30 Lunch Box Note Ideas Guaranteed To Make Your Kid Smile

Parting ways with your school-aged kid every weekday can bring on a mix of emotions, but a note in their lunch box is the perfect way to connect with them even when you're apart. It's natural to miss them, and simple messages of love and support will remind them just how much you love them. Dropping a sweet or funny note in their lunch box can be a heartwarming practice with lasting benefits.

Keep reading for 30 fun and creative ideas for lunch box notes for kids to switch things up.

Cut Your Note Into a Shape

Don't just grab any old sticky note for your lunch box note. Use paper shaped like an animal, such as a bear, lion, or even the family's pet cat. Lisa Heller, a mom from Wayne, New Jersey, loves doing this for her daughters to make the messages even more fun. You can also play with other shapes like stars and hearts.

Include a Joke

Include a joke that makes your kid giggle at the lunch table. A lunch box joke also gives them something funny to share with friends. Jill Linnett from Lake Wylie, South Carolina, likes surprising her little ones with humorous messages written in chalk markers on their sandwich containers.

Switch it up by sharing knock-knock jokes, puns, and more. You can even make the jokes school-themed like these:

• Why is the teacher wearing sunglasses in the class? Because her students are so bright!
• Why don't giraffes go to elementary school? Because they're in high school!

Recall a Happy Memory

Use your lunchbox note to reminder them of a positive time together, suggests Shannon B. Wanless, PhD, director of the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development. Write about a silly moment from dinner the night before or a joke that the two of you shared. On Monday, share your favorite part of your weekend together.

These types of notes remind them of your unique bond and will help them feel empowered to be brave and persist until they see you again, said Dr. Wanless.

Draw a Funny Picture

Give them a giggle with a silly illustration or two. Elissa R. Lerma from Moorpark, California, draws imaginary mash-up characters for her children, like a llamacorn (llama plus unicorn). These funny pictures and doodles are guaranteed to get a laugh in the school cafeteria.

Write an Ongoing Story

Share a snippet from an ongoing story each day so they can look forward to what happens next. Lerma enjoys doing this for her daughters and tailors the stories to their interests. "My oldest loves the boy band 'Why Don't We,' so I wrote her a story about meeting a boy from a boy band," she says. "My youngest is otter-obsessed, so her story was about an otter rescue at sea."

Share Messages of Encouragement

Encouraging messages in lunch box notes can motivate kids to put their best foot forward. They can also positively reinforce something already done and tell them to keep up the good work. Suzanne M. Robinson Porreca, PsyD, director of child and adolescent services at AtlantiCare Behavioral Health, recommends messages like, "I know you will do great on your test today," or "Good job on doing all your chores last night."

Create a Game for Your Child

Include a homemade game for your child to do during lunchtime or use the lunch bag itself if they brown bag it. "My dad used to 'decorate' my paper bag every time he made my lunch," recalls Megan O'Neal from Los Angeles. "Some days, he'd draw a word search or a maze."

Some pencil and paper games can be played alone and some can be played with their friends. Ideas include Hangman, Dots and Boxes, and of course, Tic-Tac-Toe.

Tell Them Why You Love Them

Remind your child of one of the many reasons you love them so much. "One of my favorite encouragements to parents is to keep a running list of 'Reasons Why I Love My Child,'" says Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say It Now: 33 Creative Ways To Say I LOVE YOU To the Most Important People In Your Life. Items on the list can serve as lunch box notes for kids.

For example: "Reason #236 Why I Love You: Your giggle. It's infectious!" or "Reason #37 Why I Love You: I love the way you sing when you're happy."

Write a Poem

Kids will love a poem penned just for their lunch box. You can use a classic verse from their favorite book, introduce them to a new poet, or make up your own: Roses are red, violets are blue, lunch is the best, and so are you!

Share a Haiku

Children may enjoy thought-provoking, school-themed poetry from a book like H Is For Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z by Sydell Rosenberg. Two examples: "Holding umbrellas children, like rows of mushrooms glisten in the rain," and "First library card and a promise to read all authors A to Z."

Draw Their Favorite Characters

Send one of your child's favorite cartoon or video game characters to have lunch with them. "My boyfriend's mom used to draw Mario Brothers cartoons on his brown paper bag," says Emmie Brown from San Diego, California. Draw your own and it will surely thrill your child to have their company at lunchtime.

Include a Fun Fact

Since kids' brains are tiny sponges, include a fun fact or trivia question in the note that they may not come across at school otherwise. These can be on any topic that might pique their interest, or a point about the food in their lunch might be perfect. Try "Strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds on the outside" or "Peanut butter doesn't actually contain any butter."

Repeat a Motivational Mantra

Give your kid a short phrase or mantra to empower them throughout the day. Tell them to call it to mind whenever they need it. Megan Sullivan, co-founder of The Local Moms Network, recommends writing something affirmative like, "You are strong," "You are brave," or "I am so proud of you!"

Pay Them a Compliment

Think of something they do well and tell them how great it is. Amanda Ponzar from Alexandria, Virginia, goes for specific messages like, "I like your creativity in the way you colored that dragon" or "That's the biggest train track set-up I've ever seen. You're really good at building things."

