10 Easy Camp Lunch Ideas (2024)

Find easy camp lunch ideas to make heading out for the day quick and simple. These easy kids lunches require minimal prep time, involve little (to no) cooking, and are easy to store safely in a lunch bag.

Camp Lunch Ideas

I know many of us are in need of lunch ideas for camp that will hold up well, are easy for the kids to eat, and don’t require a ton of work to pull together. This post is here to help! These camp lunch ideas check those boxes to fit your reality and are also versatile enough that you can make them—or variations of them—according to what you have on hand and what your kids prefer.

(These are my favorite lunchboxes for kids, kids lunch bags, and kids water bottles to help, too.)

Summer Camp Lunch Ideas

Packing lunch for camp is a little different than sending it school lunch ideas since the environment may be less predictable—and there may not be a fridge or air conditioning where the lunch is stored in the morning.

Which means you might want to use more shelf-stable ideas, more lunch snacks, more ice packs, and generally keep things a little simpler, if only to ensure that the food you pack can be eaten by the kids at day camp.

These ideas are meant for little kids who may be in summer care on up through elementary-aged kids. Adjust any of them by cutting the food smaller to ensure it’s easy to eat as needed for your unique child.

(You may also like Cold Lunch Ideas for Kids, Summer Lunch Ideas for Kids, and No-Cook School Lunch Ideas.)

Uncrustables Lunch

Pack a simple, yet fun, lunch including Uncrustables, drinkable yogurt, Amara Smoothie Melts, strawberries, and cucumbers.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is an easy make-ahead lunch that can be eaten cold or at room temperature. Add white beans, tomatoes, cheese, chicken, and/or any other mix-in your kids like for an easy packed lunch idea.

Cheese and Crackers Lunch

Reach for whole grain crackers for kids (or the ones your kids like best or my Graham Crackers recipe), cheese, and easy sides such as sliced or freeze-dried fruit. This is an easy snack lunch to pack that’s usually a hit with the kids.

If this isn’t enough food for your kiddo, you could add a hard-cooked egg or two, a few slices of turkey, or another protein that they enjoy.

Muffin and Yogurt Lunch

Making a lunch around a muffin—whether homemade like my Lemon Yogurt Muffins or Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins or store-bought—is such an easy option. This is a sort of breakfast-for-lunch that’s fun for the kids. I often top yogurt or cottage cheese with a few sprinkles to make the meal a little more fun.

Cereal and Smoothie Snack Box

Make a smoothie and freeze it in reusable pouches, then add to a lunch box in place of an ice pack and it will be thawed by lunchtime. We like our Green Smoothie for this option, paired with dry cereal, turkey, and some sliced peppers as an easy summer lunch idea.

Hummus Wrap

Fill a whole grain tortilla with homemade hummus without tahini, thinly sliced veggies, and cheese (optional) for a filling vegetarian lunch that works as well for kids as it does for adults. Add easy sides to round this out.

Egg Sandwiches

Layer thinly sliced hard-cooked egg inside bread (cut it out with a cookie cutter to make a fun shape, then save the crusts to make French toast casserole) for a yummy lunch idea.

Sandwich Lunch

Simple is often (always?!) best, and an easy sandwich is always a go-to. Fill soft bread with what your kids prefer such as peanut butter and jelly, sunflower seed butter and jam, hummus, cheese, turkey, or anything else! I like to pack a clementine, too, with the peel started so my older kids can finish it on their own—and it will stay fresher.

Bagel and Cream Cheese

Spread a bagel with cream cheese (or a nut or seed butter or jam) as an easy camp lunch option. Add simple sides to round out this easy meal. You can use a mini bagel if that size works better for your kids.

Leftover Pancake Lunch

Pack up leftover breakfast foods, like pancakes or waffles, into a fun lunch for kids. Add applesauce, some easy veggies, and some milk to make it filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best Tips for Camp Lunches

• Pack food in an airtight container with a tight fitting lid to prevent spills and keep food fresh.
• Pack a lunchbox (or snack containers) in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack or two.
• These thin ice packs are great for lunches.
• Do your best estimating how much food to pack for your child, and ask for feedback from their teacher or counselor if you aren’t sure how much they’re eating at lunch.
• Invite the kids to help pack their lunch, even if it’s as simple as letting them choose between two options for part of the meal.
• Pack a drink and hydrating foods. (We like these kids water bottles best.)

I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so comment below to share!