to school with this inspired back to school dinner. Chalkboard placemats and a centrepiece filled with new school supplies and sweet messages set the tone for a wonderful family party. Serve up your kids’ favorite meal to make it extra special.

Make sure they get the lunch box they want. We have gathered some great lunch box resources that will be perfect to head back to school.

(Amazon Affiliate Links)

• Kids Heroes Lunch Box
• Anna & Elsa Embossed Tin Lunch Box
• Slim Snack
• Novelty Soft Lunch Kit, Firetruck
• Spider-man Soft Sided Lunch Kit Box Lunch Bag
• Thermos Soft Lunch Kit, Skylanders
• Thermos Novelty Lunch Kit, Scooby Doo
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Insulated Lunch Bag
• Despicable Me 2 Minion Lunch Bag

Get your kids ready for back to school with these great ideas!

• 16 Creative Back to School Lunch Box Ideas
• 8 Healthy Snacks for Lunchboxes
• Chicken Tortilla Roll Ups
• Christmas Granola
• Rainbow Popcorn 

Plus, don’t miss out on 25 Bento Lunchbox Ideas for Back to School…