Would you like your children to make their own school lunches? A school lunch packing station makes it super easy for your child to take on this responsibility. Start with designating space in your pantry and fridge. A pantry shelf that is eye level for your children is the best choice. Store your child’s lunch box and water bottle near the lunch packing station. In a small labeled bin store your child’s favorite school snacks. Next to that store a labeled bin with napkins, forks/spoons, plastic storage containers and baggies.
In your refrigerator, designate a shelf or a drawer for school lunch food. For example, in a labeled drawer keep everything needed to make sandwiches. On the label write the contents of the drawer: (bread, cheese, turkey meat, mayo, etc.) and keep it stocked with those ingredients. On a designated labeled refrigerator shelf keep juice boxes, veggie packs, or yogurts, whatever your child likes to bring for lunch. In your freezer keep lunch box ice packs.
Post a list of step by step instructions or take photos of your child performing each task and include that with specific written instructions.
Step 1 – Pantry:
1. Grab lunch box and set it open on kitchen counter
2. Fill up water bottle
3. Grab snack packet (dry fruit, chips, granola bar)
4. Grab napkin and fork/spoon
5. Take out one baggie for sandwich
Step 2 – Fridge:
1. Open sandwich drawer, take out ingredients and make sandwich
2. Grab ice pack from freezer
3. Select refrigerated lunch food (veggie pack, yogurt)
4. Put away sandwich ingredients in fridge.
5. Zip up lunch box and off you go!
If it is easier to use a drawer to store lunch supplies, choose one that is located closer to the refrigerator. Children are used to going into the pantry to grab snacks so keeping the lunch box station there may make it easier for them to remember.
When you shop for groceries, ask your child to help you select what will go into their lunch. Keep things simple and easy! When you unload your groceries, ask your children to help you put the groceries away. Have your children stock the lunch making station in the pantry and in the refrigerator. This will help them remember where their lunch supplies live and give them ownership of the process.
After school, ask your child to empty their lunch box and water bottle and return it to the pantry for the next day. Even if this last step doesn’t happen, your children will be ready with everything they need to pack their own lunch!