Wordless Riddles: Fun Lunchbox Notes

Wordless Riddles Lunchbox Notes are a great way to encourage self esteem and build confidence. They give a big mental hug and maybe a laugh to your kiddo while they are away from you at school. These notes also build on their literacy and deductive reasoning–plus they are just super fun!

I wanted a way to connect with my kiddos while they were at school in a way that wouldn’t be “showing up at the school to embarrass them in front of their friends” but would still let them know that I was thinking of them. Lunchbox notes are a great way to do just that.

That’s what they are–wordless riddles.

Okay, so they aren’t completely wordless, but even the non-readers will quickly understand the point of the riddle is to identify what it is. They’re a cross between the familiar “I Spy” and ” A Closer Look”. It won’t take long before your child will proudly be “reading” the notes for themselves and delighting in solving the riddles. You could give them a little head start by letting them know all the pictures are of common objects at home.

Why Lunchbox Notes are a Big Deal

Encouragement

Maybe for the first time your child is away from you for a large chunk of the day. Think about that from their perspective for a minute. Our kids do Important Work all day long, sometimes it can get a little stressful. Maybe they are feeling a little insecure and vulnerable. Add a personal message that tells them exactly what you’re thinking about for them and that lunchbox note will give them a warm, funny, encouraging bit of contact with home and you just when they need it! They will know you’re thinking about them. Can you imagine how important that is for their spirit?

Social Development

Lunchbox riddles also encourage a sneaky bit of social development as well. They won’t be able to help sharing these cool little riddles with their friends. Maybe they will even enlist their friends’ help on a few of the trickier ones. Before too long your child’s classmates may be looking forward to your notes as much as your kiddo!

Accomplishment

One mom put wordless riddles in her kiddo’s lunchbox and reported, “The first day I added them to lunchboxes (day two of school!), we chatted on the way home about the day, their friends, recess, and–of course–lunch.” No one could figure out the picture, so we talked through it as we walked, and together they got it! The following day, my son ran out of the building and the very first thing he said to me was Brady’s nose!! (their dog) It was Brady’s nose! It took a minute, but then it hit me–he figured it out, and he was psyched. Yay!”

Lunchbox Note Tips

I learned the hard way that a child’s lunchbox can be a pretty iffy environment for a little note. Something leaked and the only riddle was what that colorful mess in the bottom of the lunchbox was in the first place! So…protect it by putting it in a small baggie. Remember a smeared soggy note is a sad and discouraging thing. I also found that printing them out on card stock instead of regular copy paper made a huge difference too. I like the bright white paper because it really makes the colors pop.

You can write a longer note on the back without worrying about the ink bleeding through to the picture on the front. If you feel super crafty you could even cut them out with those scrapbooking scissors that cut fancy edges! These are the ones I use.

I especially like the ones that look like the perforations around postage stamps. If you don’t mind cutting paper with sewing scissors (for some folks it’s a mortal sin) then pinking shears are also a fun edge.

• Astrobrights White Card Stock
• Decorative Edge Scissors

You can make your own notes or you can get started with the two sheets we have prepared here:

Want a few more lunchbox notes for your kids?

Want a look at all of our lunchbox love notes? Here they are:

• School Rules: Super Silly Lunchbox Jokes
• Positive Affirmation lunchbox notes
• Nicer than Necessary lunchbox notes
• Wordless Riddles lunchbox notes
• Halloween Jokes lunchbox notes
• Hidden Pictures lunchbox notes
• Disney Fun Fact lunchbox notes
• Fun Fact lunchbox notes
• Budgie Fun Fact lunchbox notes
• Happy, Happy Day lunchbox notes
• Homemade lunchbox notes
• Parent Notes for lunchbox or anywhere
• Holiday Fun Fact lunchbox notes
• More Holiday lunchbox notes
• Valentine’s Day Knock-Knock joke lunchbox notes
• St. Patty’s Day Joke lunchbox notes
• Springtime lunchbox love notes
• Super-Sweet lunchbox love notes

Many thanks and happy lunchbox noting!

PIN THIS FOR LATER