With just a few weeks of school left, many of us are facing a summer with the kids home all day. Those of us who homeschool are quite used to this, actually, but there are still times when coming up with something to feed everyone for lunch can be a bit of a challenge. (After all, how many times can you serve leftovers or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?) When I get in a lunchtime rut, I turn to this fast and fun alternative to the traditional lunch menu: funny face sandwiches.
The great thing about funny face sandwiches is that you and your kids can come up with endless variations, depending on your particular tastes and nutritional preferences or allergy requirements. All you need is a base (we used a slice of bread), a spread (for us, it was peanut butter or Nutella, although you could use cream cheese or even humus), and toppings.
Possible toppings include:
- Nuts of all types (cashews, peanuts, or almonds work great!)
- Dried fruit (think raisins, craisins, or dried apricots)
- Fresh fruit, berries, or veggies (apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana slices, cucumbers, carrot slices…whatever is in season or you happen to have on hand)
- Crackers (oyster crackers, goldfish crackers, butter crackers, or even teddy grahams)
- Optional “treat” toppings, such as chocolate chips or marshmallows
So you’ve picked the base, spread the spread (ha!), and gathered your toppings. Now the fun begins! This is a hands-on, high-involvement project designed to get you out of a lunchtime rut and add some humor to the day. The sillier, the better!
Sometimes, we make these sandwiches together, enjoying each other’s creativity. Other times, one person is the designated “chef,” preparing custom concoctions to surprise other members of the family.
Either way, we’re soon laughing and snacking to our heart’s content. Note: We usually eat the toppings first, then fold up the bread and finish it off, but you can eat them any way you like!
The best part of funny face sandwiches isn’t the easy prep and clean up or the quasi-nutritional value (depending on your toppings!). It’s enjoying time together at the table in the middle of the day. (And no, I don’t normally encourage my kids to play with their food, but sometimes you just have to have a little bit of fun!)
What’s your favorite go-to, kid-friendly lunch? Ever make an equivalent to funny face sandwiches? Feel free to share in the comments below!