Connect-the-Dot Lunch Box Notes

This content, including the connect-the-dot lunch box notes printable, is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. The opinions and text are all mine. #PBLove

Ready to get this back-to-school party started? Make the firsts days of school special and power their day with their favorite lunch and these fun connect-the-dot lunch box notes from mom!

I have a love-hate relationship with the back-to-school season. My kids do, too. I think by the time late-August comes around, we’re all ready to get back into a regular routine. To spend a little more time indoors in air-conditioning (right???), and to see our school friends again. But man, oh, man. That bus comes early. Like 6:45 am early. Ugh.

6:45 in the morning is an early start day for anybody, yet alone for an elementary school student. So, when it comes to packing their lunchbox, I want to make sure I give them a meal that will power their day.

My kids are PB&J kids, through and through. It’s kind of an apple-tree situation, because I’m totally the same. Jif® Peanut Butter, Smucker’s® Jam (strawberry of course), and white bread. What isn’t the same? The cut.

When I was a kid, it was always a half a sandwich, folded in half. And that’s the way James-man, our resident three-year-old prefers it. But Will and Graham? One’s gotta be whole and crust-off. The other? Cut diagonally. Not down the middle. Not whole. Diagonally. Triangles taste better. I indulge them, because… I love them.

I was able to stock up on Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter and Smucker’s® Strawberry Jam at Walmart.

To make things easy, I dedicate one day a week to making PB&J sammies for the crew. It’s a simple assembly line process, and sometimes I even let the kids help. But only if it’s bath night.

In addition to Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, each lunch box also gets a fruit, water, a yogurt or cheese, and a little treat from mom. Cookies or crackers, with a special note. My kids may not always appreciate my cheesy notes, but for now they do. So, I love giving them. My specialty? Connect-the-dot lunch box notes.

Each note has a simple connect-the-dot puzzle and a themed note. I know they’ll make my kids smile and appreciate that I took a little extra time to put together their lunch for them. It may even earn me a from mom-points that I can cash in for chore around the house. (I know, I’m dreaming.)

I’ve heard that these years fly by. And sometimes, I don’t believe it. But when I see my little boys off to school and come back to my empty house, my heart aches. Just for minute mind you!! But then I think about the great day they’ll have, and I discover all of those messes they’ve left for me. Darn kids. 🙂

If you want to skip the hassle of making your own connect-the-dot lunch box notes, feel free to download the notes in this post here, for free!

How do you make your children’s first few days back to school extra-special?

Looking for a few dinner ideas perfect for the busy back-to-school evenings? Check out our recipe for One-Pot Pasta Carbonara and this Sheet Pan Sausage Dinner.