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.
My favorite pick is the panda double decker bento because it’s so adorable and my daughter would definitely love it.
The DASH insulated bottle! I’m still on the hunt for a good insulated bottle that won’t pop open when the backpack is tossed around on the bus. Thermos has failed me with too many milk disasters.
Aww, I love the panda lunch box, my daughter would love that!
The bear sandwich cutter is the best as it looks like an awesome pocket sandwich that my daughter would be so surprised to find in her lunch box!
The panda sandwich cutter. I have a circle one and I know my girls would be tickled pink to be surprised by a panda instead.
The sporks – they will only lose 1 utensil – not 2.
I think the lunchbots-uno-with-dots are terrific. Great because they’re reusable but also because your food won’t get crushed in transit. And the colors are appealing for both kids and adults!
I liked the Lunchbots duo dots bentos–they look so colorful and fun for a packed lunch for my son! They also look very easy to clean 🙂
I’m always looking for a great water bottle.
We have a couple of these in our lunch stash – already packing coolness! The juice-in-the-box and panda sandwich cutter are awesome finds. Lunch items are my favorite school supplies to buy!
I was just talking about the all around multipurpose sporknife with my kids a couple days ago. They <3.
I love the lunchbots. The new dot covers are great! But here in CA our kids have been back in school for two weeks. Even the districts with “late start” went back last Thursday. We need these posts in early August or we miss out.
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We’d love to start earlier Noelle! One of our issues is that a lot of retailers don’t feature their BTS items until early or mid August…some items we love aren’t even out yet, today! It’s so tough now with some schools starting in July (eep) while NY and other states don’t start until after Labor Day. Thank goodness for Halloween which is still on the same day each year. 😉
Really appreciate the feedback. -Eds
Love the panda sandwich cutter! Super cute 🙂
sandwich cutters–always trying to up my PB&J game.
I love the cloth napkins!
the souperhero spoon is so clever, bet it would save the day when attempting to serve soup to my little guys.
Love the panda sandwich cutter, too adorable!
Makes me want to take more sandwiches to work.
Love our Life Factory bottles. Each member of our family has their own.
There are so many great products on this post but my favorite has to be the R2D2 Thermos Funtainer with straw! We are big Star Wars fans here and this would be awesome for my little Jedi!
Love the reusable juice box. At first I thought…but why? But… I get it. love it!
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I love the reusable juice boxes! 🙂
Reusable Juice in the Box container– wow! This is, by far, my favorite! Just thinking of how many juice boxes go into our landfills; love this beverage container and how it decreases garbage!
Lunchbots and the cloth napkins are my favs!
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I love the napkins because they might convince my 6yo to wipe his face, and the lunch its bentos because we’re trying to avoid plastic. But it’s the whole list is so cute!
I like the s’well hearts water bottle. Simple, cute, reusable.
It’s so hard to pick just one, but I think I’ll go with the LunchBots. Love that there are multiple items to help reduce our footprint, as that is super important to me 🙂
Juice in the box container! Perfect for my kiddos lunch!
Love the panda double decker bento for its cuteness. Yay for panda twins in DC!
Love the Zoli insulated food jars. I have been looking and looking for something to keep food warm! The colors are bright and fun!
Love the Yay!snacks box and the reusable snack/sandwich bag. Would so save the cost of sandwich bags!
Superhero spoons! I showed my 5 year old son and he already is coming up with story lines about this incredible new superhero. Lol.
i *love* the reusable cloth napkins! i just realized i’ve never packed a napkin for my kid…anyway, we use cloth napkins at home and these are genius!
My favorite item is the reusable cloth napkins. We go through so many napkins. We definitely need to get some of these!
our favorite is the r2d2 thermos. my 4 and 7 year olds would adore it- those are our favorite water containers and they’re non-stop star wars fans. just clicked your link through to order it from target and it’s sold out 🙁
I love the Write Away labels. We’ve used Mabel’s Label’s since my 5 and 7-year olds were infants and they work SO well for keeping track of their things! So great I could just write their name on these!
The DINE insulated food jar, since my daughter loves to take baked ziti for lunch.
Love the fun shape sandwich cutters- because maybe my kid will actually eat something if its “fun-shaped.”
i LOVE these reusable cloth napkins because i hate the thought of my kids creating more waste every day! https://www.etsy.com/listing/170721386/12-reusable-cloth-napkins-great-for-back
We have the R2D2 thermos and its great. I really like the yay lunch snack boxes, it’s adorable and the perfect size.
R2D2 Thermos Funtainer with straw, another fun Star Wars accessory my son would love!
Love the cloth napkins — maybe great fun prints make them more likely to be used? ?
