Is it August already? Summer’s coming to an end, kids are returning from camps, and it’s time to start shopping for school supplies. Wow, the summer season sure does fly by! But now, for many gluten-free parents, it’s time to start thinking about gluten-free lunches and potential cross contamination at school and in the classroom. Gluten in the classroom may not be as simple to avoid as homemade dinners with the family or picnics in summer, but it can easily be done!

For most parents, brown bagging their child’s school lunch is the way to go, and in many cases, it’s the easiest and most reliable when your kid needs to live gluten-free. But before you rely on packed lunches every day of the year, talk to the school nurse and cafeteria cooks. Many of them will be more than happy to work with you! Look at the weekly or monthly school menus to decide which ones will be safe for your child to have and use the letter we’ve created to give to your teachers, principal, school nurse and cafeteria manager before the school year starts. Also, here are some tips on cross-contamination that may be helpful to the cafeteria cooks when it comes to staying gluten-free. A lot of the time, you will probably still choose to make your own lunches for your gluten-free kids. That’s great! Just remember to mix it up and bring in a lot of variety. Don’t go with the same old peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a side of chips every day. Check out our Lunch and Snack Ideas for some healthy, diverse, gluten-free ideas. And don’t just stop with our suggestions, be creative when packing your child’s lunch and snack! Many times, lunches can be put together the night before and just set in the refrigerator. This way, you won’t have to rush getting something together in the morning, before your kids leave for school. Also, many kids love to have an input on what they eat, so allow them to help you before they go to bed. They’ll enjoy their lunch and snacks more when they give their input.

Did you know that some arts and crafts contain gluten as well? Play-dough and paper mache are wheat based, as well as some glues and other products. It’s fine that your kids play with these, as long as they don’t ingest them! Along with that, cross-contamination in the classroom can be a problem with snack time, crafts, and classroom parties. We’ve put together 10 Simple Tips to Keep an Allergen Friendly Classroom that you can share with the teachers when you meet with them before the school year starts.

We’ve also developed a card that your child can carry with him or her at all times. This Kid’s Card is a great thing for your child to keep in their backpack or folder. It can be used in the cafeteria, at snack time, when there’s a substitute teacher, on fieldtrips, at birthday parties, at a friend’s house, or whenever necessary. Along with all this school talk, here are some fun Back To School Crafts to get your kids ready for the year!

We know that sending your gluten-free child to school isn’t easy at any age. So here are a few School Planning Strategies that will help whether your child is going to pre-school or college.