Back to School: Lunch Box Ideas

Here are a few "back to school" tips on how to build a fun, easy, tasty and nutritious lunch box.  Many of our children are back at the elementary school or just starting preschool for the very first time.    Also, included in this post is a nice downloadable PDF document of cute, loving and fun notes and jokes that you can add to your older children's lunch box.


1. FREEZE: Place a frozen juice box in your kids’ lunch box as it’ll keep the food chilled and will be thawed by lunchtime.

2. Go for VARIETY: Make sandwiches using whole grain tortillas, bagels or pitas.
 
3. WIPES, WIPES: Pack antibacterial wet wipes so your kids can clean their hands before and after eating.

4. SNEAKY VEGGIES: Add grated veggies to sandwiches and wraps for crunch – your kids won’t notice they’re eating something that’s good for them!
 
5. DRESSING It up: Use small resealable bags to pack dressings. Kids can open one corner and simply squeeze onto salad, then discard.

6. Get DIPPING! Pack salsa, hummus, yogurt or salad dressing for your little ones to dunk their sandwich, veggies or fruit into.
 
7. PETITE works better: Make bite-sized and mini versions of regular foods like sandwiches. They work well for small appetites and are more likely to be eaten.

8. BE LOVING: Add a quick note to say good luck on a test or “I love you” – it will brighten your child’s day. Download LunchboxJokes_US_01.pdf and print it.

9. Get ORGANIZED: create you own schedule Monday-Friday of the menu you will prepare for lunch so that you know every morning or the night before what to do for lunch boxes.

10. CONSULT:  check out these sites for other fun and easy to do ideas for lunch boxes: www.familyfun.com and the Lunch Box Builder, and if your family is vegetarian, you may want to visit Vegetarian Lunch Box.


"Lunch boxing" can be an enjoyable activity!

*Taken from The Moms' Buzz, Original source: www.familyfun.com, www.kraftfoods.com.

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the opportunity
to begin the 2011-2012 school year,
and we ask that you bless
the faculty, the students, and student families.
We ask that you would bless
the youngest and littlest of learners,
the most helpless and powerless of persons,
with Your infinite and loving mercy,
granting them the strength to learn, concentrate,
and act appropriately towards
their teachers and fellow students.
We also ask that You would watch over them,
at home and at school
and grant them proper direction
so that they may learn
of Your wonderful virtues.
We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Back to School Traditions

Many of us have little ones who are starting preschool or kindergarten for the very first time. It can be a bittersweet time for us as moms. Here are a few links with some great ideas for back-to-school traditions.

*Leave us a comment on this post if you have any memories of back-to-school traditions you did when you were a child or what you do/ plan on doing with your children.

A Purse Full of Cheerios

Gazettenet.com

Tip Junkie

Encouraging Independence & Responsibility In Young Children

"Never do routinely for your children what they can do for themselves."

Susan Reichart, MOPS mentor

Encouraging independence in preschoolers is vital if you want them to grow to be a responsible adult. Not only is a natural desire for a young child, but it is a healthy desire for them to have! A child encouraged to do things for him/herself grows to be a more confident child, willing to take risks and learn from mistakes. For a preschooler, a sense of self-worth comes from being able to do something without an adult's help. Here are 7 ways to encourage your child toward independence and responsibility:

1. Encourage your child to complete self-help tasks, such as cleaning up spilled juice or sweeping up paper from a cutting project.
    
2. Break complicated tasks into small steps and celebrate all the little successes along the way.
    
3. Praise the effort, not the task: “You didn’t give up and kept trying until you opened the toothpaste. Way to go!”
    
4. Build extra minutes into your daily routines to allow your child to complete tasks without being hurried — such as putting on his own socks, buckling her own seat belt, etc.
    
5. Allow your child to brainstorm and try his own solutions to a problem. Resist giving him what you think is the easiest/fastest/best solution.
    
6. Help your child make a book or poster of all the things she can do. Read it when she is feeling frustrated or disappointed about not being able to complete a task. Adding photos of your child doing things for herself would be fun, too!
    
7. Give your child simple chores around the house such as setting the table, putting away the silverware, watering a plant, or feeding the family pet. Other age-appropriate chores for preschoolers include: dressing themselves, wiping the table or counter, wash their hands, dusting (Swiffer Dusters are wonderful tools for little ones), picking up toys, folding towels, putting books on a shelf, etc.

For these tips and other resources related to helping your preschooler be more responsible and independent check out the Let's Explore Blog.

Android & iPhone Apps for Kids

You may view your phone as a communications device, but your kids know that it’s actually an awesome mobile gaming center. When you’re caught in traffic or facing an unexpectedly long wait at the pediatrician’s office, you are going to hand over that phone. The kids will be happy, you’ll be relieved, and, if you choose your apps carefully, they might even learn something while they play. — Sonya Mukherjee (babble.com)


The Top 25 Android Apps for Kids

1. Angry Birds
2. Fruit Ninja
3. Spaghetti Marshmallows
4. Dropwords
5. Shape Builder Preschool Puzzle
6. Doodle Jump
7. PopMath
8. Celeste SE
9. Kids Socks
10. Airport Mania
11. Kids Piano 
12. Pocket Soccer
13. The Cat In The Hat
14. All By Myself
15. Math Attack
16. Space Physics
17. 50 States
18. Kids Doodle
19. Bubble Blast 2
20. Rush Hour
21. Labyrinth
22. Alphabet Bingo
23. Benjamin Bunny
24. LOL Libs
25. Three Little Pigs

Top 5 Preschool Android Apps

It's true: You're never too young to play with Mom's Droid. Preschool kids are naturally drawn to touch screens, where they can tap and swipe with the best of them. These apps are electronic versions of preschool classics, like matching games, letter puzzles, and toy pianos.

1. Shape Builder Preschool Puzzle
2. Kids Socks
3. Kids Piano
4. Kids Doodle
5. Alphabet Bingo

The 25 Top iPhone Apps for Kids   - by Heather Leister, www.babble.com

1. Weet Woo!
2. 123 Color
3. Elmo's Monster Maker
4. Kid Calc 7-in-1 Math Fun
5. Duck Duck Moose Apps
6. Math Bingo
7. Pocket Zoo
8. Dr. Seuss Books
9. Count with Sesame Series
10. Preschool Connect the Dots
11. Highlights Hidden Pictures
12. Jelly Doodle
13. Harry Potter Spells
14. Fish School
15. ABC Pocket Phonics
16. Jack and the Beanstalk
17. The Oregon Trail
18. Wacky Chatter
19. Peekaboo Barn
20. Olivia
21. Faces iMake
22. Letter Writer Oceans
23. Doodle Find
24. iBooks & Kindle
25. Triazzle

Mommy and Me - ABC's!

 Looking for something to do this summer...indoors?  Are your young ones learning their ABCs?  Check out this website for a terrific strategy that you can do with your kids!  It's a perfect summertime activity!

Each lesson starts with a book that you read with your child.  Then you do a fun and simple activity which goes with each book and emphasizes a letter of the alphabet. As you go through each letter, your child will assemble a keepsake letter book that they have made with you!  Each lesson is designed specifically for young children and, even better, is free! 

CLICK HERE for the link. This post will show you how to make the letter folders and to set it all up. It will also have links to all the posts written for individual letters.