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.

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 lunchboxĀ loveĀ 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
- Valentineās Day Knock-Knock joke lunchbox notes
- St. Pattyās Day Joke lunchbox notes
- Springtime lunchbox love notes
- Super-Sweet lunchbox love notes
Many thanks and happy lunchbox noting!
PIN THIS FOR LATER

What a great idea! I love this for the little ones who are still learning to read, and will definitely be making cards for my girls’ lunch boxes!
awesome! thanks, Jenn! please do let me know how it goes for you!!
LOVE this idea for my kindergartener! Cannot wait to do it! Thank you!
awesome! thanks so much, Lexi, and please please let me know how it goes!!
I reused your Melissa & Doug mailbox, he didn’t figure it out and got frustrated. But we figured it out together tonight and he liked it. Thanks!
Lexi! It’s a tough one–how old is your kiddo?
He is 5, just started kindergarten. But we have that same mailbox in our living room and they play with it often enough, I thought it would be super easy!
Awesome! Can’t wait to try it!
Love, love, love it!
thank you thank you, thank you!!
Fabulous idea! Is there an answer key…sad to say a couple of them I can’t figure out what they are.. : )
Shannon–totally forgot to add an answer key! (What was I thinking??!) Will do that this weekend! Thanks!
Did you add the answer key? I can’t find it if you did, nor can I figure all of these out.
Emily! You’re the first to ask. . . I didn’t actually. Will make one now!
Why can’t I find anywhere to print these or the lunchbox seek and finds? my email is lbecker@wcr4.org and I’ve looked all over these pages to print these and can’t find anywhere to
Hi Laura,
Sorry to hear you’re having a problem! The link to the download should be in the email you were sent. Please let us know if that isn’t the case so we can at least try to fix the problem from this end.
TeachMama (Patricia)
Hi, I was wondering if you could send the answer key. Just in case Iām wrong on a few. Lol.
Thanks!
Hi Kate,
What a great idea! My husband, The Engineer, is working on adding that to the download! We’ll send it to you so you don’t have to sign up again to get it. Thanks for reaching out.
TeachMama (Patricia)