Tips for Packing School Lunches

There’s no ifs, ands, or buts, about it: kids’ eating habits are notoriously fickle. With how busy parents can get, it can be easier to stick leftovers in a paper bag than it is to craft a meal of perfectly balanced portions. Luckily, we have many ideas for packing a healthy school lunch for kids.

Find Balance

Aim for a balance between vegetables, fruit, starches, and dairy. Protein is also an essential component for anyone’s diet. Besides the traditional lunch meats and nuts, experiment with fish, beans, and hard boiled eggs to add variety.

Make these lunchbox classics:

Ham and Cheese Roll Ups

Bite-sized Taco Salads

Cheesy Baked Chicken Fingers

Avocado, Tomato, and Chicken Wraps

Pizza Crescent Roll-Ups

Try Something New

Add a new ingredient to an old favorite. Try different kinds of bread or switch out sandwich bread for a tortilla or pita pocket. Try avocado, hummus, honey mustard, or cream cheese instead of mayo. Incorporate leftovers into a dish for a new meal experience.

Try these new recipes:

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Pâté

Zesty Turkey Pita Pocket

Zucchini Corn Fritters

Meatball Mini Sandies

Mini Frittata

Switch up the Presentation

Use different ideas to present food to your kids. These don’t have to be elaborate ideas. Try dicing veggies or making fruit kabobs instead of serving them whole. Use cookie cutters to make fun-shaped sandwich bites. Experiment with different lunch bags or bento boxes to create a homemade and healthy ‘lunchable.’

Try out these recipes:

Frozen Fruit Sticks with Passionfruit and Lime Drizzle

Club Sandwich

Applewiches

Peanut Butter and Jelly ‘Sushi’

Butterfly Snack Break

Get the Kids Involved

Encouraging your kids to get involved will give them a more active role in their diets. Plan some time once a week to involve them in meal planning. Have them choose an item and a piece of fruit and help them assemble their lunch. Make this as regular a routine as you can—it’s a great way to spend some time together as a family.

More Lunch Hacks

• Freeze PB & Js overnight, put it in a lunchbox in the morning, and it will be thawed and ready to go by lunchtime
• Use drinks as ice packs. Freeze water bottles, Capri Suns, or juice boxes. This way they will be refreshing for a lunchtime sip, and it will free up room in their lunch boxes for more goodies
• Use empty Mio bottles (or similar small bottles) as condiment dispensers for less mess. This will also ensure that salads won’t be soggy by lunchtime
• If you use sliced apples, prevent them from browning by wrapping it with saran wrap or a rubber band
• Make a snack station in your pantry and fridge. Assemble healthy, kid-portioned snacks and kids will have an easier time finding afterschool snacks and assembling their own lunches

Lunch doesn’t need to be boring for your kids or stressful on you. Find a happy balance that works for the both of you. For even MORE school lunch ideas, check out this printable list for School Lunch Box Ideas.

Summer Science Experiments For Kids

As parents, we want our children to continue learning during the summer months, although finding fun summer activities that are educational can be difficult. Here are some super cool science experiments that will fascinate and educate your child this summer.

1. Guess the amount: For this experiment, all you need is a handful of paper clips and a glass of water. First, you fill the cup with water, then you have your child guess how many paper clips it will take to make the water overflow. This experiment demonstrates surface tension, which is when the water bulges on top of the glass without overflowing.

2. Chalk Rockets: In this experiment you will be creating exploding chalk rockets. (It isn’t as dangerous as it sounds.) You first must create liquid sidewalk chalk and put it in film canisters. Then you drop alka-seltzer tablets into the canister, which creates a chemical reaction, propelling the film canister towards the sky. Your children will love this, and it teaches them about chemical reactions and propulsion!

3. Bubble Shapes: This next experiment will teach your child how and why bubbles always form a circle. What you will do is make different 2D shapes out of pipe cleaners (Squares, triangles, etc.) You then dip them into the soap, and blow a bubble. Your child will see that no matter what the shape is the bubble will always turn round.

4. Clouds in a Jar: For this one you will need shaving cream, water, clear cups, and blue food coloring. This experiment will make the effect of a rain cloud in a jar. You first fill the glass with water, then you put the shaving cream on top of the water which will resemble a cloud. Then you drop the blue food coloring on top of the shaving cream, and it will create a rain-like effect in the water. This is a perfect experiment to do on a rainy day!

5. Pencil and Baggie: This experiment brings some magic and wonder to science. All you will need is a plastic baggie, some water, and a sharp pencil. What you will do is fill the baggie ¾ of the way with water. You then stick the pencil through the baggie, and watch in amazement. No water should spill from the baggie. This teaches your child about the molecules and polymers that make up the baggie.

These experiments are sure to keep your child busy and get them learning about science throughout the summer months. In the mean time check out our website to learn more about our Fall 2015 prize program: Here Come the Minions! We are looking forward to working with you when the school year begins!

Family Fun Nights for the Holiday Season

Paragon Promotions Presents the Four Family Fun Nights

The Holidays are perfect for friends and family. Get together and plan a few nights of fun with these engaging and exciting ways that you can spend with your friends and family!
 

Game Night

Plan a fun game night for parents and kids with a collection of your favorite games such as Scrabble, Twister, Yahtzee, etc. Families and friends will love rediscovering the value of playing games and reconnecting over laughter and fun. Don't be afraid to throw in a round of Hide-and-Go-Seek! You can foster a new tradition with your friends and family. 


 

Science Night

Treat families to a night of inquiry, discovery and fun with some simple science experiments and activities like Diet Coke and Mentos eruption or a tornado in a bottle! It's a great way to get families excited about science, encourage parent involvement and spark interest among children.

Reading Night

Give family and friends a fun evening together while reminding them of the joys of reading. They'll love sharing their favorite stories. So set-up some chairs, invite your friends and family and before you know it, you’ll be having the time of your life. Try half hour reading sessions with a few group games and snacks in between. Transform your den into a mystical reading adventure land with the help of a blanket and pillow fort - use flashlights for reading!

 

 Movie Night

Invite families and friends over for a night that they won't forget. Who doesn’t love movies? So why not get together and enjoy a great film. Create movie critique cards for everyone and have them grade the movie from A to F. Snuggle in some blankets, pop some popcorn and spend some quality time with friends and family.