How to Make School Lunches Fun (While Giving Back)

Spring is in the air and while we’re in the home stretch to long, lazy summer days, I have to keep reminding myself that school isn’t over yet. In fact, for my guys spring is the busiest time of the school year. There are of course packed full days of learning but there are also after school sports, testing for class placement next year and several projects to better their school. While we are always busy this time of year, we’re also very focused on giving back. As many of you know, Box Tops for Education blasts off with a bang in September but often dwindles as everyone’s thoughts turn to summer. But not us! We’re still over here going strong, packing fun, fabulous lunches and clipping our Box Tops along the way! To make it even more fabulous to be involved in Box Tops for Education right now, I wanted to share with you today how we make school lunches fun and how this spring, we’ve got a fabulous new addition to our lunchbox creations that helps us give back with Box Tops in the most entertaining way!

Before I tell you about a fantastic new addition that we’ve made to my little guy’s lunch boxes and after school snacks, it’s important for me to mention that I’ve always been a big Box Tops mom. I know that when I buy Box Tops eligible products at Walmart, I can give back to my son’s school in the easiest possible way. All it requires is me clipping the Box Tops off of products that my boys love to find in their lunches anyway and then sending them into school. So, it stands to reason that when I’m shopping at Walmart, I’m always on the lookout for fun lunchbox stuffers that boast Box Tops. That’s why I was so excited when I recently discovered our favorite brand of water has partnered with Box Tops for Education. As if that wasn’t enough, they have released perfect, lunchbox sized 8 ounce water bottles with one of my son’s favorite characters on them. Be sure to be on the lookout for these Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottles with SpongeBob packaging at your local Walmart or hover over the image below to buy online at Walmart.com today!

With warmer weather upon us, they are the perfect, kid-sized way to make hydration fun. Even better, they are just one of the ways that we make lunch boxes exciting! You see, no matter what I pack inside my boys’ lunch boxes, they love when I pack these fun Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottles with SpongeBob packaging and I love that simply by purchasing them and clipping the Box Tops on the packaging, I can give back to their school in such an easy way.

So now that you’ve added Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottles with SpongeBob packaging to your Walmart shopping list, let me share with you a few of the ways that we made school lunches fun while giving back.

Use Fun Shaped Cookie Cutters

I don’t care if your child is in first grade or fifth, shapes are just fun! We keep a stash of cookie cutters in our kitchen drawer and as I pack my little guy’s lunch each morning, I ask him what the shape of the day is going to be. He can choose from stars, circles, dog bones and more. Since he’s currently obsessed with football (trust me, it changes weekly), I’ve been making tons of football sandwiches, complete with cheese laces. While it may seem like such a small way to really up my lunch box game, to him it’s exciting when he opens his lunch box and sees that I’ve found a way to incorporate his favorite things.

Get Creative with Fruit

For my kiddos, a sandwich pairs perfectly with fruit and it’s fun to get creative. You can use fruit to make faces, cut it into shapes or create fruit kabobs that take a normal lunchbox side or snack to whole new levels.

Practice Patterns

Instead of simply adding chips or crackers, try creating fun patterns. You can alternate between crackers and cheese and even add in some slices of apples to brighten things up. Repeating the same pattern over and over again is a great way to engage kids and make lunchboxes even more fun. Plus (pro parenting tip) you can encourage your child to eat the items in their lunchbox in the pattern you created, which in my experience works wonders for picky eaters!

Add Drinks That Make Them Smile

While I use all of my fun lunchbox tricks above while incorporating Box Tops for Education eligible items, I really could take away all of my fun tricks and my little guy would still think his lunchbox was the most fun idea around thanks to the addition of Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottles with SpongeBob packaging.

Not only do these kid-sized water bottles have my little guy’s favorite character on them (he always does the SpongeBob laugh when he opens one up) but they are a great way to get kids excited about drinking more water while giving back since they have partnered with Box Tops for Education.

While truthfully, I added them to my cart at Walmart because I saw SpongeBob AND the Box Tops for education label on them, we’ve been a Nestlé® Pure Life® family for as long as I can remember. In case you’ve been looking for the perfect bottled water for your whole family, it’s awesome to know that Nestlé® Pure Life® sources their water from wells or municipal supplies. But they don’t stop there. They then put the water through a 12-step quality process and ensures it meets strict standards for bottled water and also enhance it with a light blend of minerals for a distinctive, refreshing taste that’s perfect for every member of the family! With a crisp, clean taste in every bottle, Nestlé® Pure Life® is the #1 bottled water globally and it’s easy to see that what sets it apart makes it a perfect choice for my family (and especially my kids’ lunch boxes).

But back to SpongeBob and Box Tops (because that’s where the real win is with Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottles with SpongeBob packaging!), my little guy begs for these fun water bottles in his lunches and he adores sitting with me as I cut off the Box Tops labels. And me? I adore that I’m already being able to teach him that giving back to his school is easy and when SpongeBob is involved, it’s also tons of fun!

Every morning when I pack his lunch, he comes over to add a Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottle with SpongeBob packaging to his lunchbox and then gives me a big old hug and thanks me for being the best mom ever. And, OK, I only bought water so I’m not really up for any parenting awards but I’ll take his praise and relish the fact that he’s excited about drinking my beverage of choice for him.

Now it’s your turn. Whether your kiddo is a SpongeBob fan, you’re a Box Tops coordinator or you’re simply looking for a fun yet simple way to give back to your kids’ school, head to Walmart today and pick up Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottles with SpongeBob packaging. Available in the bottled water aisle, you’ll feel happy seeing the Box Tops logo and your kids will be beyond excited that SpongeBob is making his way to their lunch boxes.

Then up your lunchbox game this spring and remind your kids that you’re the most fun mom around by giving them lunches they’ll be excited about that you’ll feel great about each and every day.

Now tell me, how will you incorporate Nestlé® Pure Life® 8oz. bottles with SpongeBob packaging into your child’s snack or lunchtime routine?