It’s been a lunchtime staple for centuries (literally – the sandwich was invented in 1762!) but it’s about time this old favourite got a facelift. Here are our Top 10 twists on the classic sandwich, perfect for even the most sandwich-averse little ones.

SANDWICH SUSHI

Is it sushi? Is it a sandwich? Technically, it’s both! To make sandwich sushi, simply cut the crusts off a piece of bread (it can be white, wholegrain or whatever you like!) and roll it with a rolling pin until flat. Then, add your choice of filling to one end of the piece of bread – be careful not to overfill it, which might take some practice – and tuck it into the bread as you roll. Keep them long, or cut into slices for a real sushi effect.
Click here for recipe

RACING CAR SANDWICH

Is your child car obsessed? They will go crazy over this racing car sandwich creation by ‘About a Mom’. All you need is a small baguette (called a ‘hoagie roll’ in the original blog post), a cucumber, cherry tomato and your choice of filling. If you wanted to get creative, you could probably sub (pun intended) in celery or carrot sticks for a peanut butter sandwich or have fun combining flavours to see what your child loves the most.
Click here for recipe

OPEN-FACE ANIMAL SANDWICHES

We all know that an open-face sandwich is an easy way to make a sandwich a little bit more exciting, but these animal face sandwiches really take that trend to the next level. They’re so cute! Customise them to depict your child’s favourite and have fun experimenting with different ingredients. This is such a fun, simple way to make lunch a bit more exciting – and, fingers crossed, get your child to fall in love with sandwiches!
Click here for recipe

PIZZA TOAST

Everyone loves pizza, but it’s not exactly a favourable lunchbox addition – until now! Making pizza toast is sooooo easy: simply load up a piece of lightly toasted bread with your favourite pizza toppings, like tomato, cheese, onion, salami, ham or pineapple, and bake until the cheese is golden and the toast is crisp. Have the kids choose their own toppings and wrap their pizza toast in aluminium foil if it’s going in their lunchbox – otherwise, serve it as a mid-week dinner treat! Click here for recipe

SANDWICH SKEWERS

This is the perfect way to make a sandwich not look like a sandwich! Simply take the ingredients you would typically add to your sandwich – we’re talking cheese, ham, tomato, pickles, you name it! – and skewer them with a kid-proof stick, i.e. a stick without a pointy end. Make sure the stick is short enough to pack in their lunchbox, and watch their face light up as they see how “fun” their boring sandwich has become!
Click here for recipe

ROCKET SANDWICHES

Your mini astronaut will obsess over these rocket sandwiches, which are a fun, creative take on the aforementioned sandwich skewers! All you’ll need is a circular cutter to create symmetrical pieces – creator Eats Amazing used a cupcake plunger – and some tasty ingredients like cucumber, ham, cheese, tomato… you name it! This is a perfect activity to get the kids involved in, but also makes for an easy way to spice up a lunchbox. What a blast!
Click here for recipe

SANDWICH BITES

If your child loves sandwiches but hates the crust, or simply doesn’t think they like sandwiches, you need to invest in a food cutter. Most food cutters can be used to turn fruit, cake, cheese, meat and so much more into fun little bites but our favourite way to use this clever invention is on a sandwich. Choose from a range of patterns and get creative cutting, mixing and matching your sandwiches into fun works of art!
Click here for recipe

SCHOOL BOOK SANDWICHES

Nothing will get your kids into the school spirit like these adorable schoolbook sandwiches! The best part is, they’re so easy to make – simply cut the crusts off a sandwich and fold it in half over a slice of ham, cheese, or just about anything else! Then, you can have fun writing on the “books” using food colouring, and even let your kids get in on the action. What a fun, creative way for them to participate in lunchbox packing!
Click here for recipe

BREAKFAST SANDWICH MONSTER

Who says your kids’ lunchbox gets to have all the sandwich fun? We love this idea for a breakfast ‘sandwich monster’ by Kids Activities Blog, which turns a basic egg and cheese sandwich into a fun morning treat! Simply get some pretzel sticks, mozzarella cheese and olives to make the googly monster eyes and make an egg and shredded cheese sandwich as you normally would. We’ve never seen breakfast look so fun.
Click here for recipe

BUTTERFLY SANDWICH

Last but not least, how could we not include this butterfly sandwich? It’s so cute! All you need to do is cut your sandwiches into two wing-like shapes, line them up next to a stick of cucumber, celery or carrot and add the sultana eyes and you’ve got yourself a beautiful butterfly. If you’re feeling extra creative, go the extra mile like My Fussy Eater did and add a lush salad garden and a smaller cheese butterfly. We can’t get enough.
Click here for recipe