free lunchbox notes printable sample

A free printable with 40 lunch box jokes (plus a blank page for special notes!) to help you get ready for back-to-school madness and bring a smile to your kids’ faces.

I’m not good at lying, so I’m not going to pretend here. I am not prepared for the school year to start. I know that a lot of the country is already back in the swing of things, but my girls have another few weeks before the big yellow bus comes rolling down our street. And I’m not so good with the whole preparedness thing (although sometimes I really do try).

That’s sort of my problem: a lack of preparation. I always have good intentions, but my complete and utter lack of preparation sidelines my big plans more often than not. I’m really good at making lists of things to do. But the getting started part? Not so much.

So I’m going to try to be better this year. And I’m going to start with Ellie’s lunchbox.

40 printable lunchbox jokes to make your kids giggle - free printable for back to school

A few years ago I got into the habit of tucking little notes into Samantha’s lunchbox. Sometimes they said I love you or told her to have a fabulous day. Sometimes they were song lyrics that were stuck in my head that I knew would make her laugh. And sometimes they were jokes. She loved getting notes every day and especially loved trying to see if she could figure out the answers to the jokes.

The problem?

Some mornings (OK, most mornings) I was running a little behind schedule and didn’t have time to look up funny jokes that I could sneak into her lunchbox. I kept telling myself that at some point I’d take a half hour or so to scour the internet and make a list that I could refer to. Life happens and I never got to it—but the mom guilt sure as shit got me.

This year, Samantha is heading into middle school and she would be horrified if I stuck a note in her lunchbox. Ellie, however, is not embarrassed by expressions of maternal love just yet.

The solution? A set of free printable lunchbox jokes!

To get myself in the preparation zone, I put together a list of 40 silly jokes and made a free printable so you can use them too. I even included a blank page for days when you want to write in your own special note or drawing. Or, you know, until Ellie can read a little bit better.

Click here to have them delivered directly to your inbox. All you have to do next is print them out (do it on card stock if you have any—it stands up to spills better!), cut them, and leave them in the kitchen for days when time is not exactly on your side—which is juuuuust about every day for me.

Here’s a sample page:

free lunch box notes printable sample

Looking for more free printables for your kids? Try these:

For more back to school DIY inspiration, check out these ideas from some other creative ladies:

Image Map

1. Elizabeth Joan Designs 2. Making It In The Mountains 3. Stripes and Polka Dots
4. For My Love Of 5. Home. Made. Interest. 6. Restless Arrow
7. Little Red Brick House 8. Little House Of Four 9. Cuddles and Chaos
10. Our House Now A Home 11. Kent Heartstrings 12. The DIY Mommy
13. Curly Crafty Mom 14. Houseologie 15. Canary Street CraftsThredup Inc.
This was originally posted in August 2014. It was updated in August 2017.

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Written by Jennifer Garry
Jen is a freelance writer and girl mom from New York. When she's not knee-deep in glittery crafts and girl talk, you can probably find her sprawled across her couch in the middle of a Netflix marathon with dark chocolate smeared on her face. The struggle is real.