Best Lunchbox for Toddlers

When I was but a wee tot, rolling and tumbling around the kindergarten corridors of my local elementary school…

I recall lunch being that precious, middle-of-the-day respite from all the weird stuff they had us do.

If you’re in a rush, check out my favorite lunchbox at Amazon.

It came after addition and before nap time. Chocolate milk cartons were a rudimentary, early form of currency.

Pizza day was a semi-regular event not to be missed.

And of course, I always had to know what strange desserts Jason’s hippy mother packed him in his bizarre, geometric chakras lunchbox.

The lunchbox was to us tots what the tee shirt became in high school, or what the job description became after college.

It defined you…

Packed Lunch Pecking Order

Your social standing and admiration from afar was determined not so much by what you brought for lunch, but what it was packed in.

Really, it was our indoctrination to the postmodern world, where the packaging replaces the product.

I recall having a Power Rangers lunchbox. I think it was blue. It was an acceptably current design, but its lack of bravado and spunk rendered me a squirrely, middle-caste lunchtime socialite.

Although my academic and extracurricular merits were notable, my flimsy lunchbox kept me humble.

The Lunchbox—Not Always for Kids

The history of the lunchbox dates back to the era of reusable aluminum tobacco tins. As the industrialization of the United States chugged along in the mid 19th century, it became less feasible for working men to come home for lunch.

The strict factory hours that ordered their waking lives dictated that it was more economically viable to bring lunch and eat it at the factory.

Therefore, as tobacco was still totally fashionable, clever housewives started saving their husbands’ old tobacco tins and began packing lunches in them.

Thus began the enduring tradition of the packed lunch. Flash forward 150 some years, and we’ve still got a thriving market of lunchboxes for virtually every demographic.

Don’t Forget to Pack a Lunch!

Unlike many trends of yesteryear, the packed lunch still holds its value well. For working people, it’s cheaper to bring a lunch each day than to dine out.

Precious lunch break minutes are spared when one is not relegated to the long lines that materialize at local delis around 12:05 each day.

Health (and money) conscious mothers earn peace of mind by packing their children tailor-made lunches, sparing their children the fate of the ambiguous school cafeteria lunch.

With so many new food factors to consider in this era, it’s understandable that mothers would want to know exactly what their young kids have to eat at school every day.

Lunchboxes for the Modern Toddler

Though much in the world has changed since the days of my Power Rangers plastic lunch box, some things never change.

Toddlers will still be perplexed by addition, mothers still want their kids eating well, and what your lunchbox says about you will always outweigh whatever you may say about yourself.

With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best options for lunchboxes for the modern toddler.

YUMBOX Leakproof Bento Lunch Box Container for Kids

The YUMBOX Leakproof Bento Lunch Box Container for Kids is a great choice for today’s tots.

Fully resistant against leaks, this box allows your tot to feast on healthy yogurts and applesauce without the looming threat of a curdled mess of books.

The removable tray with emoji themed illustrations teaches kids about dairy, grains, vegetables, and other important food factors.

The fresh, bright design assures restless tots that they will not be shunned for sub-par lunchbox possession.

See the YUMBOX Leakproof Bento Lunch Box Container for Kids at Amazon.

Wildkin’s Trains, Planes, and Trucks Lunch Box

Wildkin’s Trains, Planes, and Trucks Lunch box features a graceful, simple design. Trains, planes, tractors and trucks seem to never go out of style among toddlers—especially young boys.

This lunchbox is decorated with animated vehicles of all kinds, and features Wildkin’s standard husky insulation, assuring your tot’s veggies will stay cool and crisp, while he’s hard at work putting two and two together.

The simple zipper-equipped front panel opens to a large, insulated compartment, which contains Velcro tabs for securing a water bottle and ice packs.

The fabric construction is easy to clean and will last at least until your kid has outgrown his tractor passion.

See the Wildkin’s Trains, Planes, and Trucks Lunch Box at Amazon.

Hango’s Insulated Lunch Box Cooler Bag

For the more sophisticated, precocious kid, Hango offers their Insulated Lunch Box Cooler Bag. This is a particularly useful value, as this set of insulated lunch bags consists of two matching bags!

That’s right, you and your tot can go out on the town after a grueling day of subtraction and tractors and feign sophistication with matching lunch bags, suitable for any meal.

High quality, dense polyester construction holds up even against the most dedicated ketchup attacks. The top-loading design makes packing lunch easy, and your tot will assume a debonair grace toting this charming lunch bag around.

The insulation will keep the cool stuff cool and the warm stuff warm well through fourth period grammar lessons.

The second, larger lunch bag is the same model, only built to accommodate a big girl, grown-up appetite!

See Hango’s Insulated Lunch Box Cooler Bag at Amazon.

Keep Lunch Cool

Looking for more fun lunchboxes? These are more snazzy choices for the toddler in your life.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t spoil yourself too! Check out these great options to keep your coffee piping hot at work.

Do you need to keep your busy toddler busy while you’re prepping their lunch? These kitchen playsets will keep them interested while you’re working away.

With an ever-expanding market for portable lunches, your toddler will never have to risk being outcast for not having a hip enough lunchbox.

As a concerned parent active in your kid’s life, free yourself of the worry over cafeteria lunch quality by investing in a money saving, health promoting lunchbox for your modern toddler.

Check out these cool ideas for your kiddies next packed lunch…

Image Credit via Flickr Creative Commons License Melissa