Show your children how much you care and how special they are with these cute printable valentine lunch box notes.
Every once in a while when I was a kid, I’d get a little note from my mom in my lunch, and honestly, it was the best feeling to get little surprises of love from home.
Valentine’s Day is all about showing your loved ones how much you care and what better way to share your love than with Valentine’s Day lunch box love!
And let’s be honest, school lunches can be a little ho-hum so leaving little love notes for your kids will be an awesome surprise!
Just imagine the look on your child’s face and their big ole smile when they open their lunch to find some extra love during the middle of their school day!
Celebrating holidays has always been a big deal in our home because honestly, I love all the cheesy mom stuff!
Even though my three children are all now in their teen years, my kids still love it too…well, at least they act like they do.
Small gestures like lunch box notes really do make them feel a little extra love, and they are a subtle yet creative way to show that you care!
It’s the perfect addition to your Valentine’s Day family traditions and can be so much fun to not only receive but also to plan and put together!
So let’s break down the super easy, peasy process into 4 steps to make it as simple as possible!
Keep in mind, you can use this idea for a child’s lunchbox or an adult’s lunch (it’s a festive way to leave love notes for your grownup sweetheart too!)
How to Create Lunchbox Notes of Love for Valentine’s Day
1. Download the PDF Printable Lunch Box Notes
Click on the image of the printable Valentine lunch notes below and download the PDF.
2. Print the Page of Clues
Next, simply print the PDF lunch box note pages on either white paper or card stock.
*Mom Tip #1* – I have created two sets of printable lunch box notes so be sure to download the one personalized to your family situation.
There is one set of clue cards from “we”, and the second set is from “I” for anyone who is possibly a single parent or if any adults want to print this scavenger hunt for their sweetheart. (It’s both child and adult-friendly!)
Be sure to save and select the set of printable tags that best suits you!
*Mom Tip #2* – I recommend printing these Valentine’s Day lunch note cards on thicker paper so they are a bit sturdier and will hold up better inside the lunch box.
Also using a color printer for the printable lunch notes is always a great idea to make the notes a bit more vibrant and colorful.
*Please remember these box notes are for personal use only!*
3. Cut the Lunchbox Notes
Use a pair of scissors to cut the printable Valentine’s Day lunch notes along the gray line.
4. Choose Notes & Corresponding Foods
The week before Valentine’s day, look through the lunch notes and choose which ones you will use. There are 24 options altogether so clearly you are not going you use every little note!
Most of the lunch notes are pretty self-explanatory and have an image of the food to attach it to but there are a few that may be a little harder to figure out.
In case you are not sure what food matches with each special note, here is a suggested list of corresponding food items that may be trickier to decipher:
- It May Be “Cheezy” But We LOVE You – anything cheese-oriented or cheese-flavored…Cheez-it Crackers, a cheese sandwich, string cheese, etc.
- We Are So “Beary” Happy That You Are Our Kid – Teddy Graham crackers or gummy bear candy (although many schools do not allow candy so keep in mind your child’s school’s sweet treat rules!)
- You Are the Best Bar None – granola bar or protein bar
- Hey Valentine, You Are Our Sun-shine – Sun Chips, Sun-Maid Raisins
- Hugs & S”MOO”ches – any milk products: cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk box, etc.
- You Are “Nacho” Ordinary Valentine – tortilla chips, Doritos, any other nacho-flavored food
- Happy Lunch Time to Our Main Squeeze – any food in a pouch: applesauce, squeeze yogurt
- You Are O-FISH-ally Our Favorite Valentine – Goldfish crackers, tuna salad/sandwich
Once you have selected which notes you will use in your kids’ lunch boxes, use tape to affix each special note to the lunch food item…and then pack up those lunchboxes!
And there you have it, folks, as you can see, it’s not difficult to plan this Valentine activity, and it is truly something kids love!
Want other ideas for Valentine’s Day…like things to serve for dinner, fun family crafts, or maybe some valentine jokes to share with your kids?
Wait until you see all the inspiration I have on my Valentine’s Day Pinterest page dedicated to fun things to do for the Love Holiday! You can check out that website here!
What other family traditions do you have to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Let me know in the comment section below!
Until next time, cheers to a LOVE-ly lunch, and cheers to you!
XOXO,
Magan
P.S. – Check out the Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt I’ve created…You can find more information on my blog post here!