Consider Sensory Objects

Add a sensory object to their lunch box note. "My son has autism. I put sensory objects in his lunchbox so he feels loved, like fuzzy cotton balls dipped in lavender essential oil, popsicle sticks that say 'I love you, Bryan' and 'You and I stick together' on them, and handmade cards," says Becky Beach, blogger at Mom Beach.

Make a Lunch Box Scavenger Hunt

Make your lunch box notes serve as clues in a scavenger hunt. "Each note could be a clue to unlocking a new treasure, then have your child search for the hidden goodies at home," recommends Jonathan Sprinkles, author of You've Got This: Daily Motivators That Will Inspire You To Do More Than You Ever Thought Possible.

Compose a Riddle

Leave them a riddle or brain teaser in their lunch box and challenge them to figure it out on their own. "If your child can solve the riddle by the time they get home, they earn a prize or a few extra minutes before bed," says Sprinkles.

A riddle to solve can also occupy their thoughts during a quieter lunch day as they try to think of the answer. Try something like: What do you call a building with lots of stories? A library!

Draw a Non-Scary Monster

Create a character to make them smile. Rachel Infinger, a mom and teacher in Summerville, South Carolina, recalls, "One of my students had parents who were both graphic artists. They would draw a non-scary monster on my student's napkin daily in his lunch box. They were cute, colorful, and the whole class enjoyed them every day."

Relate the Note to Their Day

Be mindful of what they may face that day, and choose words to help them through it. Colleen Wildenhaus, who blogs at Good Bye Anxiety, Hello Joy says, "If my child has a presentation happening, I would leave a note about being brave. If my child is worried about a sporting event in the evening, I will remind them that trying their best is all that matters."

Encourage Them To Make a Gratitude List

Give them a gratitude exercise. "Number the paper from one to three," advises Sprinkles. "Have your child write down three things that happened that day for which they are grateful. This will provide some amazing conversation at the dinner table that evening."

Write on a Family Photo

Let them see the faces of the ones who love them the most. "Include a copy of a family photo—I always printed extra photos—with 'Love you! See you soon!' written on the back," advises Vered DeLeeuw of Healthy Recipes Blog.

Use Colored Stationary

"My favorite way to send notes in my child's lunchbox is on brightly colored napkins," explains Marie Fiebach, founder of Feed Your Family Tonight. "I often buy several colors at IKEA and use a sharpie to write a quick note." You can also use scrapbook paper, colored construction paper, or colorful paper party plates leftover from a birthday.

Rank Their Lunch Items

Have your child rank each item in their lunch from that day from the most delicious to the least appetizing. You can provide them with a fill-in-the-blank list template. A gold star goes to the child who doesn't rank the fruits or vegetables last!

Make It Seasonal

Make your note match the season you're in. "Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the winter holidays are all opportunities for unique and fun notes," shares Aurora Satler, author of The Ultimate New Mom's Cookbook. "Jot a note on a saved leaf. Have a spooky pumpkin belch out a funny line, or write a mini-poem on a paper snowflake." Draw some four-leaf cloves for a lucky day in March or some flowers for a spring day in April.

Look for Printables or Pre-Printed Notes

Find quick and easy lunchbox notes for kids you can stock up on or print out yourself. For an eye-catching effect, print them on fun cardstock or scrapbook paper. Once you cut them out, laminate them to save as a memory or another day.

Take a Vote

Perhaps you're thinking of a fun day trip for the weekend or where to vacation over spring break. Share the ideas as a lunchbox note and have them vote on which they want to do the most. This will create excitement for an adventure to come. They can cast their vote with you when they arrive home.

Offer Up a Wish

Tell them what you wish for them today. Belul recommends something like, "Suzy, my wish for you is that all your studying for that English quiz pays off, and you get the 'A' you've been wanting. But no matter what, my wish is that you know you did your best, and you celebrate that."

Include a Sticker

Add a fun sticker to a note for younger children. They can wear it on the back of their hand or their shirt to remind them of you for the rest of their day. Belul suggests taping an unused sticker to the notecard that they can pass along to a friend who needs a boost. "They could even sneak it into someone's book as an anonymous surprise. This is a way to teach our children random acts of kindness or spreading the joy."

Ask a Trivia Question

Does your child enjoy playing trivia? If so, ask them a family-friendly question related to a topic they're interested in and challenge them to find the answer before the last bell rings. They can share their answer with you as soon as they get home.

Give a Friendly Reminder

You can use a lunch box note as an opportunity to remind your child of something that needs to be done that day, such as an after-school chore or finishing a project. That way, it's not surprising to them when they get home.

Quote a Hero

Does your child idolize a professional athlete or have a great role model? Maybe they're currently learning about a legendary historical figure known to inspire. Find an inspiring quote from a figure they know and include it in their lunch box note.

Quotes such as Muhammed Ali's "Don't count the days. Make the days count" and Theodore Roosevelt's "Believe you can and you're halfway there" are great suggestions for kids.