I love the sandwich cutters! Although my kids are a little older, I know they would love it!
Loving the R2D2 thermos — heading to get mine today
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My favorite is the panda double decker bento because it reminds me of Kung Fu Panda with the head band and looks ready to chop a PB&J in half for my girls:-)
Reusable napkins by Marley’s monsters – so cute and handy!
I’m loving the practicality of the spork, but for sheer awesomeness I have to vote for the superhero spoon. That’s super-cool!
My favorites are the cloth monster napkins! 🙂
Why… Because my kids should invest in a paper towel company, but I prefer reusable!!
Love the cloth napkins. I always forget to pack a napkin so I will be less likely to forget with these cool options!
Just ordered the cloth lunchbox napkins. We also have the panda bento box – Love it!! And the dinosaur sandwich cutter. 😉
I love being eco-friendly when possible, so many of the lunchbox ideas spoke to me. The cloth napkins are especially cute!
<3 the snack box bentos. The labels are wonderful.
The keep leaf reusable bags are adorable.
I like the fun shape sandwich cutters best! And the panda bento, too.
loving the funbites cutter and def going to order the cloth napkins from marleys!
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Love the reusable napkins. Reminds me of my cloth wipes from diapering days.
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I would love the lunch bot containers and the napkins. Reusable items protect mother earth!!!
I love all of the lunch box assesories but my favorite is the r2d3 thermos!
I love the sandwich cutters – my daughter would get such a kick out of those!
Love the re-usable juice boxes. Plus, who doesn’t love saving the world? There would definitely be less juice boxes in the garbage from our house!
Cloth napkins! Cute and eco-friendly.
I love the lunchbots duo dots bentos! I love the colorful lids!
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My children would love to drink anything- perhaps healthy juice- from the juice box reusable container! It’s genious-ness and fun all in one. LOVE all these things- and as a teacher, I want them for my school lunches, too!
super hero notes for my 3 super hero lil boys!
Love the sandwich shape cutters!
The R2D2 Funtainer Thermos Bottle is AWESOME! Ordering it now!
Lifefactory bottles are the BEST.
The reusable cloth napkins are cool; lots of times my kid’s school has a no-trash lunch day when everything you bring must be reusable.
Love those Lunchbots duo dot bentos, especially with that fun pop of color!
the panda bear sandwich cutter is adorable. if only my kids ate sandwiches 🙁
the dinosaur sandwich cutter. too cute!
I love the panda sandwich cutter. Too cute! Great product suggestions, I’ve not seen most of these and makes me interested to check them out.
I like the cloth napkins and those sandwich cutters are super cute.
The super hero spoon because it’s kind of creepy.
I love the reusable juice box…what a great idea!
I love the kids’ cloth napkins, but I wouldn’t trust my kids to bring them home instead of throwing them away! 🙂
The panda bear sandwich cutter is adorable! Thanks for the chance!
Love the Juice in the Box Containers! So cute!
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C’mon! Super hero spoon! That rocks!
I love the “reusable juice in the box container” because it would save $ on not buying prepackaged from the store, and it’s cute! 🙂
LOVE this idea! I’ll have to check it out immediately! – reusable juice in the box container
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I love the lifefactory 16oz water bottles! My kids take water bottles every day and these look like they are made to last!
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The superhero spoon is really cool!
Buying the cloth napkins and juice in a box right now! Would pick up the R2D2 thermos if I spotted it in store.
I love a good spork!! Best hybrid utensil ever 🙂
I LOVE the panda bear sandwich cutter!
Love the cloth napkins for kids! My son always wants extra napkins and I think he would love these!
The fun shape sandwich cutters! Sandwiches are great for lunches but when I can cut them into all kinds of different shapes, it makes eating them so much more fun.
The super hero spoon! My son is just learning to eat on his own, and he would love it.
The R2D2 thermos is cool! My son would love it!
Love those lunchbots duo dots bento boxes! I love that they’re not plastic, but still sturdy enough for kiddos. And, as someone else mentioned, they look easy to clean!
As a teacher, I live for my life factory bottle. I’d love to try the dash insulated one to keep my water cold throughout the day.
So many good items to choose from, but I love Zoli insulated bottle with straw. Very convenient to have the straw in the bottle and with it being insulated, it will remain cold longer.
Zoli water bottles – were always looking for great insulated water bottles
Love the cloth napkins! At our school, all the preschool and Kindergarten kids have to come with a cloth napkin & placemat. These would be great!
Yay! Lunch box, because yay lunch!
The R2D2 thermos is the most amazing thing ever. I can imagine how kind it would be to have a robot buddy for lunches.