The coolest lunch box accessories, water bottles, and other goodies to make school lunch more fun | Back to School Shopping Guide
Each year, in our annual back to school shopping guide, we always love tracking down those cool lunch box accessories, water bottles, bentos, and other fun goodies that help make opening that same old lunch box every day a little more special.
Some of of these lunch box accessories are little affordable treats, some are slightly more expensive picks that we adore and stand by because they’ll give you years of use. The way we see it, we’d rather buy one great lunch box that lasts a lot of years (and see this post for our recos!), than a cheap new one every year.
We’d also rather invest in great reusable snack bags, utensils, and other containers to cut back on single-use products as much as possible.
We think you’ll find so many cool lunch box accessories for kids in our recos below! From fun ice packs to eco-friendly reusable napkins to sandwich cutters and printable lunchbox notes, we hope you can discover a few ideas here that make packing school lunch a little less tedious each day. One can hope, right?
– Updated for 2024 –
See all the fun new back to school picks in our 2023 Back to School Guide
The coolest lunch box accessories for back to school
above and at top: zoku kids kawaii shark utensil set
All items have been chosen by our editorial team; there has been no compensation in exchange for any recommendations. This post contains affiliate links, meaning some items may generate a small commission to support the work of our team at no additional cost to you.
kids hydroflask water bottle with straw lid, $28.95, amazon | hydroflask insulated lunchbox, $44.95, nordstrom
reusable drink in the box container, $14.00 on amazon in lots of colors
planet box eco-friendly build-a-kit complete lunchtime set $59.95 and up, planet box
lifefactory 16oz water bottle $24.99, amazon | reusable sporks $3.29, container store | lunchbots leak-proof snack jar $21.99, amazon | wildkin nesting snack containers $19.99/3, amazon | cool coolers ice packs $7.99/3, container store
Related: Lunch bags and totes for teens and big kids who have outgrown lunch boxes
S’Well kids food canister set | $34 on sale, S’Well
lunchbots duo bento containers $32.99, amazon
s’well 17 oz insulated water bottle $28, amazon | personalized reusable snack bags $8 and up, zippered zebra on ttsy | diy uncrustables sandwich cutters $11.96, amazon | fun paper straws $9.50/100, outside the box papers on etsy | reusable snack/sandwich bags $8 and up, ehle at lunch on etsy | panda double decker bento $24, amazon
printable color-your-own superhero lunchbox notes $2, designer daddy
also available in color, $6.50
Thermos Funtainer Insulated Food Jars $22, amazon
bentgo Unicorn Ice Packs $9.99/4-pack, amazon | reusable cloth napkins $20/12-pack, marley’s monsters | monster bag clips $9/6, amazon | personalized lunchbox labels prices vary, mabel’s labels | fun bites fun shape sandwich cutters set $9.99/ea or $23.99/set of 3, amazon
zoku kids kawaii pocket utensil sets, $15.99, amazon
atasher reusable silicone sandwich and snack bags, $9.99/single bag to $78 for giant bundles, amazon
(currently 30% off many styles!)
Related: 4 of the best plastic bag alternatives to help us save money and the planet
twist n eat burrito holder, $40, uncommon coods
More Back to School Shopping Guides We’ve Put Together for You!
– 15 of the coolest backpacks for preschool and kindergarten
– 20 cool backpacks for teens this year
– Lunch bags and totes for teens who have outgrown lunch boxes
– 13 dorm essentials you may not have considered
–11 favorite school supply organization hacks and tips
– Setting up a study space at home: Tips to make it one your kid will actually use
– Which lunch boxes and bags hold up the best? After testing dozens, here are our 5 picks.
I never thought twice about diapering my son with the eco-not-so-conscious disposable diaper. I have to admit, I thought that cloth diapers were still big cotton towels that required safety pins, manual dexterity, and a whole lot of free time.
Don’t get any sick ideas, dear readers. We’ve all seen our share of those softies and we certainly don’t need a stuffed one of THOSE laying around the house. 
When my 3 year old was a newborn we planned a trip to Europe and before I could say auf viedersehn, my brain pictured all the filthy traveling potties we would encounter while changing her diaper.