School Year-End Survey: Lunchboxes and Backpacks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LL Bean lunchboxes. I put mine in the washing machine about once a month, throwing some non-chlorine bleach in the load.
Ours has held up great for one year. Would be on year 2 but our first one was taken at summer camp.

PP here. I had no idea you could machine wash those lunch boxes! I'll try it at the end of the school year to see if it works (in case it does fall apart!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP didn't say a special drink. She just said "drink." My kids take bottles of water which must fit in their lunchboxes. Geez. Lighten up.

Uh okay. My kids just go use the water fountain.

I would not recommend this. There are a lot of kids eating lunch in the cafeteria and it's not ideal for kids to be getting up and walking around to drink water while eating lunch. Can you imagine if a lot of kids needed to use one water fountain during lunch? Perhaps you could send in an empty bottle and have them fill it/empty it there if you're worried about spills. At our school, students raise their hand if they need to go to the bathroom and I think this is the same for the water fountain. My DC is thirsty after recess and drinks alot at lunch. It would be annoying to get up from chatting with friends to have to go to the water fountain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP didn't say a special drink. She just said "drink." My kids take bottles of water which must fit in their lunchboxes. Geez. Lighten up.

Uh okay. My kids just go use the water fountain.

How does that work? Most people take sips throughout their meal as it helps with chewing and swallowing. Do they continually jump up and run and get in line for the fountain whenever they need a sip? this wouldn't be allowed in the lunch room in most schools and kids wouldn't get either food eaten if they spent their brief time in line at the fountain.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Wildkin lunch boxes. Ours has held up well, I wipe it with Clorox wipe each night.

We bought the Gerber Graduates bento box by Nuk to put inside. I liked the laptop lunch boxes but thought they were ridiculously priced. The Gerber ones are $7, so much more affordable and no little parts to lose.

[Anonymous]

We have a PBK backpack and lunchbox. They're both pretty sturdy. We use the Sistema lunch cube. I can either wrap a Capri sun pouch with a small gel ice pack to keep it cool or fit a kids thermos funtainer size thermos in the lunchbox with no problem. Well, it's a little tight but it fits. The lunch cube fits a sandwich, cheese stick, small applesauce or mandarin oranges and whatever else, pretzel sticks, goldfish, etc. the sistema products are easy for little hands to open. I have a goodbyn bento box and I can barely get it open and closed.

[Anonymous]

Love Sistema.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have an LL Bean lunchbag. It's worked great but it stinks! I try to keep it clean but ugh. Not to hijack the thread but any suggestions on how to keep those nylon lunchbags clean?

Clorox Clean Up spray works for me. Disinfects and deodorizes.

[Anonymous]

i but the lunchboxes is the dishwasher once a week, bottom rack. works great.

[Anonymous]

H mart--korean grocer, sells bento type boxes. the dividers all come out. cost about 5 or 6 dollars. doubt BPA free, but we are not heating up in it, if that matters.

[Anonymous]

I have a Thermos Raya lunch box for each kid. I like the oval shape and top zipper so a thermos container can stand upright while loading and carrying. They are roomy but not bulky. Best of all the inner lining has no seams so its easy to clean.

I've always periodically tossed lunchboxes in the washing machine though.

[Anonymous]

LL Bean backpacks are the best. They will last for years, and you can toss them in the washing machine. Don't buy the smallest one...get a medium sized one so it will last for a few years.

[Anonymous]

We've used PBK backpacks and lunch-boxes for the last two years and they've great!

The lunch boxes are easy to wipe clean and have a sturdy (but flexible) structure.

Will definitely get another set for next year!

[Anonymous]

Good idea. I spent weeks researching.

We used Lands end for the backpack (the one for smaller kids). It has held up well.

For lunch I used an insulated rectangular one from target that had a side mesh pocket for the drink. Instead of using the cheap plastic bottle, I got a thermos with a straw (also from target). The thermos looks like this one (link below) but no Mickey Mouse - just plain and way cheaper. Doesn't leak at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Funtainer-Bottle-Mickey-Clubhouse/dp/B003VWD3QC/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1368503455&sr=1-10&keywords=thermos+kids

In the lunch box, I do a bento type thing with a lunch cube and square cupcake liners. Links below.

http://www.amazon.com/Sistema-Klip-Lunch-Container-48-Ounce/dp/B002B4S75I/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368503365&sr=8-1&keywords=lunch+cube


http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Square-Silicone-Baking-Count/dp/B000NBNHHE/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1368503394&sr=1-2&keywords=cupcake+square+liners

Technically the lunch bag can fit the cube and a juice box, but we pack water for my son (hence the thermos).

And BTW. My son is not allowed to go to the water fountain during lunch. I know this because his main fear of buying lunch has been he would be thirsty (he hates milk and was afraid he would go thirsty). So you do need to pack a drink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good idea. I spent weeks researching.

We used Lands end for the backpack (the one for smaller kids). It has held up well.

For lunch I used an insulated rectangular one from target that had a side mesh pocket for the drink. Instead of using the cheap plastic bottle, I got a thermos with a straw (also from target). The thermos looks like this one (link below) but no Mickey Mouse - just plain and way cheaper. Doesn't leak at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Funtainer-Bottle-Mickey-Clubhouse/dp/B003VWD3QC/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1368503455&sr=1-10&keywords=thermos+kids

In the lunch box, I do a bento type thing with a lunch cube and square cupcake liners. Links below.

http://www.amazon.com/Sistema-Klip-Lunch-Container-48-Ounce/dp/B002B4S75I/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368503365&sr=8-1&keywords=lunch+cube


http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Square-Silicone-Baking-Count/dp/B000NBNHHE/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1368503394&sr=1-2&keywords=cupcake+square+liners

Technically the lunch bag can fit the cube and a juice box, but we pack water for my son (hence the thermos).

And BTW. My son is not allowed to go to the water fountain during lunch. I know this because his main fear of buying lunch has been he would be thirsty (he hates milk and was afraid he would go thirsty). So you do need to pack a drink.

Sorry..the backpack is LL Bean.

[Anonymous]

What are the cupcake liners for? I'm new to this whole thing. Do you put liners in the cube / bento box?